keeping clothing dry for multi-day hikes

[starbaby]

For those of you who do multi-day hikes in the high peaks, what do you do to dry your clothing for the next day? When I get back from a day of climbing, my fleece shell, baselayer, etc. is wet with moisture (even though I have a breathable shell).

I am wondering what others do with their clothing overnight in preparation for the next day of hiking. If you put it in your bag with you, it will interfere with keeping dry at night. If you leave it outside, it will freeze into an icecube, leaving for a most uncomfortable beginning of the next day. Or, you carry alot of clothing, etc. I can see that this is possible to some extent, eg. carrying several days of baselayers. However, it doesn't seem possible for every clothing item.

Thanks,

SB

[Dick]

I have had good luck with putting small items in the bag with me (socks, long johns), with no adverse affect on my own comfort. I'm thinking it might be possible to put it between your bag and the pad (haven't tried that). I do carry multiple pairs of socks and base layers. However, the longest I have been in the woods in winter is three nights. Depending upon your camping location and style, a fire does wonders for keeping things dry!

[Neil]

Winter camping with no fire is one thing, winter camping without a fire AND winter peakbagging is a great big logistical challenge. Take lots of base layer shirts and when you take them off shove them into a stuff sack and say goodby to them. You can always put them on frozen (trust me, its a lot of fun) just before hiking if you don't like the idea of building up a supply of frozen base layer shirts. If you're only out for a night or two wear the wet shirt to bed (Ugh!) and it will dry out. If its sunny put the shirt out in a clear spot facing south. Even if its well below freezing it will dry out while you hike. Dark colour shirts get better results.

Don't worry about the shell, just put it on frozen. If it didn't bother you to wear it wet prior to taking it off it won't bother you after 10 mins. of hiking the next day.

As for the boots, if you don't have double boots then you'd be best to sleep with them in your bag. Otherwise they'LL be frozen solid and a bitch to put on in the morning.
Personally, after combining winter peakbagging and camping for a grand total of 3 peaks so far I think I'm going to specialize in the day hike approach untill March.

Whatever you do, have fun! That's the whole point.

[redhawk]

sleeping pad on bottom
fleece to dry in middle
Towel on top
and then your sleeping bag on top of all that and assuminglyly tou have all this inside a sleeping bag cover or bivy.

My technique for keeping boots (and sleeping bag) warm is elsewhere on the forum but to repeat:

Boil water and fill two quart nalgenes
Cover Nalgenes with next days clean socks (to warm socks and help retain heat in bottles)
Insert socks and Nalgenes into boots
Put boots into plastic bag and then in the bottom of your slepping bag.

Stay warm all night and have warm socks and non frozen boots in the morning.

[Dick]

If its sunny put the shirt out in a clear spot facing south. Even if its well below freezing it will dry out while you hike. Dark colour shirts get better results.

I've tried this many times, but my result has always been a frozen shirt!

As for the boots, if you don't have double boots then you'd be best to sleep with them in your bag.

I have used thick plastic construction bags for this purpose.

sleeping pad on bottom
fleece to dry in middle
Towel on top
and then your sleeping bag on top of all that and assuminglyly tou have all this inside a sleeping bag cover or bivy.

Sleeping bag cover? How does this allow the bag to breathe?

Stay warm all night and have warm socks and non frozen boots in the morning.

And drinking water!


__________________

[JimB]

A few things that might help;
You are the main heat source that you have so you have to wear the stuff into a drier mode.
Try to ventilate as much as possible towards the end of your activity so the clothes can get rid of the moisture
If you put on a dry polypro shirt under your hiking shirt after you stop it can dry from your body heat while not touching you as directly. This way you don’t need a pile of dry shirts.
Put your wet socks, glove liners, hats, shirts etc in a plastic grocery bag, wrap them in something dry and use it for a pillow. It will keep them very warm so at least they aren’t frozen when you go to use them again. You can even put a nalgene in this package if it’s not too big and you have water for breakfast.
Winter camping, to me, is usually not about comfort and ease so you have to suffer a little bit to really enjoy it (is that right?)
I’m not an expert and so have taken to van camping or leanto camping lately to be able to spend more time actually peakbagging.

