Is a 45 degree enough?

[Transient Being]

the science of this argument has been forsaken and im one who takes safty seriously. all you need sir or mamm is to witness the tossing. the turnning. the mumbuling under breath. the inability to hike with vim and vigor the next day. and the horror. ohhh the horror. of the folks all around me each time im on trail in cold,......shivering. praying out loud for sunrise. makeing deals with devils. and all manner of sorrow associated with the cold lameass dummy bag like the one your bringgin. bring it. and suffer. just so next year we can be closer friends. we will allways have this moment. when your about to hike with a deadly bag that could leave your parents childless and i,..matthewski,...dont take that .

marmot. helium. eq coated. 15. 545$ under 2. fully waterproof and breathable. for real. life.warm 850-900 warmth. spend. join us. we are asleep. you will be awake and as hate filled as a you the next day buying a real bag.

Haha--HA! I've been there and done that. The next trip I had a Marmot Pinnacle 15.

Thats a funny illustration, you must have seen me when you were writing this.

[Tinker]

Factor in some wicked wind and dampness and you'll be regretting that 45 degree bag decision.

Add too few calories and a bit of dehydration to that mix, and make your decision then.

I hiked Georgia in March 2006 and carried a Feathered Friends Great Auk with 2 oz. of overfill, making it approx. a 15 degree bag. I was too warm much of the time, but on the two nights where the temps. got low I was glad to have it.

[DinnerFer2]

After checking my 20 degree options online, I think I've decided it's worth the money to buy the Kelty Lightyear 20 degree long.

It'll cut 20 ounces from my Marmot 0's 64 oz. to 44 oz. I'll be more comfortable, it's only $175 etc.

Then I can switch out for my 45 degree when it gets hot and be light as a feather until I reach VT.

So that's exciting, starting out with a fresh bag and all. I took a short hike the other day with two dogs and a friend. I ended up hauling 2 gallons of water, a bottle of wine, and a cornucopia of snacks to the top of this hill called Haystack in Pawlet VT.

On top of that I was wearing Carhartts, Heavy Socks, and a Long Sleeve Shirt. It was unseasonably warm. The memory is driving me to cut more weight from my pack.

[max patch]

After checking my 20 degree options online, I think I've decided it's worth the money to buy the Kelty Lightyear 20 degree long.

It'll cut 20 ounces from my Marmot 0's 64 oz. to 44 oz. I'll be more comfortable, it's only $175 etc.

2 things:

Check your purchase options; right now Campmor has the bag for $70. Other retailers have it for less than $100. I don't know if these prices include the long.

I purchased two of these bags for my sons for $50 each from Steep and Cheap a couple years ago or so. I immediately returned them when I realized the zipper is only hip length. That was a deal breaker for me; wanted to make sure you realized that.

[Datto]

Planning on leaving from Springer Mt. NOBO on March 19th... Is my 45 degree Sierra Designs Wicked Light 800 fill enough?

You'll freeze. I started April 10th.

Experienced 20*F in the Smokies. The Concierges at the shelters in the Smokies had run out of electric blankets and hot toddys by the time I'd arrived -- never did get a Broadway ticket from the Concierges for Gatlinburg either. And I'd so wanted to see Les Hillbillyables too.

Experienced 24*F in Maine.

Of course, if you hiked all night every night...

Get a decent 20*F sleeping bag. Carry that from Springer until Rockfish Gap in Virginia where you pick up the 45*F bag. Carry that to Hanover, NH where you pick up the 20*F bag again and carry that through to Katahdin.

Datto

[DavidNH]

Planning on leaving from Springer Mt. NOBO on March 19th...

Is my 45 degree Sierra Designs Wicked Light 800 fill enough? Should I bring an 8 oz fleece liner along? It's supposed to bring the rating down 10 degrees.

I'll be most likely sleeping on a Thermarest Neoair and sleeping in a TarpTent Double Rainbow...

Thanks!

Everyone else has probably said this but I'll just add my two cents anyway. Mid March leaving Springer Mountain no way is a 45 degree bag adequate. Don't go without a bag rated at least down to 20 preferably lower.

Temperatures can easily hit the teens and lower.


David

[Moose2001]

After checking my 20 degree options online, I think I've decided it's worth the money to buy the Kelty Lightyear 20 degree long.

It'll cut 20 ounces from my Marmot 0's 64 oz. to 44 oz. I'll be more comfortable, it's only $175 etc.

Then I can switch out for my 45 degree when it gets hot and be light as a feather until I reach VT.

