I have been reading with interest topics on gear for the PNW. I may be over thinking this but here is what I am thinking about packing for a late April 4day hike.

Wearing

Quick drying shorts
Syn quick dry t shirt
Smart wool socks/liners
Keen vortex boots

Insulating
Gortex pants
Pack lite vortex rain shell
Silk/wool Baselayer shirt
Gaiters
Fleece pullover
Thermawrap parka
Gloves
Polartec beanie
Fleece pants (in camp)??

Extra
Dry socks for each day

Sleep
Polartec socks
Capilene pants and top

Do I need extra set of shorts/t shirt.
Seems like a lot compared to what I would take on the AT but sounds like unpredictable weather and I don't want to get caught unprepared.




Sleep
Polartec socks
Capilene pants and top

Edited by rrouyer on 02/03/2011 21:22:47 MST.

I don't know that I'd take a paclite shell if you're planning on it raining...
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7988965
Take a look at this thread for someone's experience.

You wrote:
___________________________

Sleep
Capilene pants and top

___________________________

Are these just for sleeping?

That's a pretty comprehensive list. Probably a bit heavy on the insulation in my opinion. You're unlikely to hit freezing temperatures even in the dead of winter in there - very unlikely in late April. I'd drop some of that.

Your "wearing" list is good. Quick dry synthetics will take good care of you. You can get away with trail runners quite well, by the way. Maybe you prefer boots, but I wouldn't trade in shoes for boots just because of the location. Once those boots are wet, they'll be wet for the entire trip. Trail shoes can be walked to dryness.

Sounds like your wet-weather gear is plenty sufficient. If you already have it all - no real changes. If you're shopping, you can easily get away with a DriDucks/Frogg Toggs suit in there. It's not brushy/snaggy at all. Most of the trail is wide open walking on relatively level terrain. Very light. Very cheap.

For insulation I'd drop the fleece or the thermawrap unless you're a super cold person. If you can get the wood lit you can have fires. Most sites have pits already. Bring lots of fire starter. Gaiters are probably unnecessary if you're wearing waterproof pants.

Dry socks for each day is a good idea. Personally I'd just wear tomorrow's clean socks for sleeping instead of the fleece ones, but that's a personal preference. I also wouldn't carry 2 sets of base layers, but again, that's your call.

I wouldn't take an extra set of shorts/shirt. You already have extra clothing in your baselayers.

All in all you could easily dump a couple pounds off of this list. Bring a 12 ounce huge tarp and you could dump even more. It's weight well spent. The hiking is easy and mellow so you won't be overheating much. All you really need to be wary of is the possibility of non-stop drizzle for 4 days where nothing can get hung out to dry. Big tarp and a fire can mitigate some of that.

Of course, you could have 4 days of beautiful sunshine and temps in the 60s, too :)

Think cool, no direct sun, rain, MUD

Wearing

Quick drying shorts ---- I would wear long pants/zip-offs. You aren't going to get a sun tan on this trip :)
Syn quick dry t shirt ---- just wear the Capilene
Smart wool socks/liners
Keen vortex boots

Insulating
Gortex pants
Pack lite vortex rain shell
Silk/wool Baselayer shirt ---- nix, you have the Capilene
Gaiters--- shorties are good for mud; long ones nahhh, unless you are getting up on the glaciers or snow up top.
Fleece pullover --- yes (no if you take the parka)
Thermawrap parka --- no if you have the fleece. Perhaps a light vest?
Gloves
Polartec beanie
Fleece pants (in camp)?? --- nix. Rain pants and long johns. You'll be under shelter soon enough.

Extra
Dry socks for each day --- maybe --- how many days? No more than 2 spares.

Sleep
Polartec socks --- nix you have all those dry socks
Capilene pants and top --- good, but I would be wearing Cap1 all the time. What weight Capilene? Lighter stuff is great under your rain gear. Wear the Cap1 and your fleece.

Do I need extra set of shorts/t shirt. ---- No, but a dry base layer top for sleep and spare



I wear:

Capilene 1 LS top
Zip off pants
Windshirt

Power Stretch hoodie
Patagonia Micro Puff vest

1 extra socks
Capilene 1 long johns (sleep too)
1 extra top (dry and sleep)

Seattle Sombrero rain hat
Patagonia Rainshadow jacket
Marmot Precip pants
Mont Bell short stetch gaiters


Gloves -- Mountain Hardwear Tempest shelled gloves for rain, or SealSkyns
Fleece beanie

If it is raining constantly, the pants come off, the light long johns and rain pants go on and stay on for the day. Alternate tops to suit your comfort. For a wet trip, the windshirt is wasted really, as are the zip off pants. I might wear a Cap2 weight top under my rain shell and I would want a dry base layer top for camp/sleeping, but it would light stuff to wear with the Power Stretch. A Power Stretch or 100W fleece vest can be nice under a rain shell in cold/wet stuff.

Take a sit pad--- there won't be a dry place to sit, anywhere, ever. I use a Z-seat and extend my sleeping pad with it.

Yes. I would take a set of light capilene just for sleeping.I never wear my sleepwear anywhere or anytime other than in my tent.

So,ditch the fleece pants. Seemed like overkill to me as well and go with a polartec vest with the gortex rain jacket.

I am I right to think this climate could be similar to hiking late spring in the Smokey mountains.

Oops, that should have read gortex and not vortex rain jacket.

For weather I would plan for 40F-50F and constant rain. Not thundershowers like the East Coast, but drizzle all day. If a front comes in, it can rain hard and long. It can be warmer.

Watch the weather photos for a few days now. You will see long arms of clouds rotating in off the Pacific from the southwest. PNW weather is a series of lows moving in off the ocean. If you can get in between the lows, it is drier. If you get a high, it is gorgeous (and rare). If the Jet Stream moves north a bit, it will be drier too. All dice-rolling for trip planning. Take rain gear and synthetic insulation and enjoy the trip.

It is a beautiful, green, cool, DAMP, jungle--- and as special and exotic as the Amazon.

I have backpacked on the Hoh in April in 70* sunny weather one year and the next one it was low 40*'s and raining all day - and froze at night.

Most of all I would be prepared for wet feet - sometimes the foot bridges are not there on a couple side streams and you have to ford them (nothing bad, just WET). Not bad if it is sunny...but if it is cold? Yeah.

On a bonus note you can have fires in camp in the low valley so you can at least warm up! :-D

Rhonda,

I would advocate not taking any special sleeping clothes (pajamas) but instead take ONLY the clothes you truly need. Just wear all your clothes to sleep. It simplifies everything, no need to change, just climb into the quilt and then climb out and start hiking.

And, you haven't posted the rest of your gear list, so it is hard to give much feedback. But, I would also advocate NOT taking a tent, and instead just taking a tarp weighing for dramatic weight savings.

I have spent a LOT of time in the North Cascades, and it can be wet. But rarely a true downpour, mostly light rain that might last for days.

The cascades are perfectly magical!

Edited by mikeclelland on 02/04/2011 18:45:54 MST.

The Hoh is in the Olympic Mountains ;-) One reason why it does rain so much is the close location the Pacific Ocean - it is a very short distance from Mt. Olympus to the ocean.