Last night was colder than forecast. I was OK, but definitely chillier than I would’ve liked. My sleeping bag is rated for 40F, but that assumes that you’re well-dressed inside it. I noticed that my newish inflatable sleeping pad isn’t as warm as the dense foam one I used to use; this was my first use of it in temps this cold (my first time in a while camping this early in the summer), and I could feel some of the coldness of the ground coming through it. My nose got cold, but otherwise my core body temperature stayed within acceptable limits.
It was a good experiment, because now I know exactly what I must pack for the trail for tonight, and what (very little) I can leave behind, stowed in the scooter.
I woke a few times in the night, but woke for good at 6:00. I’d say that the birds were my alarm clock, but they’d been at it for a while by then. The frogs went all night. This morning I’ve seen trumpeting swans flying over the river, and a hummingbird. I fixed a baggie of hot oatmeal, and gradually broke camp.
It’s a beautiful sunny morning, but a 40% chance of rain this afternoon. And tomorrow will be wet. 🙁
I have old fuel stick handwarmers that my dad used to use hunting. They saved me one very long cold soaked week at Rainier. Then I discovered space blankets, and then I discovered room service. Interesting about your pad.