New to PNW: Planning question about insulation?

[ocnlogan]

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but this seemed most likely to be the place to ask this as its part of my trip planning.

I just moved to the greater Seattle area of the PNW three months ago, and am in the process of trying to figure out how much insulation I need here.

The problem is that I don't really know what temps (mostly concerned with lows), or other conditions to plan on in the cascades/olympics here. The area itself doesn't seem all that cold, but I've got no idea how the weather behaves in these mountains vs the mountains of AZ, UT, and CO (other places I've lived and camped). Making the problem worse, I don't really know the area well enough to say "well, maybe most of the camping areas are up by Stevens Pass, so I can just look at the weather there as proxy". So I've decided to lean on some of the experience here.

So far I've been a three season camper/backpacker in the above locations, but I'm considering getting into some more winter camping. Right now I'm not sure if it makes sense for me to buy/make a deep winter UQ/TQ as my "primary" insulation, and instead doing something more 3 season capable. For now, lets call this a 3 - 3.5 season set of insulation.

And, I know that weather can be highly variable. I'm just looking for broad strokes here to get me in the ballpark. Once I get out and about, I'll adjust as needed. I just don't want my first campout here to be horrifically underprepared :P.

If you were purchasing/making a 3 to maybe 3.5 season UQ/TQ set for this region, what temperature rating you be looking for? If it helps, I'm a warmer than average sleeper.

Thanks .

[kitsapcowboy]

For three-season camping on this "wet" side of the Washington Cascades, you definitely need a 40-degree quilt; you will likely use it all summer long, and a 40-degree quilt can stretch surprisingly far into the shoulder seasons at elevations below 1000-1500 feet. Beyond that, if you don't camp too far away from Puget Sound (where the weather stays quite temperate) or at significant elevation, an additional 20-degree quilt set will cover most of what Mother Nature is likely to throw at you in western Washington during the colder months, with the possible exceptions of trips close to the Canadian border or the farthest and most desolate reaches of the Olympic Peninsula.

That said, if you invest in a good quality cottage vendor 40-degree down quilt set for most three-season use, you can add an inexpensive DIY synthetic TQ/UQ set made from Climashield Apex 6.0 and rated for 30F to give you an extra buffer during the coldest weeks and stretch your capability to "3+" seasons on a pretty reasonable budget.

HTH...

[leiavoia]

General rule of thumb: plan for 20F on the lower end. Most NW winters don't go below that, and when they do it makes the news. All of my gear is "20 degree" rated and i take it out all year around.

If, however, you are planning for high-elevation mountain camping ( ~5000ft+ ) you should be prepared for worse.

The other thing you should factor in is rain. Most PNW rain is of the "constant drizzle" variety, not "sideways rainstorm" stuff. You might elect to get an underquilt protector to defend against splashback and wet bushes and such. (Personally, I just hang the hammock up a bit higher.)

[ocnlogan]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I really appreciate it.

I'm really surprised that a 40f would work so well out here, as most of the other places I've lived/hiked, have been at or below those temps even during the late spring and into summer. I know for "most parts" of the US, the 20f would be considered the 3 season setup, I just wasn't sure what to expect up here. I also had no idea that the Olympic peninsula was colder, so thats a good thing for me to know.

I guess I'll have to figure out where I start to like hiking/camping around here, as it seems the elevation I choose to camp at will be a big factor in the temps (which, I guess shouldn't be much of a surprise).

And, because you brought it up leiavoia, whats your take on an UQP vs having the outer shell of the UQ be simply something fairly water resistant (calendared/DWR at the least)?

Thanks again everyone .

[leiavoia]

I would go with just a decent fabric on the quilt and not worry about a protector. There are nights when an UQP would have been nice to block wind, but those are generally few and i would rather not carry the extra weight.

[treeescape]

we do have the range of elevation thing here, from less than 10' hanging on a beach, to 10,000'+. I find most of my hiking in the warmer months is between 4,000'-6,000', scurrying right around treeline of the major peaks (that might keep going for another 8,000' to the top), or the same 4-6,000' range everywhere else, that usually includes a peak or two.

Last mid-november i was able to hike up to around 5,000' and camp before the snow fell. I think it fell soon after. This past summer, it was late June that i was able to get the same height, with lots of snow still. So it is likely in any given year to be Octoberish to Juneish, give or take a few weeks, where the 3,000'-6'000 range involves snow, and can be lots of snow. Those winter/spring months are when i focus on the 10'-3,000' (depending where you are, there might be some 3,000' elevation snow free - variable) areas. Still lots to choose from, just not many peak like hikes if looking for snow free.

(you might be fine with snow, but getting to trails even if prepared to camp in snow, can be very tricky in the snow, and for me many hikes are closed off in the winter because of difficulty getting to trailheads)

The 4,000-6,000 range in late spring, summer will likely have very little rain and maybe 50-60 degrees as a low (maybe a little colder.) In late June, maybe down into the 40s as a low low, and in August maybe in the 70s as a high low.

In late Fall/Winter/Spring if prepared for 30s you should be fine (can or will likely be warmer but i like to be prepared for 30s. (of course cold snaps happen but weatherman will warn you of unusual cold)

I guess my point is in the PNW you can find 4 season like winter weather in the depths of August if go high enough, and you can find 3 season like shoulder like weather in the depth of winter if go low enough and close enough to the coast. A 3 season set up can be good for great hiking year round depending on where hiking.

[slugbait]

Keep in mind that 35 degrees in misty damp Olympics and Cascades feels colder than 35 degrees in dry Colorado or Utah. I use 20 degree quilts year around and on rare snow camping trips stack a summer quilt inside the 20. I'm a cold sleeper though. I also agree with leiavoia about not using an underquilt protector.

[RichardDavies]

Keep in mind that 35 degrees in misty damp Olympics and Cascades feels colder than 35 degrees in dry Colorado or Utah. I also agree with leiavoia about not using an underquilt protector.

Yes, I second this. Don't expect 40 degrees in a humid, rainy evening to feel like 40 degrees on a dry evening.

Also, I've camped in some decent rain and never felt the need for a UQP. Just make sure you have a tarp with good coverage and hang it well.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Red Haired Booper]

A good 20-30 degree set up should be good most years. Occasionally we have odd winters that would need more insulation. I'm a warm sleeper and just use my 20 degree setup year round and just change which base layer combination I'm using.