Core Backpacking Clothing || Check lists & systems for 3-season conditions

, /Andrew Skurka

With just a 13-item collection of hiking and backpacking clothing, is it possible to be comfortable here?

And with that very same kit, also here?

And here, too? I think it is.

Earlier this month I introduced the Core 13, a tight collection of hiking and backpacking clothing that can be mixed-and-matched to create appropriate systems for every set of 3-season conditions.

The Core 13 are meant to be specific products, not just product types, e.g. ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs, not just underwear, and not three pairs of underwear that each have an optimal niche use. While some of the Core 13 are perfectly represented by existing products, others highlight a void that is waiting to be addressed by an innovative designer. In those particular instances, there are functional products available, but no single item that performs without compromise in the full range of 3-season conditions.

In eight subsequent posts, I detailed my choices — their roles, ideal specs, and recommended products:

Clothing Lists & Systems for 3-Season Conditions

But a list of recommend products is only so useful. Yes, you can bring the full Core 13 on your next hiking or backpacking trip and you will fare very well. But rarely are all 13 clothing items needed on a single trip. For example, I need just 7 to push through the High Sierra in June on a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and 9 for a packrafting trip in Alaska in August.

To complete the Core 13 series, then, I would like to offer specific clothing lists for different sets of 3-season conditions. While these systems are specific to popular backpacking trails and destinations, they will be very applicable — if not perfectly so — to other locations in similar climates and seasons. Based on the nuances of your route and a last-minute forecast, minor tweaking may be appropriate.

Bookmark this page and return whenever you need to assemble a clothing system for a trip in unfamiliar territory, or to reconsider your existing systems. As with all of my gear lists, several disclaimers and qualifiers apply.

If you have questions or comments about my recommended systems, please leave them at the bottom of the page — I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and to discuss mine.

Jump to (in-page navigation):

Appalachian Trail — Great Smoky National Park, NC/TN

Early-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-50’s (up high), 50’s-60’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s (up high), 40’s-50’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light
Selections

appalachian-smoky-1

Late-Spring + Summer + Early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 60’s (up high), 70’s-80’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 40’s (up high), 50’s-60’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: High
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light
Selections

appalachian-smoky-2

Late-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-50’s (up high), 50’s-60’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s (up high), 30’s-40’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light
Selections

appalachian-smoky-3

Appalachian Trail — Delaware Water Gap, NJ

Early-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light
Selections

appalachian-nj-1

Late-Spring + Summer + Early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 70’s-80’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: High
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light, but considerable tick concern
Selections

appalachian-nj-2

Late-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low
  • Biting insects: Light
Selections

appalachian-nj-3

Appalachian Trail — White Mountains, NH + Superior Hiking Trail, Minnesota

Late-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-50’s (up high), 60’s-70’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s (up high), 40’s-50’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low, but perhaps considerable above treeline
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

appalachians-whites-1

Early-Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s (up high), 70’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 40’s (up high), 50’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: High
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low, but perhaps considerable above treeline
  • Biting insects: Intense and widespread
Selections

appalachians-whites-2

Late-Summer and Early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-50’s (up high), 60’s-70’s (down low)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s (up high), 40’s-50’s (down low)
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate-High
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low, but perhaps considerable above treeline
  • Biting insects: Light by late-Summer
Selections

appalachians-whites-3

Colorado Trail, Colorado

Late-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s
  • Precipitation: Fairly dry, but possible late winter storms or early monsoons
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Mostly open
  • Sun exposure: Extreme above treeline, moderate in open woodlands, low in thick timber
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

colorado-trail-1

Early-Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 60’s-70’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: Torrential but short-lived afternoon monsoons
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Mostly open
  • Sun exposure: Intense above treeline, considerable in open woodlands, low in thick timber
  • Biting insects: Thick isolated pockets near water
Selections

colorado-trail-2

Late-Summer and early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s
  • Precipitation: Less risk of monsoons, but early risk for winter storms
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Mostly open
  • Sun exposure: Considerable above treeline, moderate in open woodlands, low in thick timber
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

