AT: Cold and Wet Weather?

I’ve hiked in cold and wet weather but not for an extended period of time. I’m kind of a desert guy that doesn’t even like the cold that much. I have been drenched in rain, hail and thunderstorms, and hypothermic or close to it on western hikes. I understand the importance of having a dry set of clothes and dry sleeping bag. My limited research confirms March to be potentially, maybe even typically cold and wet. So what am I going to do differently? First of all, a warmer base layer. Just got a Smartwool Thermal Merino “intraknit” base layer that hopefully will help until it warms up a bit.

Once my feet and hands get cold, it takes them forever to warm up. I hate to say it, but it has gotten worse with age. I usually bring ultralight gloves that don’t offer much warmth. Got myself an early Xmas present – possum gloves and a pair of Zpacks goose down socks.

Haven’t brought rain pants on a hike for several years finding them too hot and then only using them while washing clothes. Well, I probably need to be more prepared. I am looking at the Montbell versalite rain pants and maybe some vertice rain mitts.

Mrs. Haze got me a handwarmer for Xmas – might come in handy!

How about extra weight and volume? Haven’t summed it up yet but suspect that a few ounces will be made up for by less water and food weight on the AT.