Clothing / Sleeping help for Tennessee in October

Just for reference I'll share what I normally carry/wear in similar conditions.

Wear
-Hiking pants, no long underwear
-synthetic t-shirt
-wool sweater
-Wind shirt
-Hat

Sleeping
-23 oz synthetic quilt
-Bivy
-Tarp
-Short Prolite Thermarest

Camp Clothes
-Patagonia Nano Puff (similar to your Mtn. Hardware jacket)
-balaclava (my sleeping quilt has no hood so I double up)
-Gloves

Usually that is it. If I expect to lying around camp a lot I might swap out my Nano Puff for a 20 oz down ski jacket we got for $5 at a garage sale. Or I might add another shirt. I haven't used long underwear bottoms in a long time. If I was going to talk late at night with friends maybe I'd bring a pair. Otherwise I just wear my rain pants if my legs are cold.

Keep in mind I have dialed this system in over a period of years so I know what works for ME. YOU might be different. Don't be ashamed to bring a bit extra, carrying an extra pound or too is better then being cold and miserable.

I think you have plenty of clothes, my concern is your sleeping bag is a bit light and your blue pad is a bit minimal (assuming its the cheap Wal Mart type). If you improve the sleeping settup you might be able to leave some clothes behind. If you keep the same bag I'd keep all the clothes you have.

I'd consider a better qualty foam or inflatable pad for better insulation and a warmer sleeping bag or quilt. You could make a quilt out of 7.5 oz insulation that would be pretty warm. I'd pair it with a Equinox bivy to keep it from being drafty and sleep under a tarp.

Thanks for the feedback. It definitely helps.

To clarify…are you saying the Equinox Mummy is too little?
My sleeping bags/quilts are:
36.8 – North Face Equinox Mummy Bag (rated to 35 degrees)
13.7 – Homemade summer blanket made of 2.5 oz Climashield APEX

I can take the summer blanket along as well.

"To clarify…are you saying the Equinox Mummy is too little?"

I meant the Equinox Mummy+clothes might be a bit chilly, although definately safe in my opinion. All those clothes+mummy bag+quilt might actually be overkill though.

What I was suggesting was making another heavier quilt as a stand alone option, i.e. ditch the mummy and the current quilt and replace both with a MYOG quilt using heavier insulation. That would be lighter and more efficient. With a warmer quilt you could probably leave some of the clothing behind, all told that would save a pound or two. That is assuming you have time to make another quilt.

I'm tempted to say with all those clothes you could leave that summer quilt behind and just use the clothes+mummy bag. You definitely won't freeze to death.

However another option would be to keep the quilt but leave some of the sleeping clothes behind. You could skip the fleece and take the summer quilt instead. Used inside your mummy bag it would probably provide more warmth. This would leave you a bit light on insulation for around camp. The question would be "Will you pitch camp and go to bed quickly? Or will you lounge around several hours by a campfire"

One thing you need to do is make sure all this stuff fits together. You may not fit in your mummy bag with a coat and a quilt. Check before you commit.

Got ya…

Last question. I have slept on the walmart blue pad and as long as I am on the ground, it seems comfortable enough. Is there a heat loss issue with sleeping on one?

The insulation of sleeping pads is called "R-value" I'm not an expert on it, but my (short) blue pad seemed a bit cold when it was in the upper 20s. Of course a full length pad would have been better.

A blue pad from REI has and R-value of 1.6

A z-rest has a r-value of 2.2

A RidgeRest SOlite has an r-value of 2.8

My Prolite Thermarest has an r-value of 2.2 and its kept me warm it pretty cold temps.

I think a RidgeRest ($40) would be a cheap way to make your sleep system a bit warmer. Also I think the RR is a bit more comfortable then Walmart pads.

I could possibly make a quilt in time for my trip.

I have some 2.5 oz Climashield APEX leftover from last year with ripstop.
The quilt I make last year is 13 oz with one layer of 2.5 oz.

Would I just buy two yards of 5.0 oz Climashield APEX and double up with the leftover 2.5 oz? (that sounds like it would make a quilt around 23 oz total weight with 7.5 oz loft)

Is this the idea? Sounds like it would reduce weight by 26 oz.

