CT gear choices

[Mando12]

So I plan to start the CT/SOBO on 31 July. Now that my gear is spread all over the room, I could use some help with a couple of choices. Hiking in Appalachia (where I live) I usually skip the ground cloth for my tent. I can always find gentle tent spots. When I think of camping above treeline, I am wondering if it is less gentle, requiring a ground cloth?

Also, I am deciding which sleeping bag pad to carry. I have one with some insulation (heavier) and one with no insulation. Both are inflatable. I'll be carrying a 32 degree bag. I am leaning toward the summer/lighter pad. Any advice?

Thanks!

[colorado_rob]

A 32 degree bag will be right on the edge, but reasonable. some will say you need about a 20, but I use my 30 all summer in Colorado, basically until about early-September. If you sleep very high often (not recommended) you might want to consider a 20 though.

No tent footprint required, softer spots than on the AT IMHO (I'm 1900 miles into the AT). I've never, ever used a tent footprint and was slightly nervous a couple places along the AT, never really so in Colorado, though of course sometimes you have to choose tent site a bit carefully.

My sleeping pad is barely insulated (R 2.7-ish). My old pad, finally worn out, was an R2 (uninsulated). Plenty for CO summers, again, some will disagree.

[garlic08]

Ditto the above. A light summer pad's fine, no groundcloth is fine. Ditto also about the 32F bag. Assuming a correct rating and you have experience with it at 32F, it might be right on the edge of comfort and definitely survivable. The pad and groundcloth shouldn't make any difference since the ground will likely be warmer than the air at night.

[MaryandMarc]

we were often cold at night on our hike - even with 20 degree bags - and super grateful for our thermarest neoair xlite pads. Very light, very insulating. Only a few nights that we didn't wear our down jackets to bed.

[LuckyMan]

On my hike I was fine with no ground cloth, an 8-ounce Neoair X-lite short and a 30-degree bag, also wore lightweight microfleece at night.

[vireyda]

I know when I've sectioned the latter segments heading toward Durango, I've been grateful for my EN rated 25 degree F bag. I sleep on top of a z-lite with the addition of a nemo zor on top of that. I'm a small person who tends to be cold, but I never get any sleep when I get up above around 7000 feet in a 32 degree bag, even in high summer.

The temperature really does drop at night when you get over 10000 feet though. I recently (just a few weeks ago) hiked toward Durango from Molas Pass and woke up a few times to frost in the morning. You might get away with a lighter sleeping bag if you are carrying a nice thick sleeping pad.

In terms of tent bottoms, I've never had any problems without a groundcloth. Just take a minute to toss anything that looks sharp from where you're going to put your tent and you'll be fine.

[Venchka]

Mountaineers Mantra: "Carry high. Sleep low." A few hundred feet and some tree cover can make all the difference in the world. If nothing else, you will appreciate shelter from the occasional winds.

Wayne