AT mid-March

[Brian Carr]

Alright fellas, I have been reading for the last four (okay, six) hours every thread I could find on frameless packs, torso length pads, CCFs, and Quilts. My head is spinning. I'm hoping some wiser men than myself can shed some light onto this situation.

Here it is:

Should I get a CCF sit pad, or full length pad to add 1) a pack frame and 2) warmth to the sleep system?

The Gear
I have a Zpacks Cuben Hybrid Zero sz Medium, a short NeoAir original or a short Xlite, an EE Rev 30* quilt, and a silk liner.

The Hike
I'm starting a hike on the Pinhoti Trail March 1st and heading up to Fontana (~500mi) in about 40 days. I'm most concerned with staying warm once I get in the mountains on the AT towards the last week of March through the first week in April.

The Hiker
I have not used a quilt before, I made the switch when I got a good deal and needed to replace a beat up WM Summerlite. I thru hiked the AT in 2011 and used an Ohm 1.0 (which I still have) but generally have little experience with a frameless backpack.

Here are the options I can think of:
Small NeoAir Original vs Xlite, Zpacks Zero vs ULA Ohm 1.0, CCF pad – sit, full, or none

Here is a link to the rest of the gear for anyone who is interested:
http://lighterpack.com/r/cbenmu

[Matthew Stenger]

The zero is too minimal for a thru hike. Get a Gossamer Gear pack if you really want to go frameless. I'd go with the ULA though. Those packs are bomber.

I used an 30 degree EE quilt starting April 1 and it was great. We did have one night in the upper teens and I was warm enough, wearing all my layers. I was hammocking but I have a winter top cover which adds warmth – so would a fully enclosed tent.

You could do the torso length Neo Air and then use a closed cell as a sit pad and for your legs while sleeping. this will help with warmth too.

That's about all I've got – have fun!

[Author]

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