colorado-trail-3

Denali National Park, Alaska

Late-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-50’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low-Moderate
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

alaska-range-1

Early-Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Moderate
  • Biting insects: Intense and widespread
Selections

alaska-range-2

Late-Summer and Early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Moderate
  • Biting insects: Gone by first frost in mid-August
Selections

alaska-range-3

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 80’s-100’s (river), 50-70’s (rim)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 50’s-70’s (river), 20-40’s (rim)
  • Precipitation: Dry overall, wetter at rim, winter storms tapering off, monsoon not yet active, June is driest month
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open, but scratchy brush
  • Sun exposure: Considerable
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

grand-canyon-1

Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 70’s-80’s (rim), 100’s (river)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 40’s-50’s (rim), 70’s (river)
  • Precipitation: Cycles of short-lived afternoon monsoons
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open but scratchy
  • Sun exposure: High
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

grand-canyon-2

Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-60’s (rim), 60’s-90’s (river)
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-40’s (rim), 40’s-60’s (river)
  • Precipitation: Monsoons taper off, winter storms pick up
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open but scratchy
  • Sun exposure: High
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

grand-canyon-1

Sierra Nevada, California

Late-Spring

high-sierra-1

Early-Summer

high-sierra-2

Late-summer/early-Fall


high-sierra-3

North Cascades, Washington

Late-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s
  • Precipitation: Regular and long-lasting
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Extreme if on snow and it’s sunny; if in timber, low
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

cascades-1

Early-Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: July & August are driest months, yet expect precip
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low in timber, high if above treeline on sunny day
  • Biting insects: Thick
Selections

cascades-2

Late-Summer + Early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-60’s
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s-40’s
  • Precipitation: August is one of driest months, increasingly wet into September and October
  • Humidity: Moderate
  • Off-trail travel: Dense
  • Sun exposure: Low in timber, high if above treeline on sunny day
  • Biting insects: Light, and gone by September
Selections

cascades-3

Wind River Range, Wyoming

Late-Spring

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 50’s-60’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20-30’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Precipitation: Risk of late winter storms, inactive monsoon
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open
  • Sun exposure: Intense above treeline, considerable in timber
  • Biting insects: None
Selections

wind-river-1

Early-Summer

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 60’s-70’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Nighttime temperatures: 30’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Precipitation: Mostly afternoon monsoon thunderstorms
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open
  • Sun exposure: High above treeline, considerable in timber
  • Biting insects: Thick and widespread
Selections

wind-river-2

Late-Summer and early-Fall

Average conditions
  • Daytime temperatures: 40’s-60’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Nighttime temperatures: 20’s-30’s (low elevations), less 10-15 for higher elevations
  • Precipitation: Monsoon tapers down in September and risk of winter storms increases
  • Humidity: Low
  • Off-trail travel: Open
  • Sun exposure: Considerable above treeline, moderate in timber
  • Biting insects: Light by mid-August, gone by September
Selections

wind-river-3

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This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Posted in , on March 22, 2015
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42 Comments

  1. Stephen on March 22, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    Andrew,
    Thank you for doing this. As a sierra hiker, this pretty well coincides with what I use, except being over 60 years, basal metabolic rate decreases, so I find us old farts need at least one thin layer more to keep warm, especially exposed at high altitude. It is impressive how a tarp can reduce radiant heat loss and add several degrees on those really cold nights.

    Reply
  2. Mike McGinnis on March 22, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    Andrew! Great stuff here! Your experience is invaluable and it’s generous of you to share and help lessen the learning curve for others! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. DP on March 22, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Can I inquire about your various sock choices? Perhaps even you footwear choice altogether. Boots? trail runners?

    Great lists. Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Drew Watts on March 23, 2015 at 3:14 am

    As always, thanks for the awesome tips Andrew! Your lists, much like the ones in your book, are spot on. One thing that I tend to bring up with outer wear discussion, that you may have addressed (and I had missed), was the addition of lightweight gloves or fleece liners to a system. As a naturally cold handed guy, I find that certain mild temperatures without major sun exposure do well with a short sleeve and a pair of gloves on. I know that not everyone has the same circulation problems as I seems to have, but it can be a comfortable medium for core ventilation and temp regulation purposes. Again, thanks for the sweet checklists, and keep on hiking!

