Summertime hut hiking in the Alps - Germany

I have decided to take a week or so and do a little hut hiking in the Alps (Austria probably but Im open to arguments). So if anyone has any info or would like to come with, please let me know.

Also, I am starting my list of supplies. If you have some insight please chime in.

Thanks

Dolfan

It should be possible to travel relatively light. The huts provide you with dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch, so you don't need to take too much food with you.

You're basically packing for a normal day hike, plus a sheet sleeping bag (available in advance from the Alpenverein), some spare clothing, clean underwear and lightweight slippers for the huts. Important of course are sufficient warm clothes and waterproofs. Ear plugs are the lightest but one of the most important pieces of equipment!

Depending on how high you're going and how much snow falls over the next couple of months, you may find May a little too early. Some higher-altitude huts won't open until mid-June.

Spare clothing has also to be clean or does that only apply to underwear?

I have done some research and knew I needed the pillow cases and the Sheet sleeping bag. However I have beenunable to figure out what a sheet sleeping bag is. I have a -15 degree bag, but hope not to have to haul it around.

It is like a sleeping bag but only made out of lightmaterial, like a sheet. It's so you can sleep on the mattresses at the huts with the blankets that they usually have without your sensitive skin touching the (presumable oft-used) mattresses and blankets.

I'm thinking about making a similar adventure the first week of July. How do you find out more about these huts and stuff? I guess I should go to the DAV office.

I ordered a few booksand I am trying to read up online. So far the information is hard to come by, but I am hoping the books will shed some light on a few resources.

I will let you know what I find out and do the same for me.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to join the DAV, if you guys haven't already done so. If I'm remembering correctly, you get discounts on the huts and on publications and gear, as well as a magazine with ideas for trips. I'm pretty sure you can join trips they organize, too, although I never did that.

This is a very obvious source of information so you may have seen it already but some people might find it useful so here is the link: Hiking in Switzerland.

I highly recommend joining the Alpenverein. http://www.alpenverein.de/

Here are some websites for tours etc.
http://www.gps-tour.info/

Only in German.
http://www.almenrausch.at/
http://www.hoehenrausch.de/
http://www.alpenfuehrer.com/
http://www.gpswandern.de/

Thanks for the links and FYI the Austrian Alpenverein has an english language section that you can join (I did).