Printable View
I'll be hiking the Maine A.T. starting July 8. I want to keep my pack weight to a minimum. Will I need a jacket?
I will have several layers of shirts, including a base layer and long-sleeved cotton flannel shirt. I'll also have a poncho in case of rain. But I'm debating whether or not to bring a Columbia rain jacket along for added warmth.
Thanks.
Wilderness is where things work the way they're supposed to work - Walkin' Jim Stoltz
I walked all of NH and ME in July and wore running shorts and short sleeve shirt. I just dealt with the bugs vs covering up. I also had the fatty back part of my arms looked like hamburger meat. You will need a jacket. I would say choose poncho OR rain jacket...
Considering someone froze to death about a week ago in the whites from hypothermia, the weather can get cold and damp all summer in Maine and NH. 99% of the time folks get away with shorts and T shirts but Its still best to have warm synthetic lightweight base layer top and bottom. I carry and have used a lightweight balaclava year round and light weight liner gloves year round and have used them in every month of the year on the AT. A rain jacket with lots of ventilation can replace a fleece jacket as long as you dont mind possibly getting your base layers damp if low pressure system stall out over the gulf of maine and pumps rain in for a couple of days.
I have not hiked in Maine but in the Smokies at higher altitudes the weather can be unexpectantly cool and damp. From what I have heard above 5,000 ft the climate is similar to that in the north east. Hypothermia can be an issue even in summer month.
I would definitely replace the cotton flannel shirt with something synthetic. At the minimum a polyester or nylon long sleeve shirt. Possibly a wool or polypro long sleeve top.
I had a cold day in July once hiking Saddleback and the Horn from RT4, in the clouds with a stiff wind from the west probably 50s up on the ridge. We were dayhiking and got cold but luckily the sun came out when we heading back down Saddleback No doubt it we were stranded up there it would have been hypothermia. Had a similar situation in 100 MW another year. In both cases we knew the forecast and rolled the dice had we taken a zero (or not driven over) we would have been fine. Just a thin layer or fabric makes all the difference, add in wind/waterproof jacket and the difference is night and day.
Other than 2020, I spent the last few years finishing up my AT section hike in NH and ME in June and July. Most days it was shorts and short sleeves. But a few I used long pants and sleeves in addition to baselayers and a puffy. As for a rain jacket, I would never hike anywhere anytime of year without one. Above treeline is beautiful on a good day, but on a bad one you better be prepared. Including something to put once you get out of the near freezing rain.
Cotton kills.
Odd that you’re starting on July 8th. That’s the day in 2017 I encountered a sleet storm on top of Mount Success.
Yes, in Maine you want an insulated jacket.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
A rain jacket will do a lot more against hypothermia than a poncho. If you leave that home you’ll save some weight.
Can see a poncho’s merits down south, but not up there.
Thanks. I’ll keep both the jacket and poncho (the latter very lightweight and added protection for my pack).
Northern new england is my home base - I carry a fleece, a down vest, a rain jacket and an umbrella all summer. We had overnight temps in the 30's and 40's last night
Was in ME late June and early July. Had a SS and LS shirt, fleece top, rain jacket and very light poncho. I figured if it got too cold for the LS, fleece and rain jacket combo, it was time to either get in my sleeping bag, keep hiking or head to town. I was fine with what I had.