    Reply
  5. Callum on March 23, 2015 at 9:45 am

    The core 13 is a good start for adventure travellers who travel around the world and don’t know where they’ll end up. For this purpose, a Wool & Prince merino wool dress shirt may replace a synthetic shirt for less stink through urban centres and bug-infested bogs alike. No shame in looking good when travelling, but it’s a bit too pricey if your travels require bushwacking through boreal forests.

    Great job!

    Reply
  6. Mitchell E. on March 23, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    I count three cases for the short-sleeve shirt, all on the AT. It seems like this core 13 kit could be cut down to 12 without much loss.

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on March 24, 2015 at 8:03 am

      In consideration that half the US population lives in what I will broadly describe as “the eastern woodlands” and that the AT gets multiples more hiker traffic than any other long-distance trail, I’d be reluctant to deprive them of a short-sleeve shirt. I can’t imagine hiking in peak summer heat and humidity with anything more than that, or maybe no shirt at all.

      Reply
  7. Daniel Thornburg on March 26, 2015 at 8:33 am

    Andrew, an informative series! In this article it would help your reader if there were general descriptions of the climate next to the trail names. The information is contained later in the article, but for ease of planning when returning to the article, it would be convenient to have the description there. (This information is second-nature to you and many of your readers, perhaps, but for a novice….) I also enjoyed your food/recipe series. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Michael B. on April 10, 2015 at 8:35 am

    Andrew, the core 13 is wonderful. What makes it better is that you have thousands of miles using the products/items. I’m doing the Tour Du Mont Blanc in early July of this year, and having read through your core 13, would still love your opinion of what shirt and pants or short you’d suggest for that particular hike? Thank you

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on April 10, 2015 at 8:52 am

      Glad you find this useful.

      I’m unfamiliar with the conditions on that route. Do some research and then find a climate referenced here that is similar. Follow that list.

      Reply
  9. Teri B. on June 23, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    Man, thanks for the detailed and easy to follow lists on clothing. I’m backpacking part of the Wonderland trail in September (and have never backpacked in the PNW) and have looked at dozens of websites trying to figure out what clothes I’ll need. This was exactly what I needed!

    Reply
  10. Ryan on March 7, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    Great series Andrew. For the High Sierra/Early Summer section you recommend both a fleece top and insulated jacket. Thats seems like a bit of an overlap to me, is this really necessary?

    I often bring a baselayer top and lightweight fleece. On cold evenings at camp i wear both, and even throw the rain shell over it all if needed. I find this combination quite warm, and the baselayer is also useful as a sleep shirt.

    Any disadvantage im missing here?

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on March 7, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      A fleece top and insulated jacket serve distinct purposes. The fleece top is a second layer for crisp mornings and chilly ridges and summits, and a mid-layer to be worn between a hiking shirt and shell when you’re getting pelted with freezing cold monsoon rain.

      The insulated jacket is for remaining warm while static, like in camp and at chilly mid-day rest stops.

      If the forecast is warm and dry, you could probably leave one of these layers at home. But if you’re expecting average temperatures and the possibility of monsoon weather, I’d bring both.

      Reply
  11. Scott Adkins on February 19, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    Andrew, what would you suggest for Florida conditions. I hike in all but summer conditions, so I can get anywhere from the 30’s to the 80’s. With always the chance of rain and bugs.

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on February 19, 2017 at 5:25 pm

      Follow the list for the Southeast, but scale down the insulation. For example, a very light down sweater in the winter, and nothing or a fleece pullover in the spring and fall.

      If you have bug issues, have your hiking clothing treated with permethrin. A woven nylon shirt is completely impractical due to lack of airflow.

