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Thread: Am I Wrong?

  1. #1
    Senior Member southmark's Avatar
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    Am I Wrong?

    I am to deliver my 21 yo grandson and friend to Springer Monday morning for their attempted thru. Besides being under funded I think they are not equipped or prepared for the weather conditions. Grandson has a Travel Hammock, JRB 10x11 cat tarp, thermarest 3/4 pad and MH Phantom 15 bag. Friend has tent, blue foam pad and about 35-40 down bag. I have offered help with gear but grandson doesn't want it. He knows pretty much eveything about everything. His experience is limited to about 38 miles on AT in May 4 years ago and a few overnighters locally. Are they in for serious trouble or am I wrong?

  2. #2
    Senior Member WrongTurn's Avatar
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    I'd get the grandson a good underquilt, and just give it to him at Springer. It is cold and snowy this year, and I wouldn't want to be out in a 40 degree bag, let alone hanging without the right equipment. Mistakes like this could actually get someone hurt this year.

    The friend with the 40degree bag needs to really rethink his gear. Especially if this is a Lafuma or Slumberjack or other related low end down bag. The cheap down bags are not accurate in their temperature ratings. They could easily see temperatures in the teens or single digits still, and if their down gets wet for whatever reason, they could be in a world of hurt.

    I'd reccomend they hold off starting for 2 weeks, and in that time really go through their gear with them.
    Last edited by WrongTurn; 02-27-2010 at 10:40.
    Not the guy to ask for Directions.

  3. #3
    Senior Member KerMegan's Avatar
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    you might suggest meeting up again a couple days down the trail, to see if they need to "adjust" their systems...sometimes the learning comes the hard way; but if worst comes to worst, they can put the two of them in the tent with all the gear, and they likely won't freeze to death- just suffer some.
    HTH, KM

  4. #4
    Senior Member oldgringo's Avatar
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    At that age, they make their own decisions, live with them, and learn their own lessons.

    Chief among them is the lesson that no one knows everything, and that there's no shame in asking for advice.

    It's a force of nature, Gramps.
    Dave

    "Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton

  5. #5
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    You could go with them and show them how it's done. Don't have to say a word, just sleep warm, get up and enjoy the coffee, smile, outhike them, and let them have fun.

  6. #6
    Senior Member pgibson's Avatar
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    I agree, They may need a night or two for the light bulb to come on. Make sure they have a good way to start a fire, cook hot food, and food that is loaded with high calorie content and they should be fine for a couple days. But a couple cold night will open some eyes. Check in on them 2 or 3 days down the trail and see how they are doing, they may need to see that it's not quite just a walk in the woods, it's a lot of work hiking and camping in the cold. If they are doing good then they are likely learning how to make what they have work, if not they can hopefully be wise enough to ask for help or be ready to bail.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member Perkolady's Avatar
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    We've been having unusually low temps here in GA, along with a lot of wind and even snow. If it's any consolation, if they do finally figure out they didn't know it all and end up freezing their butts off, Josh and Leigh from the Hiker Hostel deliver hikers up and down the FS roads where the AT crosses several times on their way to Springer to deposit hikers. They're only a call away if a break from the trail is needed to thaw out or regroup...

  8. #8
    Peter_pan's Avatar
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    They will be at Walasi-Yi in three days at Neels Gap.... Do someting local to kill a couple days and meet them there for a check up... Winton Porter at neels gap is an expert at getting the uninitiated up to speed...

    Pan
    Ounces to Grams.

    www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413

  9. #9
    Senior Member Hooch's Avatar
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    I'm going to agree with some of the statements here. They're going to be cold, that's the way it is. Meet them at Mountain Crossings when they get there and see how they're doing. Winton is a pro at helping outfit underprepard and underequipped hikers, but if they're also underfunded,then being re-outfitted at Mountain Crossings isn't a viable option. Magic 8 Ball says that at a minimum, your grandson's buddy will get off the trail there, if he makes it that far at all. Not trying to sound like a hater, but just trying to be realistic.
    "If you play a Nicleback song backwards, you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward, you'll hear Nickleback." - Dave Grohl

  10. #10
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    i would say check up on them in a few days to see how they are doing...
    sounds to me like they need to learn this lesson on there own

    the way the weather has been he will need a UnderQuilt
    and his buddy might want to get a bag with a true rating of 30 degrees
    and an extra blue pad...

    i agree with everyone that they won't die...but they are oing to have a few long nights
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

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