I hike year-round, but it’s spring and fall when I load my backpack and take multiday trips on trails in my native New England.
Wildflowers bloom in June, the mud has mostly dried, and if I’m lucky the bugs haven’t become a nuisance yet.
September provides a respite—usually—from the heat and humidity of summer, and the fall colors are starting to show. October is more of the same, and after Columbus / Indigenous Peoples’ Day the trails are deserted during the week.
For many years I backpacked the week after the holiday weekend and rarely saw anyone. The year I did a Presidential Traverse, an insanely popular trek in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I saw half a dozen people.
I section hiked the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire and Vermont, and the Long Trail in Vermont, during the same week and rarely saw another hiker.
When I switched to hiking in late September on the Appalachian Trail I encountered waves of hikers heading north to Katahdin, and enjoyed listening to their stories in camp at night.
But I didn’t always pay attention to weather forecasts when I started my shoulder season hikes about 20 years ago. Foolish me.
One year snow fell my first night on a trip in the Whites, the temperature plunged, and I shivered in a 20-degree bag for the next three nights. My next big purchase? A 0-degree bag.
I cut short a different hike in the Whites in mid-October when I was surprised by the forecast of a foot of snow the next day. I hiked in brutal 90-degree heat in late September another year and would have made some gear changes if I had paid attention to the forecast.
This year I extended my shoulder season hiking to early November and set up camp at 3,800 feet my first night. A brief storm dropped an inch of snow and the temperature dropped to the low teens.
But this time I was prepared. I watched the weather forecast for days before leaving. And each day as the snow and bitter cold became more certain, I added warmer clothing to my pack. I ended up wearing it all.
Here’s what I carry on my hikes.
Sleep System
20-degree Marmot Phase 20: This is my go-to bag for early June, late September, and most of October.
0-degree Eastern Mountain Sports Mountain Light: I slept warm in this on my November trip, and I wouldn’t think of anything with less insulation that late in the season.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite: I carry this full-length pad, with a 4.2 R-value, throughout shoulder season. Hands down some of the best comfort and insulation. But as NeoAir users know, it’s noisy.
Shoes
Brooks Cascadia 16: My new faves. These low-cut trail runners are comfortable even in mud and water.
HOKA ONE ONE Anacapa Mid GTX: I wear the Anacapa when the weather is moderately cold and snowy, but not in full-on winter. I don’t like the stiffness of boots, and these above-ankle shoes with Vibram soles and GORE-TEX lining have the flexibility of a trail runner.
Clothes
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody: Warm, lightweight, and water resistant synthetic insulation.
EMS Icarus Down Jacket: This was my puffy before I got the Micro Puff, and I carried it in November. I only wore it under the Micro Puff my first bitterly cold morning, but it was well worth the extra weight (nearly a pound).
Outdoor Research Helium Pants: For rain or cold wind.
Arc’teryx Zeta FL Jacket: Excellent rain and wind protection.
Tops: No-name lightweight shirt and Patagonia short-sleeve shirt. Generic midweight long-sleeve shirt when the temperature drops below 30.
Bottoms: Shorts always, and generic thermal tights underneath for below 30.
Accessories
Head and Hands: Lightweight gloves and headband for temperatures above 40, hat and mittens for below 40.
Food
No-Fuss Finger Food: I’ve stopped carrying a stove, and I’ve tasted my last cold-soaked meal. Beef jerky, pepperoni and cheese, Clif bars, M&M’S, dried fruit, and granola bars were my last food supply. I’m sure it will change for my next trip.
Tent
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1: This tent has sheltered me safely in high winds, light snow, and torrential rain. But damn, it’s small and tough to turn around in. And the Fly Creek is a three-season shelter, so I would rely on a sturdier shelter for shoulder-season hikes with winter conditions.
Odds and Ends
Kahtoola MICROspikes: I only carried these in November. It was a toss-up whether to wear them, and in the end I didn’t.
Katadyn BeFree: When days are consistently below freezing I pack this water filter, my phone, and my Garmin inReach inside a small, insulated lunch-type bag. At night I stuff them in my sleeping bag and spend the night rolling over onto them.
Backpack
Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Junction: My favorite pack, with plenty of room for extra cold-weather gear.
That’s a Wrap
So that’s my gear for shoulder season backpacking. It’s changed through the years as I’ve gone lighter and lighter, and I’m sure I’ll keep making adjustments.
My full pack weighs about 20 pounds for a late September hike, roughly 25 pounds for my first week in November hike. Not bad for a guy who started out carrying 40-something pounds nearly 50 years ago.