      Reply
  12. Al Bates on June 27, 2017 at 5:16 pm

    Andrew, in your book you wrote about washing your clothes on a regular basis. On an extended outing, especially when water sources may be limited, how do you accomplish this? I know you may use only water, how much? Do you use a collapsable bucket?

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on June 28, 2017 at 7:28 am

      I use only water to wash my clothes, no soap.

      Regardless of water source size, best LNT practices are to wash clothes in such a way that gray water will not contaminate the water source. But use your judgement here — if I were to have the opportunity to wash my clothes in the Columbia River, I think that’d be okay.

      Also, consider the importance of the water source. Admittedly, I have dunked my clothes in some potholes on the Colorado Plateau, but I was way the heck off-trail and in an area that few people get to each year. Also, there were several potholes in the area, and we used the most disgusting one for washing clothes — returning some sand to it (plus some salt) wasn’t going to do much harm, if any.

      One thing to consider in areas with limited water is that they are usually dry, and in dry areas you tend not to sweat as much. This really cuts down on the need to wash clothes. Instead of daily or every-other day washes, you can go to ever-other or every-third day.

      To wash your clothes outside the water source, it’s best to have a waterproof stuff sack, pack liner, or bear canister that you can fill with water and add your dirty clothes.

      Reply
  13. Josh Jusko on February 13, 2018 at 9:16 am

    What do you recommend for high biting insect and temps in the 80s and up for shirt and pants or shorts

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on February 13, 2018 at 2:20 pm

      Those are tough conditions given what’s available: there are very few (none?) lightweight and airy shirts that are permethrin-treated. So you’ll have to go with a heavier knit or a tightly woven “safari” shirt.

      If the bugs are bad, I always go with pants, preferring to overheat than to be badly bitten up. If the bugs are not always bad, then I wear lightweight running shorts under my pants, so that I can go back and forth depending on the conditions.

      Reply
  14. Coyote on September 1, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    I always hike without socks, too. Now I know I’m not the only one. LOL!!!

    Reply
  15. Ben K. on September 11, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    Hello! Thanks for all the great information, reading your page has been awesome. I was wondering where the 3rd picture was taken at the top of the page? The one with the huge grass field and the snow caps way in the distance? Thanks!

    -ben

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on September 11, 2018 at 9:17 pm

      The one and only, Alaska.

      Reply
  16. Chris on September 17, 2018 at 1:16 am

    This is a really useful article, and I came across it at just the right time, as I was planning my kit list for the Appalachian Trail. Such a useful concept and I’m sure I shall return to this again and again whenever I am planning a hike in a new area. Thanks a lot for this ..

    Reply
  17. Miriam on September 22, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Thanks for the helpful organization of information. I’ve been wilderness trekking most of my life, so selecting clothes is second nature for most environments. But my husband is taking his first backcountry trip and is considerably more cold natured than me. This was really helpful to help him plan his wardrobe.

    I noticed you don’t take a bug shirt for the the Southern and mid-Atlantic AT. Having contracted Lyme disease in Shanandoah in May, I wonder if ticks are seasonal similar to mosquitoes or are they completely unrelated. Any knowledge there?

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on September 23, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      In Shen, tick season is at its peak in May and June, and fades thereafter. They’re usually gone by October.

      Reply
  18. Jamie Auld Smith on June 5, 2019 at 7:03 am

    Hi Andrew, first of all, a belated thanks for this guide. It proved invaluable when choosing my gear for a trip to Alaska in 2016, thru-hiking in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, and rafting on the Kobuk River.

    I’m planning to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc in mid June this year, and I was wondering which of the regions you outline would be closest to conditions there? We’re planning to walk it in 4 days / 3 nights. Big thanks again from Scotland!

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on June 5, 2019 at 7:33 am

      I don’t know the conditions in the Alps as well as elsewhere, but my sense is that it’s as if the Mountain West meet the Appalachians — the big peaks and relief, but with regular rainfall. So in June you’d need long-sleeve and pants for sun protection, but also full-coverage rain gear and a mid-layer.

