how low (temperature) could you go with this?

[Brett Peugh]

I would just take off your baselayers and sleep in your insulating layers and see how far down you can go.

[will sawyer]

Brett, the insulating layers I brought last time, and will be planning to bring, are the following:
100wt fleece(?oz)
thin wool longjohns (5.8oz)
light hat (2.1oz)
maybe gloves (2.0oz)
houdini (4.2oz)

So I don't think I could sleep very low with just those. I just got a scale, but don't have my fleece with me, so I haven't' weighed it yet. If it turns out to be heavier than a thin down jacket I might switch them out.

[Angela Zukowski]

So is this going to be happening on the AT? I'm just guessing based on your location in CT and you mentioning shelters.

A few random comments stuck with me and while I know they were hypothetical for the most part here's my feedback:

1. a fire IN a shelter is not acceptable. Ever. Unless you are truly on the verge of dying.
2. the whole pine bough thing is great, but only in a true survival situation – not a a UL speed attempt.
3. If it's the summer on the AT, plan on having company in the shelters.
4. I'd just take a 35 or 40 degree quilt – why be miserable? If you get your fitness level high enough, a little extra added weight is not going to be an issue. It's really carrying 6 days of food that will suck. (This is another reason why I am wondering where you'll be doing this – if it's the AT you can carry very minimal amounts of food and resupply in towns or with a PO mail drop – rather than carrying 6 days you could carry 2 or 3 days)
5. I'd take a synthetic montbell style jacket over fleece any day. Or down.
6. If you are sleeping in shelters and hiking during the summer you aren't going to have to take breaks to dry things unless you get caught in an epic downpour. And even then with a trash bag liner your gear will be fine – and no need to dry out clothes, just wear them wet. This is an approach that will work much better with a sleeping bag to warm up in at night than just a blanket, though.

I slept in shelters on the AT all summer and it was an appallingly hot year. Definitely there were many nights when I didn't use my bag at all. That being said, not being able to sleep because of the cold is not fun!

Anyway I'm curious: where is this going take place? What kind of mileage are you hoping to achieve? If you don't want to share that publicly that's cool, but my curiosity has been piqued!

[will sawyer]

Angela, I'd be glad to let you in. I hiked the Long Trail two years ago in about 27-30 days, really enjoyed it. This past summer I decided to try to go for the unsupported record(tat hat time an 'easy' 12 days), so i planned for about 9 days, and set off two or three days after deciding to go for it. I had just spend a month on a NOLS trip in the Yukon, so I was in pretty good shape. I bailed around day 4 after being rained on the entire time, I had only made about 100 miles and my feet were falling apart (that was late August, I'm still losing toenails!).

So, naturally attempt number two is in the works. The new record is 6 days, 17 hours, so I will be planning on 5 days, X hours. So six hiking days. I'm planning around 45 miles per day. With that milage I'd hope to be able to run bits, in which case pack weight will matter quite a bit.

Now that I've said this I'd better follow through!

In response to your feedback:
1. agreed, if this is about the 'dual survival' show shelter? The fire would be outside the shelter.
2. also agree about pine boughs.
3. The southern LT is part of the AT, and yes i had some company last year. In the north much less crowded. Also late August is college orientation season, so lots of inexperienced college groups.
4. unsupported means I need to carry all my food. And I'm thinking about what sort of traditional quilt I could take. But you can't beat the weight and price of a space blanket. And I'm fine carrying 6 days of food, I'm used to carrying 60+ lb. from the NOLS trip. but of course, not trying to run with that…
5. However you can't hike in a montbell. I'm still working on a daily schedule, But I might be doing considerable night hiking.
6. The need for drying was from condensation in an AMK emergency ivy soaking you and all your clothing.

hope that answers your questions, and thanks for your interest.
Will

[Angela Zukowski]

Awesome! Thanks for the clarification and I apologize for bringing up some of more specious details! You are a stronger man than I for being willing to use a space blanket :)

I just chatted with a guy in my area who was thinking about taking on the record too. And on my thru-hike I kept bumping into Warren Doyle, who mentored the female LT speed hiking record holder.

You could do a food drop at a place like the Long Trail Inn, though… right? Would that still count as unsupported if you left it there and then picked up it while hiking?

[will sawyer]

I wouldn't say I am a stronger man for being willing to use a space blanket, but feel free to say that if I actually do. I don't think I'm tougher than anyone for talking about things.

If you do food drops then it is "self supported" for a ton of info about the LT and various attempts, you can check out this:
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=northeast&action=display&thread=1
If I were to try that, I would do much more than one food drop. Maybe plan out each of your shelters and put dinner for that night and the next days breakfast and lunch , and maybe some clean water. That way you would really just be day hiking between the shelters.

[Erik Danielsen]

Just curious, what was your sleep system for your first LT attempt? It'd be interesting to hear how you planned for the original 9-day attempt as well.

[will sawyer]

Erik, I just finished a trip report of that adventure, and I included a fair amount of my planning for it. If theres anything else you'd like to know I'd be happy to help you. My memory isn't great but If you ask I should be able to answer.

[Ike Mouser]

Theres no way I could sleep in that, i wouldn't catch a wink. I need my comfy pad if im in a tent, or my hammock if im below tree line.

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