[redhawk]

Sleeping bag cover? How does this allow the bag to breathe?

__________________

Depends on the sleeping bag cover. The right maerials will allow it to breathe and will also prevent condensation on the sleeping bag in cold weather.

A good Windshear (tightly woven polyester microfibers and a good DWR (Durable Water repellent)) material that is not a membrane like gore tex gives good vapor permeability.

It's one of the times when Gore Tex is not the best. Of course you won't use this cover outside in a rain or show storm but it's the best for avoiding condensation in a tent or bivy in the winter.

[starbaby]

This is some great feedback. Have any of you had success using those chemical heat packs at all? Either at night or during the day. I have found one use for them. My wife made a small fleece ditty bag for my digital camera. I stick one of those foot warmer packs inside right near where the battery will be. It seems as though it does the trick to keep the battery warm enough to take photos.

SB

[Dick]

This is some great feedback. Have any of you had success using those chemical heat packs at all? Either at night or during the day. I have found one use for them. My wife made a small fleece ditty bag for my digital camera. I stick one of those foot warmer packs inside right near where the battery will be. It seems as though it does the trick to keep the battery warm enough to take photos.

SB

I have recently started using them. They work very well, though they're a little pricey. This weekend I plan to put a pair in my boots overnight, covered by the socks I will be wearing in the AM. I've never tried it, but I wonder how well they would keep some food warm.

[oldsmores]

I normally find that my base layer will dry out pretty well just from body heat during the descent and while making dinner, etc. (at least dry enough to wear in my bag without worrying about adversely affecting my sleep. As someone else mentioned, my socks go in the tops of my boots over too hot water bottles - this also has the added benefit of leaving you with liquid water for breakfast. I don't worry too much about fleece and shell layers. As long as my base layer is dry when I start the others warm up and the pain doesn't last too long.

[Judgeh]

I'm the world most prolific sweater. On one frigid hike, I left my wet, synthetic fleece hoodie hanging in the lean-to and it froze in position. I left it there overnight as it had become hard as a rock. It was a very windy night. In the morning. at about 10 degrees and no sun, it was as soft and dry as when I took it out of the closet the morning before.

What the heck happened???

[sacco]

gnomes?

[Judgeh]

gnomes?

Doggone. Who'd a thunk it? Mini Me Hawks!

Perhaps they'll pull our sled to Cod Pond this weekend.

[Martin]

I'm the world most prolific sweater. On one frigid hike, I left my wet, synthetic fleece hoodie hanging in the lean-to and it froze in position. I left it there overnight as it had become hard as a rock. It was a very windy night. In the morning. at about 10 degrees and no sun, it was as soft and dry as when I took it out of the closet the morning before.

What the heck happened???

That's the good thing about fleece. The water(or sweat) will crystalize towards the surface. In the morning, all you have to do is skake it off and it's good as new.

[Neil]

Couple more ideas...

Use the thinnest base layer shirts possible. They'll absorb less total sweat. I've never tried the following but after thinking about it it makes sense if the weather is not too extreme: don't wear anything under your shell. A simple elegant solution to the dreaded wet base layer shirt.
For gloves, mitts etc. wear wool. It absorbs less than fleece and retains its warmth even when frozen. Socks are a different story. If you get cold feet as easily as I do you'll want dry socks. Either carry many pairs or dry them in your bag. They'll dry more thouroughly on your feet or carefully spread out, laying on your torso if you sleep on your back.

Hawk's method for boots sounds very effective. You might want a long sleeping bag for that. I have a double boot arrangement (sorels with a felt liner) and if the liners are wet I stick them in the bottom of my bag and I loosen and pull open the outers as wide as possible before they freeze.