Lightest sleeping bag I can get away with

[Icarus]

I wouldn't consider my self an ultralight thru-hiker, but I do like to keep my pack light. I wondering what you guys think is the highest temp bag I can get away with, leaving GA at the beginning of March 08? I'm looking at a 45 degree bag thats only 1lb 1oz which would be great, but am I going to be freexing my butt off for 2 months?

[Lone Wolf]

20 degree bag. anything higher would be foolish.

[rafe]

45 degree bag's OK from June to mid-September, but you need something much warmer for a March 1 start (and for late season in NH/ME.)

[Appalachian Tater]

You may have a couple of nights where you have to wear clothes in a 20 deg. bag and then still find yourself too cold to sleep through the night.

[SGT Rock]

I have a 1 pound 1 ounce bag that is probably about a 20 degree bag. High loft and low weight.

That said, your bag is your last line of defense against hypothermia. Don't skimp on the rating to save on weight or money.

[taildragger]

http://featheredfriends.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=2&CatId=1&ProductName=Hummingbird

Get an extra ten ounces and don't worry about freezing your arse off in a late snow, or a lovely sleet

[wrongway_08]

I bought 2 bags,
1) Mont Bell 40 degree bag - 1lb 1oz with stuff sack
2) Mont bell 15 degree bag - just around 2 lbs 2oz
both are comfy and warm - the 15 degree is really warm, draft collar and all.

[quasarr]

You can get a 20 deg down bag weighing in at 1lb 10oz, but be prepared to shell out $300 or so!

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=Products&page=Sleeping%20Bags&cat=ExtremeLite%20Series&viewpost=2&ContentId=17

a warm sleeping bag is a matter of safety, 45 is definitely not warm enough for March.

[Footslogger]

Have to agree with the 20 degree recommendations already given. Might be a handful of nights when you leave it partly unzipped but the eves are still pretty cold.

I carried a 20 degree bag to Pearisburg, VA and then switched it out for a lighter summer bag and that was almost too early - - at least in 2003. Every year is different.

In terms of weight ...you can find 20 dgree rated bags at 2lbs or less.

'Slogger

[mudhead]

Has anyone tried the quilts from BPL? Spendy little demons...

[Mocs123]

I would recomend a 20* from Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Mont Bell, or Marmot. A full zipper would help that bag extend to warmer tempretures, but is not a necessity

[Gray Blazer]

Listen to the advice. I camped in the Nantahalas mar 24-28, 2006 and it was about 10 degrees each night.

[max patch]

If you don't get a 20 degree bag now then you'll probably find yourself getting whatever bag they have at whatever price they want to charge when you reach Neels Gap.

[Lone Wolf]

If you don't get a 20 degree bag now then you'll probably find yourself getting whatever bag they have at whatever price they want to charge when you reach Neels Gap.

that ain't no s**t. hikers spend a TON of money there and it's just 30 miles into the trip.

[JAK]

I think a good rule of thumb is that at least 50% of the weight of your bag or quilt should be insulation. I think that probably works out to about a 20F rating if it is a good quality down bag, perhaps a 30F rating if it is a good quality synthethic, and perhaps a 40F rating if it is some form of minimalist summer quilt. Depends on other variables, like shell material and ground pad, but my point is, regardless of what sort of rating you need and what sort of bag it is, if it is less than 50% insulation, you might as well add more insulation even if you don't need it.

[Ron Haven]

Listen to the advice. I camped in the Nantahalas mar 24-28, 2006 and it was about 10 degrees each night.You are right Gray Blazer.I picked this group of hikers up at 6:30am on April 6th at Deep Gap and the temp was 7 degrees.Several said they were getting their heart right that morning before I got there.

http://www.appalachiantrailservices.com/pics/kodak/100_0108_700.jpg

but when they saw that raggidy old bus coming :banana at least a 20 degree bag.Light weighters are like a bear,usually cold and hungry.

[hopefulhiker]

I used a 23 oz down blanket with a five oz silk liner. Also I used an insulated BA air mattress. The blanket was rated at twenty degrees.. Also I had a down sweater I slept in sometimes. I still got cold a few nights...

[Icarus]

I'll probably pick up a 15 or 20 degree bag then, I have a REI kilo plus but its 0 degrees and kinda heavy.

[Jim Adams]

I wouldn't consider my self an ultralight thru-hiker, but I do like to keep my pack light. I wondering what you guys think is the highest temp bag I can get away with, leaving GA at the beginning of March 08? I'm looking at a 45 degree bag thats only 1lb 1oz which would be great, but am I going to be freexing my butt off for 2 months?

In early March in Georgia under poor conditions with a 45* bag, you may be freezing your butt off in the afternoon!:D
I treated Mule '90 for hypothermia on Tray mountain and he had a 32* bag.


geek

[Appalachian Tater]

I'll probably pick up a 15 or 20 degree bag then, I have a REI kilo plus but its 0 degrees and kinda heavy.

Smart move. Make sure that the rating is pretty accurate. Also, like somebody said, don't get rid of it too soon. Damascus is way too soon. Pearisburg may be a bit soon. Harpers Ferry is a safe place to switch to a summer bag. Remember, it's better to be a little warm and have to unzip your bag than to be cold.

[wrongway_08]

Montbell has a nice 25 degree bag, 1lb 12 oz
http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=28&p_id=1121726


I bought the 15 degree bag and they are really built, might be too much sleeping bag (15 degree) but it feels great and stuffs to a decent size.

