View Full Version : sleep
leprechaun
09-14-2008, 18:04
got a couple of questions related to sleep
1. I'm leaving first of may 09 and finishing in mid august (whether or not i finish), would a 20 rated bag be enough or overkill?
2. I will be getting a tarptent Contrail for the thru, how hard is it to use a non freestanding tent up in new england where one is supposed to stay in designated areas?
got a couple of questions related to sleep
1. I'm leaving first of may 09 and finishing in mid august (whether or not i finish), would a 20 rated bag be enough or overkill?
2. I will be getting a tarptent Contrail for the thru, how hard is it to use a non freestanding tent up in new england where one is supposed to stay in designated areas?
IMO, a 20 degree bag will be overkill come summer.
I used a non-freestanding tent, and had to tie it off exactly once in New England - at Imp Campsite. You should be fine.
Overkill most likely.
There are a lot of tent platforms in places, it may be handy to have some extra rope to tie off to the eye hooks on the tent platforms when necessary.
Blissful
09-14-2008, 22:30
If you are starting in GA in May, you won't have to worry about tent platforms esp in NH and ME for your tent - likely won't get there by mid August or you really have to cruise it. VT has a few in the paid places.
IMO - Bring a 30 degree bag.
LIhikers
09-15-2008, 00:06
My wife and I hiked Vermont this summer and used a Tarptent Rainshadow 2. We didn't have any problems pitching it even though it's not free standing. As some have already said, you may have to occasionally have to tie out a chord instead of staking it out.
mkmangold
09-15-2008, 00:09
If you are starting in GA in May, you won't have to worry about tent platforms esp in NH and ME for your tent - likely won't get there by mid August or you really have to cruise it. VT has a few in the paid places.
IMO - Bring a 30 degree bag.
I agree. Or a 35-40 deg bag and liner. Plus hand and feet warmers which is probably overkill too but not much extra weight. I did fine with these in February in Wisconsin when it got down to 7 degrees outside.
i have to disagree, 20 degree would be overkill for the warmer half of your trip, but it is still cold (esp for a southerner like me) as the temp still dips down at night even in june...
get the 20 degree, but have a liner or something like that to switch to in late june..
or do the 35 and a liner, start w/ both, then send the liner home, then get the liner back and send the bag home
max patch
09-15-2008, 06:53
If you can only take one bag on your thru then 20 degrees would be what I would recommend.
I started 5/1 with a 20 degree bag and still had some cold nights where I wore all my clothes and was still uncomfortable. Even had snow flurries in the GSMNP.
In the summer use it as a quilt.