Help Needed

[WIAPilot]

I plan to start my thru in mid-Feb and am actually thinking about using 3 different sleeping bags. I'm from the desert so I am not accustomed to cold nights. And unfortunately, warm goats are forbidden on the trail. So I need a really warm sleeping bag initially. All of my bags will probably be Western Mountaineering as I am replacing what I have. I was thinking of being totally prepared like Tipi and starting out with the -25 Puma. I then thought maybe a 0 degree bag and later perhaps a 20 degree bag?? I would really appreciate your input on this!

[rocketsocks]

Can't really help you with the bag selection,as my 15 degree Big Agnes is the same bag I've had for about 10 years or better(don't own a lot of gear).So I can just restate what has already been written in other threads about this topic,and also as a Northerner who has watched winter storms with great anticipation and awe.The Appalachians in the early winter can be very different from year to year,sometimes it's 45 degrees in February,and sometimes we can have a 20" of snow in late March,the one thing you seem to have going for you is your ability to choose between bags,I no that's not what your looking for,but maybe implement some kind of back up,to your back up plan.I've said this here before,and it always seems fitting,at least to me.hehe..."It's a brave Man/woman who puts an X on the Ocean" again,not much help Kathy,but there it is.Happy Trails,pullin for ya.Maybe start out with the lowest rated,and just keep bouncing the secound lowest rated up the trail,until you get that fuzzy feeling about the weather,then,send the others home.

[Red Hat]

I used a 20 degree WM bag the whole way. You definitely don't need anything under a 0!

[fiddlehead]

-25 is definitely overkill.
You are thinking too much.
You will learn to simplify your life, not make it more complicated.

Learn the water bottle trick for the few times you might be cold in a bag rated below zero. (key word is might)
Or, start later.
The weather is much more hiker-friendly 2 months later.

Why not try to enjoy your hike rather than be weighted down like tipi walker and carry bags that are rated for Mt Everest.

The number one thing on my mind would be how to make my pack lighter and thus my hike more enjoyable.

[WIAPilot]

LOL. OK - I'm talked out of the -25 Puma. Are there any months I will be able to get away with a 35 degree bag for the summer months?

[chip2012]

For sure. I use a 45* this time of year in the south and except for a couple exceptions but a bottle will help. I plan on using a 30* most of the way then shipping my 15* when I get further south and the temps start to drop. That 0* may be useful later on. Jan-april in ga/tn is anyones guess on temps. This last new years I did springer to n..g. brought a 20* and a 45* as a liner but just slept in the 45*. Next weekend I had to use both bags.

[T.S.Kobzol]

One of the bags I use is Warmlite. It comes with internal, removable down mattress and two tops that can be used together or one at a time or even only as a narrow "quilt"

You got 3 bags in one. Send one of the tops away when you are ready.

It is the warmest bag in my possession. Great in the winter here in Maine.

Not sure about winter in southern Appalachia but from random readings I surmise that hikers (for the sale of saving weight) underestimate how cold it gets at night.

Even if you had a bag that is too warm... Just unzip it...

Good luck.
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[Spokes]

I started with a 15 degree down Helium bag with a silk liner then swapped to a 40 degree synthetic in summer. I got the down bag back in Hanover. Hindsight says I could have carried the 15 degree the entire way but man having a light pack in the summer was nice!

I kept the silk liner the whole time. Came in handy at some of the more freaky hostels........

[max patch]

Unless you need to be done by a date certain there is no reason to start in mid Feb. You'll get the lousy winter weather in the south and you'll finish up in the summer -- missing hiking in NE in the fall which oughta be a crime. You'll have better weather delaying your start at least a month.

[moldy]

Are you talking about hiking or just sleeping in the winter woods? What does a -35 degree bad weigh? If you want to make any kind of miles you need to be reasonable.

[Studlintsean]

For sure. I use a 45* this time of year in the south and except for a couple exceptions but a bottle will help. I plan on using a 30* most of the way then shipping my 15* when I get further south and the temps start to drop. That 0* may be useful later on. Jan-april in ga/tn is anyones guess on temps. This last new years I did springer to n..g. brought a 20* and a 45* as a liner but just slept in the 45*. Next weekend I had to use both bags.

What is the "Bottle" method? Never heard of it.

Thanks.

[bigcranky]

A 0-F bag will be fine for a February start, even for someone who sleeps cold. I'd be more concerned with clothing choices.

[WIAPilot]

Any suggestions on a really good 40-45 degree ultralight bag? This is the bag that I'll probably use most once I am home.

[Studlintsean]

Any suggestions on a really good 40 degree ultralight bag? This is the bag that I'll probably use most once I am home.

I just got the Montbell Spiral #5. Pretty light and packs pretty tight. Havent had a chance to use it yet but I will shortly and will report back.

[bfayer]

What is the "Bottle" method? Never heard of it.

Thanks.

You put a water bottle filled with hot water in your bag with you.

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[q-tip]

In Nov. 2010 I finished in Harpers Ferry. I used a 30 bag until early oct the switched to a WM Kodiak 0D. I was toasty every night but I sleep cold. I recently purchased a WM Alpinlite and got the overfill bringing the bag rating to 15d. I think that bag should be warm enough for the cold months on the trail. I am a huge fan of WM, I have three bags and they are bags for a lifetime.

[Slo-go'en]

Trying to talk you out of starting in mid Feb is probably most suited for another thread. Lets just say it typcially isn't a good idea for many reasons. The problem isn't so much the cold, but the dampness which often goes with it. That makes it feel colder then it really is and keeping stuff dry is a real problem.

I like my Montbell #3 synthetic. Although only rated for 30*, it is reasonably light and compact for a synthetic. Add a 40* down quilt to go over it on really cold nights and you'd have a decent all season set up. You'd have both the bag and quilt in the begining, just the bag for the mid to late spring, then just the quilt for the summer.

[TrekkerJeff]

We started mid-March with 25 degree down bags and had silk liners for added warmth on really cold nights. (mid twenties was about as cold as we had) In warmer weather we use a 40 degree Lafuma synthetic bag. To be honest 90% of the time I don't zip up my bag and just use it like a quilt on top of my Neo Air mattress.

[gravityman]

WM Versalite is what you need... Is is a warm 15 deg bag. We started March 1, and took it to single digits without any issues.

Gravity

[Mountain Mike]

I'd say to early to call. I started in mid march & got hit with two snowstorms in the Smokies. Although I woke up to 6" of fresh snow & powder on the ridge, by the time I got down in the vallies it was spring. I would suggest watching the list of people starting dates on here. One of the parts of the AT is how social it is, but it can become a race for hostels & shelters. Yet if starting early it would be nice to have others around, you will kinda form an informal safety net. Then as mentioned before added weight of heavyer bag & maybe instep crampons or microspikes. I would suggest looking into alternatives such as BMT if weather gets bad & you decide to bail from the ridge but want to continue hiking.