What degree sleeping bag for new england in summer?
Thinking about leaving PA in May and heading north to Katahdin. What degree sleeping bag would you recommend? MAybe use two separate bags?
15 deg F would be a safe choice.
30 deg F should cover a large majority of the trip.
25 degree will cover it all.
40 deg. bag will cover you for summer add a liner and long underwear for north of VT or swap out for a 20 deg bag.
I always go with 20 degree 3 season bag. Can always open it up or use like a blanket if it is to warm, but rarely the case. Rule of thumb 3 1/2 - 5 degrees cooler for every 1,000' you climb.
It sort of depends on when you plan on reaching the Whites. When I thru hiked, I was in PA toward the end of May, the Whites at the end of June, and finished at Katahdin in July. My 45F summer bag worked fine the whole way. I kept an eye on the weather, which stayed very warm for me. I planned my hike to camp below treeline (I guess that's a rule) and stayed in one hut. If unseasonably cold weather was forecast, there may have been a change of plans.... But yes, a 20 or 25F bag would probably be a safer bet.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Do many people choose one bag for the entire trip, say a full zip 20 degree, or a 30 with down layers? It seems like a lot of people who would attempt a thru should have 2 sleeping bags anyway..
A 20 deg down quilt is pretty versatile and fairly light weight. Wear some extra layers when it's very cold, easy to vent when it is warmer.
I sleep cold and have been using a 20 for years.
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