Gear List for 3-day trip up Camel’s Hump, VT (4,000 FT, -20ºF Windchill)

Hey Max, sounds like you have a great trip planned.

If I was expecting those temps, I would bring a down hat or hood of some sort. I think an extra pair of fleece or down pants might come in handy too.

The thing that stuck out to me the most–your gloves system might not be warm enough. I just saw Andrew Skurka's lecture on winter camping, and he carried some heavy duty mountaineering type mittens with him in Alaska with similar temps. I was in similar temps with high winds on a mountain awhile back, and it was my cold hands that made me turn around. I'm considering upgrading to some heavy duty mitts so I can continue to try out winter camping safely.

Wish I could remember the brand of mitts Andrew had, but they were huge and heavily insulated.

I didn't see your stove…did you list that?

I wonder if you should think about adding VBL layers? Might be best to experiment with those on a day trip first though. Andrew has a good article on VBL's.

Some additional tips: http://andrewskurka.com/2010/secrets-to-surviving-the-bitter-cold/

He mentions the mitts in this article, but doesn't say what brand they are.

The mitts I got are from Burton, and they're made for "The coldest days." That's hardly a technical qualification, but I've been biking in them down to 10º and they're consistently warm. It's been my experience that even the best gloves left my fingers cold while cycling in winter; the fact that these are warm is a pretty good affirmation to me.

I read Skurka's VBL guide, but I would want to test a VBL system at home before trying it on a trip. In my mind's eye, I worry about doing it wrong, sweating myself soaked, and freezing.

I think I am going to invest in a pair of new boots, a size larger, before the trip.

Taking advantage of EB 40% sale, you can buy their Summit Mitts for $78, each mitts has 550 fill Down liner inner mitt and the outer mitt has 170gms of Primaloft insulation.

I will check out that sale. Thanks!

I also just bought boots. I figure I've needed new ones for a while anyways, since I get hotspots with the Merrells from them being too small for hiking socks. I've ordered a pair of La Sportiva Delta GTX boots a half size larger than my shoe size- they should do nicely. The lacing down to the toe looks so intuitive, I wonder why every shoe doesn't lace down that far?

My jacket has an insulated hood- I'm going to use that instead of carrying another down hood.

I agree the boots seem inadequate. I would always wear insulated boots for the winter, some times that isn't enough (ie you would need plastic boots or pac boots). I also think your glove/mitt system seems inadequate. If the mitts are really warm enough, I think you will want gloves for snowshoeing up and down, more than light liners, sometimes that is all you need, but that is not very often once you get up on the mountain.

I also would bring microspikes. You can expect the trails to get snowshoed in pretty quickly, and then spikes are lighter and faster, even if the shoes weigh your pack down. You haven't told us what trails you are doing. I haven't done the steps in mid winter conditions, but my guess is that you are, since that is the LT north to the summit from the gap, and so I don't know if you would want crampons for that section. I can't see wearing snowshoes as you climb those ledges. All the other approaches to CH are easy walk ups, except bamforth ridge, which also would have some steep sections.

The mitts I have should be fine, I think- they're pretty outstanding as far as I can tell. I mean, these are pretty well insulated.

Here's exactly what I have:

http://www.zappos.com/burton-gore-tex-under-mitt-true-black

Here's the liner glove:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/60848?feat=0-ppxs&dds=y

As for the crampons idea, my snowshoes are these:

http://www.kahtoola.com/mountain_details.php

These Kahtoola snowshoes have crampons built-in to the bottom, and the actual attachment point for your boots separates from the flotation for use as an independent crampon system. I think these will be ideal for the mountain, if the trails are as you described. I'm not doing the navigating, so I don't yet know what trails we'll be on.

Hey Max, Those Burton mitts look like they might do the trick.

I did find the link of the mitts Andrew used in Alaska as a comparison. He like RBH designs for VBL stuff.

The mitts:

http://www.rbhdesigns.com/feature/54/altitude-vapor-mitts.htm