January Foothills Trail (South Carolina)

[Remington Roth]

Hello, it’s been several years since I’ve gone on a trip and I’m looking to get back into the swing of things with a three day section hike on the Foothills Trail in South Carolina. Expected highs are 50-53F and expected lows are 30-33F. I would really appreciate any feedback – both general and regarding whether my kit is warm enough. Thanks in advance!

https://lighterpack.com/r/avzq86

[Alex H]

Looks pretty solid.  You might be a bit cool with the sleeping bag but you know it and you better than me.  The Nanopuff might not be enough around camp warmth but again you would know.

[Matt]

The Foothills Trail can get surprisingly cold.  There’s always potentially a lot of mountain air and moisture mixing.  The sleeping bag would concern my sleeping sensibilities. I’m older, balding, and thin(ish?).  Ugggh.  But we all sleep differently.

Now I must go and practice my Stuart Smalley daily affirmations.

[Bonzo]

I was on a section of that trail just a few weeks ago, on the 19th of last month.  The weather was 50’s/30’s, but the wind coming from the higher peaks to the north was, indeed, surprisingly cool; there were several gusts that came over the ridges and which were downright cold.  There were also several cooler-than-normal valleys, and yes, lots of moisture in the air.  Based on that limited experience, I will go a bit heavier on my garb when next I’m in that area.

[Remington Roth]

Thank you all for the feedback. It seems like the consensus is that I may need to add some warmth. A few easy changes come to mind based on the other gear I already have (prefer not to make any purchases for this trip):

1. I’ll add a Gossamer Gear Thinlight 1/4″ pad (~4oz) to my existing sleep setup. My sleeping pad tends to slide less on that anyways which is an added plus.
2. I’ll swap out my Nanopuff with a heavier jacket (Mountain Hardwear synthetic – adds 8oz over the Nanopuff but it’s a furnace, not sure which model it is). It’s a pretty big jump but sounds prudent.
3. I’ll add some thicker/warmer sleep socks. I think they’re Smartwool Expedition weight (4.1oz). I tend to sleep warm besides my toes.

Again, I appreciate the help. I’d rather go conservative and then dial back on future trips as I get back into the swing of things.

[todd]

Yeah I thru-hiked it in early November (usually a good bit warmer than January) and it was basically the temps you referenced for the first two+ days, then warmed a little.

Your decision to gear up warmer will only disappoint if there’s a “warm snap”.  If, as your trip draws near, the forecast calls for warmer temps, switch back to the Nanopuff and layer your wind &/or rain jacket if you get chilled.

That Nanopuff is a THIN jacket.

[Author]

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