So that's exciting, starting out with a fresh bag and all. I took a short hike the other day with two dogs and a friend. I ended up hauling 2 gallons of water, a bottle of wine, and a cornucopia of snacks to the top of this hill called Haystack in Pawlet VT.

On top of that I was wearing Carhartts, Heavy Socks, and a Long Sleeve Shirt. It was unseasonably warm. The memory is driving me to cut more weight from my pack.

Hey Dinner.......you get what you pay for! Kelty is usually a bit optomistic about their bag ratings. Spend the cash and buy a GOOD bag. You'll appreciate it on those cold nights.

[Dogwood]

After checking my 20 degree options online, I think I've decided it's worth the money to buy the Kelty Lightyear 20 degree long.

It'll cut 20 ounces from my Marmot 0's 64 oz. to 44 oz. I'll be more comfortable, it's only $175 etc.

Then I can switch out for my 45 degree when it gets hot and be light as a feather until I reach VT.

So that's exciting, starting out with a fresh bag and all. I took a short hike the other day with two dogs and a friend. I ended up hauling 2 gallons of water, a bottle of wine, and a cornucopia of snacks to the top of this hill called Haystack in Pawlet VT.

On top of that I was wearing Carhartts, Heavy Socks, and a Long Sleeve Shirt. It was unseasonably warm. The memory is driving me to cut more weight from my pack.

I think that sounds like it has worked out nicely for you DinnerFer2. The DOWN 20* Kelty Light Year Long fills a gap in your sleeping bag line up and provides for greater versatility. It's always nice to have a new sleeping bag at the start of a hike, especially one that is lighter wt, but yet also is more dialed in for the temps at the beginning months of your hike when you consider your start date.

You didn't say what was the length of your NeoAir, but if it's a reg length and also considering you will be in a tent you should be OK. Bringing the liner along at the start might not be a bad idea. As others have said a Cocoon Silk Liner is about 4 oz in long. Although, IMO most sleeping bag liners, no matter what they are made of or what shape or size they are, they don't increase the amount of warmth as much as advertised I think the fleece liners tend to add the most amount of fluffy soft warmth trade-off they are heavier and bulkier than the silk liners.

Add to your sleeping bag warmth that you are willing to wear some extra clothes to sleep and you should be OK the first two months of Mar-Apr.

Do be aware though, as it already has been mentioned several times before in other posts, weather in GA, NC, TN can be unpredictable in Mar-Apr.

I don't think MaxPatch was comparing the same bag as I think you bought DinnerFer2. There are several Kelty Light Yr models with different fills(synthetic or down) and temp ratings. They are priced accordingly. It's nice to see that the DOWN Kelty Light Yr 20* has been EN rated so the temp rating should be true.

Have a DREAM hike.

[buz]

Dinner,

Right after you get that Kelty, sleep out in it somewhere on a cold night. Figure out if it is rated ok for you. If not, send it back, reshop. Might be fine, maybe not. Find out right away if possible, then re do if needed.

[flemdawg1]

After checking my 20 degree options online, I think I've decided it's worth the money to buy the Kelty Lightyear 20 degree long.

It'll cut 20 ounces from my Marmot 0's 64 oz. to 44 oz. I'll be more comfortable, it's only $175 etc.

Then I can switch out for my 45 degree when it gets hot and be light as a feather until I reach VT.

My Kelty LY 40 is a half zip, before you pull the trigger on your order, make sure that is something you'll be OK with (I wish I'd gotten a full zip bag as my legs get hot, even w/ the footbox vent open).

[Saffirre8]

considering this pass winter with 2 blizzards here in the northeast. Alot of the thur hikers that starting in March had to hike thru alot of snow and some even had or wished they has snow shoes. So with that considered i would go with the 20 degree bag. Some could even hike on some of the mountains because the snow was so bad.

[chiefiepoo]

What is the lowest temperature to be expected, for a NOBO thru-hike starting March 19th?
To what degree can it be mitigated by choosing camping sites wisely on cold nights?

Definitely as said above, teens. And maybe a lot of snow. Back in late 90's IIRC, many had to be rescued when a spring snow storm dropped snow and ice in the Smokies. I think the storm was the 20 something of March and many kids were on spring break camping trips.

[bigcranky]

Definitely as said above, teens. And maybe a lot of snow. Back in late 90's IIRC, many had to be rescued when a spring snow storm dropped snow and ice in the Smokies. I think the storm was the 20 something of March and many kids were on spring break camping trips.

I would *expect* lows in the teens, and be mentally prepared for some nights in the single digits.