Ultralight Backpacking



Yucky Weather is shoulder seasons, not winter, with daytime high temperatures in the 20s-40s, nighttime low temperatures in the 10s-30s, lots of wet / heavy rain and snow, and wind. These conditions suck. In fact, they are way suckier than just about anything in the winter (at least in winter, temperatures are cold and the snow is dry).

What are some recommended gear changes for these Inclement Weather conditions . . .


1. "What Type of Fleece for Inclement Weather?", Email Sept 27, 2017:

Dear Backpacking Light Newsletter Subscriber,

After last week's email to the about "gear for inclement conditions", I received lots of questions about my gear kit for foul weather.

The most frequently asked question was about a fleece layer: "which fleece should I buy?" I have to answer that question in context:

If you've been running around in ultralight backpacking circles for any length of time, you'll know that we're all big fans of this general sort of "3+1 layer" system (torso only, to keep things simple):
These three layers constitute our "storm wear" that can handle "most" conditions that we'll face in "most" temperate hiking areas during the summer season (and maybe extended into an Indian Summer fall). For me, this is my standard storm kit between about July 4 and Labor Day.

The " +1 " from the "3+1 layer" system is the puffy layer we wear in camp to stay warm. Usually, that's an insulated down or high loft synthetic vest, pullover, jacket, or hoody (pick your style and weight based on your expected low temperatures).

Of course, the puffy is also an insurance layer of sorts: we wear it while sleeping if our quilt or sleeping bag encounters temperatures a bit below its low temperature rating.

In addition, we wear it while hiking when the heavens unleash their fury and we need to ward off hypothermia. The problem with this scenario is that by the time we get into camp, our puffy is now wet from perspiration, condensation, or precipitation (or all three) and it's no longer the best insurance layer for our immobile camp activities: cooking and sleeping.

Some people mitigate this by taking a puffy that is made of synthetic materials, which retain more insulative value than down as it absorbs water, but it's not an ideal solution. Fine for the occasional summer squall, but less fine when you have to deal with cold, wet conditions for days on end.

That brings us to the fringe seasons -- envision daytime high temperatures in the 20s-40s, nighttime low temperatures in the 10s-30s, lots of wet / heavy rain and snow, and wind. These conditions suck. In fact, they are way suckier than just about anything in the winter (at least in winter, temperatures are cold and the snow is dry).

Enter the fleece.

A fleece top can be worn in foul weather while hiking, with the puffy left safely dry in the pack for evening and night time.

Here's how I used my fleece on our last Wilderness Adventures trek in the Beartooths (which you can read about over at our Instagram profile here), which offered up full helpings of cold, wind, rain, and snow.

On Day 1, we left the trailhead in fair weather. I was just wearing a thin (115 gsm) merino wool hoody. Temps were in the 60s. Two hours later we'd emerged from treeline, temperatures dropped ten degrees, and the wind picked up. I added this wind shirt. An hour later, we were facing temperatures in the 30s, high winds, and sleet. That's when I donned a DCF rain jacket. I wore this system for the rest of the day, until we stopped just before dusk to camp at a lake below treeline. When I got to camp, I added this synthetic puffy hoody under my rain jacket and stayed warm til bedtime.

Day 2: High temperatures in the 40s, rain, fog, sun, and some wind. Pretty much a repeat of Day 2 in terms of clothing.

Day 3: Things go south. Rapid drop in temperature, increase in wind, daytime highs in the 20s, and snow falling all day. This is when I wore my fleece - over my wind shirt and under my rain jacket. It's benefits are very real: insulating ability with maximum breathability; minimal water absorption, and a good buffer against body temperature drops resulting from inactivity at rest breaks. Best of all, I never had to pull out my puffy, and it stayed dry and cozy for ...

Day 4: Last night we had nighttime lows in the teens, lots more snow, increasingly wet sleeping bags. The puffy came in handy. For this last day's hike, conditions were in the 30s, it was snowing, and we were hiking downhill. I wore the same merino-wind shirt-fleece-rain jacket system and it worked great.

In severely inclement weather, I highly recommend a fleece layer. I wore one on Day 3, where the temperatures are a lot colder, the snow is deep and falling steadily, and we've had 3 days of wet clothing already.

So which fleece should you buy?

