bag for apr 1 start date?

[stonedflea]

hey y'all.

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision? i'm a tosser and turner and i think i could get used to a mummy bag, but my only experience with them has been a five-night hike in which i kept getting twisted up throughout the night. =P i was also thinking since i'm on a budget that instead of having to buy two bags for spring and summer, i could just unzip the rectangular bag and use it as a blanket if it gets to be too warm.

what do y'all think? will this work?

[stonedflea]

oh, sorry. i'll be nobo.

[swjohnsey]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

[double d]

I have the Campmor 20 bag (mummy style, not the same as yours) and like it very much and it has a great price. My question to you is this: how tall are you? You could go with the 6'6" bag over the six foot bag (I have both, one for my wife and the longer one for me). Good luck and have a blast!

[double d]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!

[stonedflea]

I have the Campmor 20 bag (mummy style, not the same as yours) and like it very much and it has a great price. My question to you is this: how tall are you? You could go with the 6'6" bag over the six foot bag (I have both, one for my wife and the longer one for me). Good luck and have a blast!

lol i'm 5'6" on a good day.

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

i'm a really cold sleeper. i was in a 40+ bag back home in MS one year camping on a lake and got so cold i couldn't get back to sleep so i got up at 2 am and drove back home to sleep in my own bed instead of shiverin' all night. i'm a pansy when i'm cold.

[crazystick]

Is the bag down or synthetic. I have a hard time seeing you being able to fit a 20 degree rectangle synthetic in a backpack,. That's more for car camping. Big Agnes "lost ranger" I think it's called is a good wide bag with a sleeve for a sleeping pad it's a cross between mummy and rectangle. Good for Rollin.

[garlic08]

I used a Campmor 20 down mummy bag on my first thru hike (PCT) and it was just OK the whole way. That 20F rating is slightly optimistic for the average person. I upgraded for my next hike and kicked myself for waiting so long. Get the best bag you can afford. If you end up hiking a lot, you won't regret it.

I started the AT on April 4 '08 and in the first couple weeks managed to hit two winter blizzards in the high country with temps in the teens for several nights. The Campmor bag would have put me in survival mode. I could have easily bailed out and avoided that, but my excellent 15F bag kept me on trail. The money saved by not spending those nights in town helped defray the extra cost of the bag. Plus I got some great stories, being out there in the snow.

You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!

Ditto this! Be sure to subtract about 5F for every 1,000' of elevation from the town forecast, and be ready for blizzard conditions.

[mountain squid]

You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!

Also concur. Have some extra money at Neels Gap just in case . . . (to swap out a 40F bag)

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[bigcranky]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

Good luck with that.

[HiKen2011]

Good luck with that.

He'll freeze!!!!!!!!!!! Or she???

[Blissful]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way.

NO way Jose.

[max patch]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

Are you on a diet? Cause you're gonna freeze your azz off.

[Blissful]

hey y'all.

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision? i'm a tosser and turner and i think i could get used to a mummy bag, but my only experience with them has been a five-night hike in which i kept getting twisted up throughout the night. =P i was also thinking since i'm on a budget that instead of having to buy two bags for spring and summer, i could just unzip the rectangular bag and use it as a blanket if it gets to be too warm.

what do y'all think? will this work?

Wish you had the money but I know its hard, the Montbell spiral would be just the ticket for you. The rectangular bag will likley also take up a good deal of space unles you can get it crammed into a decent compression sack.
I don't think you can count on the Campmor rectangular keeping you as warm, esp in the 20s which are common. You'll be cold at times until mid May, imo

[max patch]

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision?

I agree with the others that you are going to have some cold uncomfortable nights. If you locked into this bag then at least take a vest and wool hat. Still gonna be cold.

[bigcranky]

I agree with the others that you are going to have some cold uncomfortable nights. If you locked into this bag then at least take a vest and wool hat. Still gonna be cold.

You can wear your down jacket inside the bag, and bring some warm base layers and socks. Wear a good hat, too, and you'll survive down into the teens. Might have a couple of cold nights, especially in the Smokies.

[bigcranky]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way.

I should add that I owned the Kelty LY 40 down bag. I took it to Springer Mountain for our first 3-week section hike heading north. Had a couple of VERY cold night in that bag.

That was in early June, 2003.

For me, that bag got cold below 50F. Adding lots of clothing made it bearable to 40 or so -- luckily there is plenty of room inside the bag.

I can't imagine starting a thru-hike in early April with it. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Roots]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

I started April 1st in 08 carrying a Montbell SS UL #2--25degree bag that will go much lower than that--and had many nights in the 20s and some in the upper teens. A kelty light yr is very liberal with their ratings--my daughter has had 2 of them. If it says 40, it might get you to 50 degrees.

The weather forecast for 10 days out is VERY inaccurate in the mtns. For example: I called my husband once I got to Neel Gap and he told me "you've had some good weather. I've been following the weather channels for your area." The truth was it had been rain for 4 days with high winds, fog, and in the low 40s upper 30s.

I live in NC mtns and know very well how the weather changes daily. I can see it raining on MT Pisgah and sun shining here in the valley. Be careful and prepared!

[swjohnsey]

I should add that I owned the Kelty LY 40 down bag. I took it to Springer Mountain for our first 3-week section hike heading north. Had a couple of VERY cold night in that bag.

That was in early June, 2003.

For me, that bag got cold below 50F. Adding lots of clothing made it bearable to 40 or so -- luckily there is plenty of room inside the bag.

I can't imagine starting a thru-hike in early April with it. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I am a warm sleeper. I would rather carry a lighter bag and suffer a little on a freak cold night that carry a heavier bag. I have spent a few nights in the 20s wearing 100 fleece, top, bottom, hat and gloves plus down booties and been very comfortable in a tent.

[Roots]

I am a warm sleeper. I would rather carry a lighter bag and suffer a little on a freak cold night that carry a heavier bag. I have spent a few nights in the 20s wearing 100 fleece, top, bottom, hat and gloves plus down booties and been very comfortable in a tent.

Have you tried sleeping in it after being in cold rain or snow all day?