How much weight in clothing?

[Justin Baker]

How much weight in clothing do you normally carry for 3 seasons, shoulder season, winter?

I am always getting hung up on too much clothing. I'm planning a central coast trip in January. My clothes list (besides the clothes I wear 100% of the time) is:
fleece vest – 8.7 oz
down jacket – 12 oz
patagonia houdini – 4 oz
driducks jacket – 4 oz
beanie, sleep socks, gloves – 5 oz-ish
wool base layer (mostly as something dry/clean to change into) – 5.8 oz
fleece lined tights – 9 oz

This is basically a light shoulder season kit, prepared to handle upper elevations on the coast in winter.
we will be walking up a canyon, which means getting wet with the slight chance of a quick swim, so the fleece vest is a safety item for warming up when wet.

Totally weight of clothes will probably be under 3lbs

Last summer in the sierras I carried the down jacket, fleece lined tights, wool base layer, houdini, spare socks, and beanie.

Is this too much?

[Justin Baker]

bump

[M B]

It depends. There is a difference in 32 F at night and sunny 45F in day, and 35F day and night with rain.

Down to freezing in dry conditions, for clothing I might only take:

liner gloves- 1.1oz
Montbell Exlight- 5.9 oz oz
zpacks beanie – 0.95 oz
light baselayer top- 3.95 oz
light baselayer bottom- 3.2 oz
extra socks- 1.2 oz

Clothing = 16.3 oz

Raingear is not included in clothing/insulation in my book.

I would rarely go over 1.5 lbs for clothing/insulation for 3 season. Wetter conditions might be a BPL cocoon hoody = 9oz, heavier baselayer top = 6.1 oz, heavier bottoms= 5.3 oz, for a total added wt of = + 8 oz.

Winter can include goretex socks, waterproof mitt covers, heavier gloves for sitting around, down booties, down pants, montbell alpine light parka, etc. Basically another 1.5 lbs.

[Dustin Short]

If you're worried about water, especially where submersion is a possibility, then I would bring a synthetic jacket instead of a fleece. Unless it's cold enough to wear while hiking, the fleece is not worth the weight as a "backup" insulation piece.

[Justin Baker]

The idea is to use the fleece vest as an active layer that I can throw on even when soaked, do synthetic jackets work better for this? It could potentially get cold enough to need it while hiking, especially if it rains or starts sleeting on a ridge.
The down jacket is mostly for sleeping in.

[Andrew F]

Justin, that's a reasonable list. Almost exactly what I bring. I'm usually around 2 lbs for carried clothing, a little less in the summer, a little more this time of year.

[A D]

MB,
what baselayer top and bottom do you use? I've not come across any that light before

[David Chenault]

Justin, that's pretty much what I carry mid Sept-late Nov and April through mid-June. So long as you've got decent individual pieces and aren't carry a pair of extra socks per day the only thing worth worrying about is do I have enough to satisfy my comfort level.

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