My criteria are incredibly simple: 100-weight double-faced fleeces like Polartec Micro are my favorite. Fuzzy, stretchy, and light.

I recommend a pullover-style with a stand-up collar and 1/4 zip.

My two favorite picks (each weigh less than half a pound): So if you don't yet have one in your kit, consider it - a light, simple fleece is a game changer for both safety and comfort if you have to trek in severely inclement conditions.

Happy Trails,
Ryan J
owner / founder

PS: Some in the ultralight backpacking blogosphere like to debate "should I take a fleece or a wind shirt?" For 2 or 3 or even a whopping 4 ounces, you could leave a wind shirt home "in lieu" of a fleece. Hmmm. I'm not sure if this is even an argument! Especially in inclement weather. You see, that wind shirt that looks so heavy on your gear list spreadsheet (sic) actually serves a very important function in an inclement weather layering system. Worn between your base layer and fleece, it acts as a semi-permeable vapor barrier that minimizes the "flash-off" effect - the chill (and loss of body heat) you experience when you are active and sweating, and then stop for a rest. The wind shirt slows down evaporative heat loss, and keeps you more comfortable when you stop -- preventing the need for you to have to pull out your puffy in foul weather just to grab a breather for a few minutes. The wind shirt may offer more versatility than any other layer - don't discount its function just because you fear carrying a few extra ounces. And for goodness sakes, don't get lured into the seduction of "either-or" -- focus on building systems that perform.



2. "How to Keep Feet Warm(er) and Dry(er) in Cold, Wet Conditions", Email Sept 29, 2017:

Dear Backpacking Light Newsletter Subscriber,

In my last two newsletters, I've been sharing my experiences with gear and clothing for inclement weather conditions.

I'm doing this because I don't want you to hang up your backpack and stow your gear for the winter. I want you to get out there and enjoy the wild outdoors, safely, and comfortably.

In today's installment let's talk about keeping your feet warm and dry in cold, wet (or snowy) weather.

Here are the five key skills involved:
  1. Keep moisture out of the inside of your shoes by using a calf-high gaiter in combination with a mid-height waterproof-breathable shoe.
  2. Wear a highly insulative, crew height, merino wool/poly blend sock for additional insulation.
  3. When you arrive in camp, substitute your wet trail socks with a dry sock / waterproof sock combo to mitigate cold feet as temperatures drop.
  4. Before you get into your sleeping bag, swap out your camp sock combo with a thin wool liner and a pair of ultralight high loft insulated socks.
  5. Stow wet footwear (shoes / socks/ gaiters) in a plastic bag and keep it close to your body so it doesn’t freeze at night.
Here is the gear I use to build my inclement weather footwear system: At this point, you could pretty easily invest a little mental energy and take these five skills, and study the gear I use at the links above, and be about 99% ahead of the game in terms of what most traditional backpackers know about this topic and how they actually practice it.

However, there's a lot more depth as well. Think about the following questions:
  1. When are shoes with a waterproof-breathable membrane appropriate, or not?
  2. How do I decide between a low, mid, or high-cuff shoe?
  3. When should I use a calf-height gaiter, and when is an ankle-height gaiter OK?
  4. In what context are the "simpler", lighter gaiters made by cottage manufacturers appropriate?
  5. What do I do about stream crossings when I wear waterproof shoes?
  6. What are the different types of waterproof socks, and when should I be wearing them?
  7. Socks: what are the best blend fractions of wool vs. synthetic?
  8. Why a crew height sock? Lower cuff socks are so much lighter?
  9. Why do you use three different sock systems (trekking, in camp, in bed)?
  10. I can't fit my sock combinations into my trekking shoes. Now what?
  11. What does sock rotation mean and why should I care?
You see, scratching the surface of a topic typically opens up a Pandora's Box of new questions.

I've addressed all of these questions and more in a new 2,500-word article published today over at Backpacking Light: Here's to Happy(er) Feet and No End to Hiking Season,
Ryan J
owner/founder

PS: If you haven't seen it yet, some of these footwear recommendations can be found, along with recommendations for a whole bunch of other lightweight backpacking gear, in our Guide's Gear Recommendations - our suggestions for participants in our Wilderness Adventures Program.



3. "Gear for Inclement Weather"