View Full Version : summer & winter sleeping bags
squeezebox
11-28-2014, 11:21
I'm looking at sleeping bags. What temp range do I need for a late March start? I tend to sleep cold. I know it depends. I was looking at Zpack with a hood, and Western Mountaineer lately. Both are about the same price, WM weighs a hair more. The price for 10* vs, 20* isn't much either.
Also do I need a summer bag? I have a Kelty Cosmic 40* that I use in bed sometimes and I'm chilly at 60*, but with no hat. Will the cold weather bag be usable for summer if opened up? I plan on silk longies and socks as pajamas, yes and a beanie as necessary. Not much wt. difference between the summer and winter options.
colorado_rob
11-28-2014, 11:51
If money is no object, then two bags, a 20 and a 40 would be perfect, IMHO. And I think a good 20, like your two choices really is plenty. My WM 20 (Alpinelite) is very toasty, useable down to well below 20 in a pinch. If money IS an issue, then yeah, the 20 will work in the summer, you'll just be sleeping mostly on top of it.
If you have a particularly cold night early, fill a couple water bottles with very hot (but not boiling) water, make sure cap is on tight! Place both bottles in an extra sock because you want the heat from them to release slowly during the night rather than over heating you early and being stone cold in the wee-hours.
If reasonable expense is a factor, although not inexpensive, I opted for a 20 F Hammock Gear Burrow 20 top quilt plus NeoAir XTherm short, for having my backpack under my lower legs, as always, with the added benefit of a 20" sewn footbox on the down top quilt.
The Hammock Gear Burrow 20 in their 850-fill down and argon fabric is uncannily warm, reflecting my own warmth right back at me.
The NeoAir XThern 5.7 R-value is astonishingly warm.
My decision ran like this: I need 20 F. The top quilt is easily opened up. I do not have to have my feet in the sewn footbox, in warmer weather. I don't have to thin elastic cord the top quilt around the NeoAir XTherm. I can use a different NeoAir or a different sleeping pad. In warm weather, I can simply drape the top quilt over me partially, or, entirely. Either way, I should be confortable.
Who knows, I might even use the same top quilt with the Grand Trunk Nano 7 ultralight hammock in the summertime.
For my money, if it will do all that, this seemed like a lot of value.
check my post today. I'm selling a Montbell 15 degree bag for $250, like new condition.
check my post today. I'm selling a Montbell 15 degree bag for $250, like new condition.
That Montbell #1 and a Neo XTherm is a great set up for an early thru.
For me I did all of my thru's wih a Mountain Hardwear 30 degree Ultra Lamina synthetic bag kept it the entire trail and I started i mid FEB all three times and the only place I truly got cold was in the GSMNP and in the warmer months I used it like a quilt, in my opinion you only need 1 sleeping bag for the entire trail For a late march start I would go with a 30 degree bag with maybe a liner, all this switching gear out from winter to summer gear is STUPID unless you want to spend all that money for basically 2 separate set ups not to mention what you will spend on shipping and handling. HYOH I do
Depends on what it's worth to you to drop a pound or more off your pack weight for a thousand miles or so. To me it was well worth the few dollars it cost to swap sleeping bags.