eyewall
06-17-2008, 21:10
I did a 270 mile section of the AT from 9 May to 3 June, using my HH Exped Asym, MacCat tarp, homemade Kickass UQ, homemade RayWay topquilt and an ULA Catalyst pack. I hiked everyday.
Some of you may know that the weather in northern Georgia was all over the map. My second night out at Hawk Mountain was a frickin rainstorm of at least 2-3 inches with 35 mph winds. The really bad stuff was just east of us. That MacCat keep me dry though. I was hanging a bit low, so I got plenty of ground splatter to my underside. I added my 3/8in Gossamer Gear pad midway through the night to stay dry. I was using some homemade straps and headchange4u's trucker's hitch setup. My straps where nylon, so I had problems with stretch and a lack of 100 percent faith in my loop sewing. So, I hung a bit low.
The next night at Gooch Mountain was even more interesting as 35 mph winds increased to 40-45 with gusts to 60 in the treetops. I slept great as branches slammed into the shelter. Not a one near me :)
The MacCat saved me again climbing out of Uncoi Gap to the Cheese Factory during a pouring rain. That climb kicked my butt. I was very tired, late in the day, windy, etc. I got my tarp setup, climbed into my hammock and crashed.
The only time I became really concerned was the climb to Muskrat Shelter, passing the GA/NC border. It was pouring again, I was soaked, tired, winds were hitting 45 mph and the temperature was falling through 50 degrees. People in the shelter were astounded that I setup my tarp and hammock during a 20 minute stop in the rain. My topquilt got a bit wet, but it still did its job. Thunder and lightning for the next 4 hours kept me from sleeping well, but it eventually came. I LOVE my MacCat.
Midway through the second week, I abandoned the trucker's hitch. I just went with a round turn and a couple of half hitches to the rings on my tree huggers. It was much faster and easier for me to setup. I used figure 9s on the ends of the tarp. I had only one breakaway using the 9s. If I expected really windy weather, I just tied the extra around the tree.
Overall a very great trip. Being from the midwest, the miles of trees did not do much to inspire me. I love trees, but the terrain really got a bit tiring. So I was ready to get off the trail when I did. Of course, I did not take any zeros. That may have been helpful to me. Another thing I need to improve is food intake. I also need to figure out some lighter raingear and a lighter warm layer. Overall, my trust in my equipment improved tremendously during this hike, as did my faith in myself that I could do this. I will be back to the AT next year!
Lastly, it was fun reading Cannibal's logs!
Some of you may know that the weather in northern Georgia was all over the map. My second night out at Hawk Mountain was a frickin rainstorm of at least 2-3 inches with 35 mph winds. The really bad stuff was just east of us. That MacCat keep me dry though. I was hanging a bit low, so I got plenty of ground splatter to my underside. I added my 3/8in Gossamer Gear pad midway through the night to stay dry. I was using some homemade straps and headchange4u's trucker's hitch setup. My straps where nylon, so I had problems with stretch and a lack of 100 percent faith in my loop sewing. So, I hung a bit low.
The next night at Gooch Mountain was even more interesting as 35 mph winds increased to 40-45 with gusts to 60 in the treetops. I slept great as branches slammed into the shelter. Not a one near me :)
The MacCat saved me again climbing out of Uncoi Gap to the Cheese Factory during a pouring rain. That climb kicked my butt. I was very tired, late in the day, windy, etc. I got my tarp setup, climbed into my hammock and crashed.
The only time I became really concerned was the climb to Muskrat Shelter, passing the GA/NC border. It was pouring again, I was soaked, tired, winds were hitting 45 mph and the temperature was falling through 50 degrees. People in the shelter were astounded that I setup my tarp and hammock during a 20 minute stop in the rain. My topquilt got a bit wet, but it still did its job. Thunder and lightning for the next 4 hours kept me from sleeping well, but it eventually came. I LOVE my MacCat.
Midway through the second week, I abandoned the trucker's hitch. I just went with a round turn and a couple of half hitches to the rings on my tree huggers. It was much faster and easier for me to setup. I used figure 9s on the ends of the tarp. I had only one breakaway using the 9s. If I expected really windy weather, I just tied the extra around the tree.
Overall a very great trip. Being from the midwest, the miles of trees did not do much to inspire me. I love trees, but the terrain really got a bit tiring. So I was ready to get off the trail when I did. Of course, I did not take any zeros. That may have been helpful to me. Another thing I need to improve is food intake. I also need to figure out some lighter raingear and a lighter warm layer. Overall, my trust in my equipment improved tremendously during this hike, as did my faith in myself that I could do this. I will be back to the AT next year!
Lastly, it was fun reading Cannibal's logs!