What clothes do you bring?

[Mark Ryan]

Going on an overnighter in another week. March in the NY. Sorry for such a basic question but I always seem to bring too much. Switched to lightweight and creeping toward UL but clothes always mess me up. I have an assortment of lightweight/UL layers found through BPL. Also a myriad of synthetic/down garments as well.

Just looking to see what people bring/wear. If needed I will post my selection.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Jake Willits]

I've never ventured out that far north. But, as a forum lurker I like to peep at the gear lists that peeps have sent in. It usually tips me off to where I am wasting ounces. I usually look at the weather for the trip. If it's dry, that removes some need for spare clothes. I usually don't take them anyway. For trips with lows around freezing, I can get by with:
Patagonia Cap3 1/4 zip or Icebreaker 200 longsleeve
Patagonia R4 full zip fleece
EB First Ascent BC200 shell

For the bottom I use:
Icebreaker Merino "Beast" boxers
Terremar 360 poly longhandles
Either REI Sahara convertibles or my Stoic Overhang Softshells
Marmot Precip full zip rain pants as a shell
Goosefeet down booties for sleeping

Then again, I hike mostly South of the Mason-Dixon. Good luck.

[Aaron Reichow]

As usual for this kind of question, information on the conditions you'll be running into. For a short trip of one, two or three nights in the spring or fall, from the top down:

Mountain Hardwear Powerstretch Balaclava
Montane Lite-Speed
Patagonia Nano Puff -or- First Ascent Downlight sweater or vest
First Ascent Ultra 195 merino baselayer top, or similar (150-200 wt merino long sleeve top)
Boxer Briefs
First Ascent Ultra 195 merino long johns, or similar
Mountain Hardwear Canyon Pant
DriDucks Ultra-Lite 2 Rain Pant (don't always bring; also serves as backup pant)
Smartwool Light Hiking Sock (2x)

For spring and fall temps, I hike in the baselayer, boxer briefs, pants, socks and a windshirt/shell. The rest is for camp or sleeping.

Since you're asking the question, it would be useful to post what you bring now… IMHO, the most useful gear list threads are ones where someone posts their gear list and has to justify/rationalize/defend it- the rest of us ask why, and suddenly you find yourself with just the stuff you need. :)

[josh wagner]

it will be when you get home you cna make the most headway. immediately upon return make some notes. did you wear everything you took? can you, if need be, wear it all at the same time (socks withstanding)? if you can and you did you took the right clothes.

if you had some clothes you didn't wear at all then you brought too much and need to adjust the next trip…

[Stephan Doyle]

Core:
1 Baselayer (in high humidity, you might want to bring an extra for around camp and, more importantly, sleep to keep your bag clean, but YMMV)
1 Insulation
2 shell (wind + rain)

Bottoms:
1 pair shorts (I transition to pants only when lows will be a fair bit below freezing)
1 pair merino 3/4 tights
1 rain skirt

Other:
1 beanie
1 packed pair of socks

[Mark Ryan]

Thanks Aaron-

These are items I have and used. I usually run warm by the way.

Top-
BPL Beartooth Hoody
Pat R1 Hoody
Smartwool Merino Wool T-shirts
UL Fleece Zip Pullover
Montbell Inner Down Parka
Montbell Thermawrap Vest
Dri-Ducks Rain Jacket

Bottom-
Ex Officio Boxers
Merino Wool Blend Long Johns
Columbia Silver Ridge Convert Pants
Lightweight Fleece Long Johns
Golite Reed Rain Pants

Again- I usually bring too much clothing. Just trying to find out what others bring.

Thanks

[Sumi Wada]

For short trips, I try to stick to ONE set of layers — underwear, base, insulation, shell/rain. No duplicates or "either-or" items. Count on your layers to handle the range of conditions/temps and avoid the temptation to take backup or "just in case" items. Only extra I may take are extra underwear and socks and, if it's hot, maybe an extra short-sleeve top if going out for longer than 2 days.

For just an overnight, you should be able to wear EVERYTHING at the same time.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Tops: Pick one hoody, take the parka, one base layer and the rain jacket. Add the vest if it is colder.

Bottoms: take everything but the fleece long johns.

Don't forget hat, gloves, 1 pair extra socks.

Top-
BPL Beartooth Hoody
Pat R1 Hoody
Smartwool Merino Wool T-shirts
UL Fleece Zip Pullover
Montbell Inner Down Parka
Montbell Thermawrap Vest
Dri-Ducks Rain Jacket

Bottom-
Ex Officio Boxers
Merino Wool Blend Long Johns
Columbia Silver Ridge Convert Pants
Lightweight Fleece Long Johns
Golite Reed Rain Pants

[Jim MacDiarmid]

Let's say you're expecting highs in the 40s, and lows down to 20, maybe expecting some precip.

I'll list what I'd bring, as I have some comparable items:

Worn:
BPL Beartooth –
Houdini windshirt
REI OXT boxer briefs
Ex Officio Convertible pants worn as shorts

Carried:
MYOG mountain parka (rain gear)
Patagonia Reeds
Polartec Powerstretch 100 weight fleece tights
BPL Cocoon Hoody

Flexible base layer, warm-ish when wet (though not as much as synthetic's I've read), built in hood, good venting with zip. I find mine fine while active down to the low 30s paired with the Houdini windshirt. During the day, my legs would be fine in just shorts down to the upper 30 so long as I was moving. I don't take to many rest stops, but the Reeds would probably retain enough warmth when I did. At night when the temps drop, I'm generally okay wearing the Beartooth, Houdini, and Cocoon, but I might pack a Thermwrap vest to be safe. (Having worn both the Cocoon and a Thermawrap jacket, my subjective experience is that the Cocoon is slightly warmer, as it should be since it uses 60g insulation vs 50g in the Thermawrap) i could also skip the vest and just use my silnylon, non-breathable mountain poncho under the cocoon hoody as a vapor barrier. The Powerstrech tights are plenty to keep my legs warm at night, though for a 5 oz penalty, my Cocoon full zip tights are easier to get on and off. I could also switch the 100 weight powerstretch for 50 weight and wear those under my shorts all day and still be comfortable at night with the Reeds and a wind layer.

If the lows were going to be in the 20's, I might actually pack my Feathered Friends down booties in place of an extra pair of socks, which would just be going into potentially damp shoes anyways.

There's no harm though in packing extra clothes as then just wearing as little as necessary as an experiment for future trips.

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