Bag Temp/Size and late October in the Smokies?

[slbirdnerd]

Hi, all! I'm nearly resolved to sucking it up about the shelters and doing the Smokies the last week in October. As a very cold sleeper the only thing I ever really worry about is, will I be warm enough? I usually hang when it's cold and have all that gear working great, but no hanging on this trip. :(

What I have is a Western Mountaineering Badger MF I picked up used on WB. It's a 15' bag, but I believe it's a 6'6 and I am 5/10". It weighs 2 lbs 8 oz.

Is this a good bag for me for this trip? Is it too long or too big to work the way it should? Is there something warmer and lighter that I should look at?

[LittleRock]

Late October isn't too bad in the Smokies - might get below freezing at night but not much colder than that. A 20 degree bag should be fine.

[Gambit McCrae]

15 deg is what I would take

[Venchka]

I recently purchased a WM 20° Alpinlite Long/Wide bag. I'm 5'-8" and 145 pounds soaking wet. The Alpinlite Long is 7'-0" end to and and 32" across the outside widest part. Measure your bag to see if it is a similar size. If shorter/narrower than it's not a Long.
All of that said, I'm a sucker for a bargain. Yes, my bag is huge inside. I view that as a plus coming from a very narrow mummy bag. I tried the WM Ultralite. It was cut just like my old bag that I felt was very constrictive. I can sprawl, flip, flop, move about in the Alpinlite. I have room for extra warm clothes in cold weather.
Bottom Line: You have a paid for Western Mountaineering bag. Use it. Anything else is a shot in the dark. I know. I bought a North face bag about a month before I bought the Alpinlite. I kept it 3 days. There were things about it that I liked. There were more things about it that I didn't like. I returned it. I found the Alpinlite a few weeks later. Glad I did.

Yes, I would take my 20° bag to the Smokies in October. With wool long underwear, warm hat, gloves, down vest, Xtherm pad, etc.

Wayne

[SteelCut]

If you are a cold sleeper then this should be adequate.

[HooKooDooKu]

Check the weather before your trip...

The seasonal average calls for nighttime temperatures around freezing in the upper elevations of GSMNP. But it is 'normal' for temperatures to fluctuate +/-15º from the seasonal average.
That means, if weather conditions are "normal", you can expect night time low temperature to be anywhere between 15º and 45º.
If an extreme weather event were to occur, night time low temperatures could be anywhere between nearly 0º and 55º... but these sort of temperatures are highly unlikely.

[chelko]

Your bag will be fine. Sleep in a good base layer, I like the Under Armor Cold Gear. Wear socks to bed and stuff your jacket in the bottom to take up the extra volume. Use a quality pad and all will be fine.

[Yankee15]

Last October it snowed 2 feet on Halloween while I was up there and was ten degrees at night. That was extreme though...20 degree bag with some warm layers should be good.

[saltysack]

Your bag will be fine. Sleep in a good base layer, I like the Under Armor Cold Gear. Wear socks to bed and stuff your jacket in the bottom to take up the extra volume. Use a quality pad and all will be fine.

I'm in the market for new base layer bottoms for my jmt hike and southern winter AT hikes...thinking about trying under armor but not sure wether to get 2.0 or 3.0....love my patagoochie cap 4 top but like tighter bottoms than most Patagonia offers..


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[Khike]

Hey! That bag you have is fine. A little heavy. I use a WM Megalite. I'm 6'5", 220. It is rated to 32' and weighs 24 oz. I sleep in my underwear in it , in the Smokies in October, late October. No sweat. I can roll around in this bag. Good purchase. Kevin