That just sounds freaky that a 23 oz quilt would work better than a 40 oz mummy bag.

you should look at the AWOL AT book and see what the shelter spacing is for that area. if you are doing a point to point hike and staying on the AT you could skip the heavy tent and do a bivy in the shelter and be fine. maybe a tarp in case you want to close in the open side. i doubt the shelters are very busy this time of year.. maybe some SOBO's.

neo air xlite in regular size would get your R3.2 and 2-3" of plus air pad comfort. for 12oz.. 2oz less than the blue foam

seems like a lot of "top" clothing. i generally stick with what i can wear all at once. so short sleeve, long sleeve, puffy, rain/wind jacket.

this time of year isn't a good idea to "just get wet" some sort of rain jacket would be much more useful than the windshirt and 2nd long sleeve shirt.

Thanks for the rain comment. I just ordered some 10 oz driducks. People seem to live by them. I am not sure why I ever got that expensive windshirt.

As far as camping goes, we are actually planning to camp near (or in) the shelters. The tent is just an emergency thing (or if the shelter is full). We got 4 guys going so I am not sure we can count on having the full shelter access. Otherwise, I would LOVE to ditch the tent.

Based on other comments I ended up getting a 3/4 inflatable at 7 oz (klymit). I use the blue pad as a back support for my pack and also a great camp chair. I can cut it back to a 1/2 size and reduce some weight.

I believe you can buy 7.5 oz insulation from some of the suppliers. I looked into it once but ended up finding such a good deal I never made one. I think layering two insulation would be tricky.

I don't know how comfortable you are with tarps but one idea would be to take a tent for two guys and a two man tarp. That way if you can't all fit in the shelter two can take the tent and as a last resort two could us the tarp.

Edit – I'm in agreement that you would be fine with the current sleeping bag and clothes and you could safely leave the summer bag at home. I don't know the condition of your bag or its quality so I can't promise you won't have a cold spot somewhere. But I can't imagine you'd get so cold that you could not sleep or that you'd be in any danger.

Your blue pad will not cut it, I would use the full length blue pad plus the klymit pad. But you might be lighter and warmer with a neoair plus 1/8 pad

+1 on what Jake said. I would cut your extra clothing out. It weighs a lot. And avoid cotton on this trip. I would not carry that heavy tent if I planned sleeping in shelters. The AWOL book will help you plan that out. At most, I would take a tarp. Even if the shelter is full, you can likely sleep on the floor and stay dry.
Your bag might be enough. I have been fine with a 30 degree quilt well into November. But I would look at the forecast before I go. The easiest thing to do would be to add the blanket if it looks like it is going to be cold.
I'm not sure that Klymit pad will be warm enough. A warm pad is pretty important. What the R value on the one you bought?
And take a rain jacket instead of all the extra clothing. Its ok to stink, but no fun to be in cold rain. Also make sure you have a liner or something to keep all your insulation and bag dry.
And it should be a great time to be out on the AT in Tn. Where you going?

My final list is below:

Sleeping Arrangements are (oz weight listed):
40.6 – Single Person Wenzel Tent
14.4 – Blue Pad
29.0 – Homemade 7.5 oz Climashield APEX quilt
6.7 – Klymit Pad

Camp Clothes
17.2 – Mountain Hardwear Compressor Jacket
4.7 – Long Underwear Top (Merona 40% poly 60% cotton)
4.2 – Patagonia windshirt
2.9 – Compression shorts
6.6 – Long underwear Bottoms (Duofold 100% poly)
4.1 – ski socks
1.3 – knit cap
6.9 – Teva sandals
10.4 – DriDucks (top and bottoms)

This is as good as it is going to get this go round. I think I could do better (the tent situation definitely sucks), but at this point, my thin Florida blood won't let me do it. (I remember freezing my butt off on a scout trip around 10 years ago in Florida… and that was car camping.)

The great thing is that I will learn from this. Which reminds me, I really want to take a thermometer along with me.

As far as where I am hiking, I will be starting at Carver's Gap and heading south for 5 days. Should be fun. And can't wait for the pre-hike / post-hike BBQ.

Looks good, I think you'll be just fine. If I recall that Mtn. Hardware jacket has a hood right? I'd take that plus a warm "beanie" hat for night. Quilts are great but you need insulation on your head if its cold. I'm assuming you have some kind of closure for the quilt? If not bring a couple safety pins and improvise one if it gets really cold.

Have fun!