Pochuck Mtn, NJ to Delaware Water Gap

[Rockdawg69]

Just finished a short trip (56.5 miles and 6 nights, 12-18 Oct) on the AT using the HH Asym UL for a few nights. Temps ranged from a high of about 70 at start to an estimated low of mid-30's on the last night on Kittatinny Mtn. Mostly 50's and 60's for day time hiking. A couple of days of cloudy weather with a few light showers now and then. However, not much of a rain effect on the trip. The fall colors were really bright and vibrant. Vistas to 30-40 miles into NJ and PA from the crest of this long ridge when the weather was clear. Could not have ordered a better week for a trip.
Five excellent shelter areas to camp at over this trip. Hung the hammock at 2 shelters and 2 stealth camp sites, plus one designated backpacker site. Went to ground for one night when there were no convenient trees at one shelter and spent the last night at the Church of the Mountain Hostel in DWG.
Got to see my first Black Bear and cub - both doing about 30 mph at 25 yards from me, plus untold turkeys, a billion squirrels and a handfull of deer. Hiking was somewhat hampered by all the rock in the trail. My guess is that 50 years of use has worn many parts of NJ AT down to the rock base on top of Kittatinny Mtn. Use good boots or walk lightly.
The last night tested the limit of the hammock with the BA Insulated Air Core pad and 20-degree bag. Cold on the edges. I had sent the JRB Nest UQ home before I started since I had no more room in the pack. Could have used it that night. Otherwise, a great hanging trip. I think I may almost have the hanging thing about right. Think I'll go for an 11' x 10' tarp to replace the 10' x 8' I'm currently using. Would help with the wind problem.
In the DWG, be sure and stop at the Apple Pie Bakery for fresh pie (about 20 choices) and some ice cream.

I have put a few photos in my album and on the trailjournals web site. http://trailjournals.com/rockdawg69

[slowhike]

Sounds like a nice trip!
So what were the low temps that you started to feel cool using the BA Insulated Air Core?
And if I read you right, you were using it with out an underquilt... right?

[Rockdawg69]

Friday night the wind blew all night and temps dropped from 60 in the afternoon to somewhere in mid 30's near daylight is my best guess. No UQ. Cold spots were along the edges of the BA pad. Tried to compensate using my fleece jacket and pants along the sides to break up the direct contact with the hammock sides. Also found that the air core pad deflated some due to the temp change. Something I forgot would happen as the temperature got colder. I don't inflate it fully as I want it to conform to the curvature in the hammock. Sticks in place a little better if it bends some. Still it was not "too" uncomfortable. Definitely need the UQ and/or probably some side padding to get better insulation. Otherwise the other nights in the mid 40s were great.

[Shug]

Sounds like an SPE would have helped without the UQ.
Glad that you had a terrific trip.

[Rockdawg69]

Thanks Shug. Been thinking about that also. Mostly this is a weight and space problem in the pack, so I still have some "tight" figuring to do to balance everything. I am trying to get to under 25 lbs base weight, which for my purposes includes a 3 day food supply.

[Shug]

Thanks Shug. Been thinking about that also. Mostly this is a weight and space problem in the pack, so I still have some "tight" figuring to do to balance everything. I am trying to get to under 25 lbs base weight, which for my purposes includes a 3 day food supply.

I made an SPE and put in shoulder pads cut from a Gossamer Gear thin pad and it is very light... about 5.9 ozs. Fold it in half and slip it in the back of my pack. Then at camp slip in my ccf pad and when the weather turns really, really cold it is easy to put two pads in the spe and they are held together.

[Rockdawg69]

Thanks for info.

I'm working on this - either buy a SPE or DIY. Have all winter to play with this. No more long hikes until March

[Three]

Rockdawg69 -- Thanks for promoting New Jersey. We're not all refineries and roads.

Which shelter forced you to go to ground? Also, why not move on a bit until you found trees?

- Three

[Rockdawg69]

Hey. Sorry for late reply but I have been off the net for about 10 days.

Rutherford Shelter. Not so much being forced to ground as the clearing was so wide that I would have had to move away from some "new" friends I met there. Not many trees near the shelter area that were suitably spaced for hanging. Also, this shelter is down a steep slope, about 0.4 mile off the trail so I elected to stay downhill and sack in on the floor instead of climbing back up to the trail and looking for a good hanging spot.

I've been up and down the eastern side of NJ. Nice to have seen the part that looks like the woods still play a big part in the communities there.