      Reply
      • Jamie Auld Smith on June 5, 2019 at 7:54 am

        Amazing, thank you. The friend I’m walking the route with will be running the UTMB later this year, so our walk is also a reconnaisance trip for his race. I’m reading your UTMB reports with interest. The new website looks great btw.

        Reply
  19. Chris on June 6, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Planning on trip in late august/early sept 2019.
    My experience is SHR a couple of times, KCHBR, and multiple XC trips in Sierras.
    Would you recommend crampons?

    Reply
  20. Matthew on August 20, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    which region would be closest to what to expect on the Tahoe Rim Trail?

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on August 20, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      High Sierra. Virtually the same conditions in both areas.

      Reply
      • Matthew on August 20, 2019 at 10:36 pm

        thank you

        Reply
  21. Nate on January 9, 2020 at 11:30 am

    Andrew, thank you for this guide! How would your recommendations for the Grand Canyon change for a winter trip (February)?

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on January 10, 2020 at 2:26 pm

      Versus what is listed, warmer insulation and a mid-layer.

      Reply
  22. Colin Toth on May 14, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    Hi Andrew, Where would you draw the line between late spring and early summer for the Wind River Range and Beartooth range? I’m thinking of going early June, but I do not want to deal with thick swarms of mosquitoes. I’m assuming that line is different in the high and low country as well.

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on May 14, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      The transition varies by elevation and year.

      Early-summer starts in early- or mid-June at trailheads in the Winds, and works its way up through July. A normal bug season probably peaks in mid-July and tapers through August. This range stays wetter than the High Sierra, which has less soil (so quicker run-off) and summer rain.

      I’m less familiar with the Beartooths, but you can extrapolate conditions in the Winds based on the treeline elevation. In the Winds, treeline is low- to mid-10’s, skewing higher in the southern end of the range and lower in the northern end. In the Beartoohs, treeline is low- to mid-9’s.

      Reply
  23. Douglas Svuba on July 20, 2020 at 10:10 am

    As someone that thousands of people rely on as THE backpacking expert and really the last word on all things backpacking (deservedly so), perhaps it would be good to remove fleece from your gear recommendations altogether. We know that synthetic fleece is horrible for the environment, and the less that we buy it, use it, and wash it there better off we all will be. There are better alternatives.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Reply
    • Austin Klavins on August 28, 2021 at 2:00 pm

      Hi Andrew, getting ready to set off for the WRHR later this week. The one piece of gear I’m stuck on is my sleeping bag. I’ll be camping with a tarp, and am going back & forth between a 20deg WM Ultralite, and 5deg Antelope. Mountain-forecast (which i have personally found quite reliable for temperature and general weather, although usually overstates wind speed IME) predicts lows in the 30s at the summit of WRP for the first few days. Temps at 11k will be in the 40s, lower 50s overnight. However, they currently only forecast the first few days of my itinerary.

      Do you think the extra 10oz for the warmer bag is worth carrying? My Ultralite has served me well down to freezing, but below that been uncomfortable (but not unbearable).

      I understand sleep systems are a highly personal decision but am curious to hear your reccomendation. Thanks

      Reply
      • Andrew Skurka on August 29, 2021 at 10:07 am

        You should be prepared for temperatures in the mid-20s, and low 20s as an extreme if a weather event arrives. I would think that the western bag would serve that purpose, but if you’re experienced is that you sleep cold below temperatures around freezing, I think you’re going to need to bump up your nighttime warmth.

        Reply
  24. Ethan Campbell on March 8, 2024 at 2:25 pm

    For a 3rd or 4th week of Aug (planning for 2024) attempt what temp of quilt or bag would you recommend?

    I was comfortable in a 15 degree bag in the Winds early Aug last year but we stayed a good bit lower (10,500’ish mean elevation.)

    Reply
    • Andrew Skurka on March 14, 2024 at 7:09 am

      A bag with that rating would seem adequate for that time of year.

      But if you really want to figure it out, visit the the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and use its “Climate Normals 1981-2010” database. Find a station in or near the Winds, and adjust for temperature based on elevation (probably 4 degrees per 1000 feet in this location).

      Reply

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