Maybe a Speers SPE type of unit with a thin ccf pad would be an option for bottom side insulation for the cool nights? For top quilt check out backpackinglight.com UL 60 (~11oz & $85) on sale at 50% off through today. Lightweight total package, reasonable $$s, flexible for the cool to warm conditions you will experience and suitable for wet conditions.
Any chance of sending gear to a US Post Office as general delivery?
Noel V.
You must have never left the beach.Originally Posted by attroll
They actually get snow on top of the volcanoes now and then. We went to the top of Haleakala on Maui to watch the sunrise one morning, and were not prepared - temp hit 38* just before sunrise.
We had pants and long sleeved shirts, but no jackets!
If you are there (Kauai) in the winter, and on the Na Pali coast side, it will generally be a little cooler and windier, with a lot of fog in the valleys. If you are on the Wailua side, it's generally more cloudy and wet. If you are on the Wailea side, windy but drier. If you stay in the valleys or near sea level, you probably won't see much below 55* all winter, and that's stretching it. But upcountry can see 40's, and with the humidity, 45* can feel pretty darn cold.
I agree with attroll that if you think you can get by with a $5 pad from walmart, do it. Take a sock or weather cover with you, and that will get you an extra 10*, and if you have a decent 40*+ bag, you shouldn't have any problem at all. But if I was going to do it for 6 months, I would want the best equipment possible, so at least I could ensure a comfortable sleep every night. Just my .02.
Thanks again, for all the suggestions.
I am on a fairly tight budget so even though it's a long trip I won't be using upper end stuff.
Besides, then it forces me to be resourceful and use me brains a bit!
Will probably stick to the valleys then if it's warmer there, at least until I can afford some better wares.
I hope to be able to spend some time up above the mosquito line though in the mountains, maybe photograph some of Hawaii's rarer species we don't get to see too often!
Thanks ya'all, I'll take any more suggestions you guys have got, they're much appreciated!
Citrus
Okay, I live in Hawaii, just got back from Kauai 2 weeks ago. At sea level it won't be that cold except for wind. Solution...block it. Wide pad of any sort will do. I usually use a prolite 3 just i case I have to go to ground, otherwise if weight matters I bought one of those 1/4 inch wide pads from Gossamer gear. For top cover I use a military poncho liner or a 50 degree REI travelsack. Both in combo if it's colder. If you plan on camping in Kokee, over the winter it will be considerably colder but probably not less than 50's. The elevation is about 4000 feet, nothing like Maui and Hawaii where I camp below freezing at 13k feet. Prepare for rain and lots of it. NOTHING down!!!! You'll be miserable. Bathe daily even if it's only a wipe down. If not you are prime for nasty infections. Clean feet at night are imperative.
More importantly, your comment about planning to live off the land bothers me. There isn't much edible in the jungles. Most of what there is to eat here is grown and owned by others who use it to make their incomes and feed their families. Except for wild chickens, I didn't see much on Kauai I could live off of for nothing. Don't expect to scrounge and eat for free. You will experience angry people and police. On the Big island I am routinely kicking people out of my neighbors property who feel free to hop their gate for the purpose of harvesting food for themselves. Come prepared with enough money to feed yourself. In this economy getting a job on Kauai won't be easy, especially without a home.
Thanks for the info Maliu.
Wow, camping at 13,000 feet must be a sight to wake up to!
I don't steal. If I can't make it, I'll pack up and head out.
Citrus
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