[The Solemates]

i have a 5 degree, 15 degree, 30 degree, and 50 degree bag. if I were starting march 1, I would take my 5 degree bag. I would give it up for the 30 degree bag after about a month. I could manage with the 15 degree bag for a march 1 start, but I may get cold a few nights. And my sleeping bag is one luxury I do not skimp on. I will take a thinner mat along before a higher temp bag.

[Appalachian Tater]

Yes, that brings up a point that has been touched on: you can extend the usefulness of a bag with a good pad, a liner, long underwear, an insulating hat, or a combination of these things.

[shelterbuilder]

Yes, that brings up a point that has been touched on: you can extend the usefulness of a bag with a good pad, a liner, long underwear, an insulating hat, or a combination of these things.

Good post - I agree. I'm only going to add one thing - when you look at the ratings, remember that if YOU sleep cold at home, choose a bag with a slightly lower temp rating. The ratings are only guidelines - they are not set in stone.

[Gray Blazer]

You are right Gray Blazer.I picked this group of hikers up at 6:30am on April 6th at Deep Gap and the temp was 7 degrees.Several said they were getting their heart right that morning before I got there.

http://www.appalachiantrailservices.com/pics/kodak/100_0108_700.jpg

but when they saw that raggidy old bus coming :banana at least a 20 degree bag.Light weighters are like a bear,usually cold and hungry.

Dang, now that's a busfull of cold hikers!

[simplespirit]

I'm planning on taking my 35 degree WM Caribou which will be extended when needed with my clothing and a liner if necessary. The liner alone will add 10 degrees. My insulated clothing will add another 10-15 degrees so I should be good down to 10-15 degree weather. I also have a thin insulation only mat paired with a 1" insulated inflatable torso sized mat. I'll be thoroughly testing this setup over the next several months to determine if I need a warmer bag but based on previous experience I suspect I'll be plenty toasty.

[Appalachian Tater]

I'll be thoroughly testing this setup over the next several months to determine if I need a warmer bag

That's the smartest thing to do.

[Ron Haven]

Dang, now that's a busfull of cold hikers!When I pulled up they were shaking like a $2 ladder.:D

[troglobil]

The liner alone will add 10 degrees. .
If you are talking about a silk liner, thats a myth. The only way they keep you warmer is the energy you spend fighting them when you get all twisted.

[rafe]

If you are talking about a silk liner, thats a myth. The only way they keep you warmer is the energy you spend fighting them when you get all twisted.

A silk base layer (rather than a liner) solves the tangling/twisting problem.

[pyroman53]

How do you like the Caribou? I'm thinking about getting one. I have the Versalite but am looking for something a little lighter and in a smaller stuff sack.

[simplespirit]

I'll let you know after next weekend, that'll be my first outing with it. My previous bag was a MontBell SS Down Hugger.

[saimyoji]

I'll let you know after next weekend, that'll be my first outing with it. My previous bag was a MontBell SS Down Hugger.


What didn't you like about it?

[peakbagger]

Another option is to carry a bit of extra fuel and use a hot water bottle on cold nights. Remember, the sleeping bag doesnt create heat it only retains it. If you go to bed cold, it takes a lot of energy to warm things up Sounds strange but a hot bottle of water (Nalgene) in the foot of the sleeping bag will give you at least the equivalent of a 10 degree warmer bag. Make sure the bottle is sealed tight. When you look at the extra weight in fuel to heat up that one bottle, its less than the extra weight you will be lugging for the heavier sleeping bag. Worse case is to heat the water up with a campfire and then you dont even need extra fuel.

This is normally a winter camping trick but it works pretty well when things get unexpectedly cold during the spring.

[simplespirit]

What didn't you like about it?

The bag was fine, it was just a question of weight.

[SGT Rock]

I'll probably pick up a 15 or 20 degree bag then, I have a REI kilo plus but its 0 degrees and kinda heavy.
I hear the sub kilo is a nice bag. I've never tried it myself.

[Roots]

20 degree bag. anything higher would be foolish.

I totally agree! Being from western North Carolina I know how cold it can get, and especially when you least expect it (example: last April with the blast of January weather). We only buy 20 degree or lower for this reason. In warmer months we use it as a quilt. If it gets colder out, we add clothing. It seems to work pretty good. We are fixing to invest in lighter bags and are looking at Western mountaineering and montbell. :)

[lvleph]

My western mountaineering Highlite got me down to 22F, wearing all my clothes and it weighs 14.8oz.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

20 or 15 degree rated bag I use a marmot helium EQ expensive but a great lightweight bag

[mkmangold]

In our increasingly notorious overnighter last month I used a SlumberJack "SuperGuide" which is rated at 30 deg F. Weight is 2lb 6oz. Using that, with a nylon liner, Thermarest pad, fully clothed and jacketed, and footwarmers, I did remarkably well. My six year-old son did fine with a Spiderman sleeping bag (rating unknown) until he decided to heed the call of nature sans boots. My 15 year-old son did great with a 15 deg F rated bag. It got down to 7 degrees that night and rained ice. By the time we hiked back to the SUV the next morning, the parking lot looked like a flooded hockey rink. But we were all warm.

[jaiden]

Why not take the 0 degree bag you have and then switch out to a new and lighter WM bag (or whatever) after a month or so? It seems a lot more cost effective than buying something you'll only use a month anyway. A good 20-30F bag would get a lot more use than a 15 degree would