View Full Version : Sleeping bag or Blanket and sheet
So I'm heading out next friday to do about 230 miles starting at springer mtn. I'm a novice and was wondering if I could save weight by skipping my sleeping bag and bringing a sheet and blanket instead. I checked weather and it looked to be around the 50's at night. just looking for some guidance on whether i would be cold or not.
Thanks
HT
You will probably be very cold. 230 miles will put you through the Smokies and they are pretty high. You WILL be hit with some bad weather in the time it takes you to hike 230 miles. What kind of sleeping bag do you have? If it's a HEAVY cotton bag, check out the Campmore 20* down bag. $119, just over 2#, and a heck of a deal according to all reviews. Also, don't forget some kind of insulation for under you. Cheap blue closed cell foam pad from WallyWorld will work great.
Better yet lyle has a sub kilo bag for sale and that is what I use and its great. Check it out.
take-a-knee
05-01-2009, 22:51
So I'm heading out next friday to do about 230 miles starting at springer mtn. I'm a novice and was wondering if I could save weight by skipping my sleeping bag and bringing a sheet and blanket instead. I checked weather and it looked to be around the 50's at night. just looking for some guidance on whether i would be cold or not.
Thanks
HT
Have you weighed that blanket and sheet? Do so and get back with us.
So I'm heading out next friday to do about 230 miles starting at springer mtn. I'm a novice and was wondering if I could save weight by skipping my sleeping bag and bringing a sheet and blanket instead. I checked weather and it looked to be around the 50's at night. just looking for some guidance on whether i would be cold or not.
Thanks
HT
I'd bet on it hitting the high to mid thirties at least once.
Bring a (good) sleeping bag.
Yea well damn thats what I was looking for. I thought it might get rather cold. I have a bag thats rated at 20 degrees so I should be good. i appreciate the advice. this forum rocks!
HT
I checked weather and it looked to be around the 50's at night. just looking for some guidance on whether i would be cold or not.
One of the worst mistakes I've made was to believe the weathermen and select my gear based on their reports.
A good rule of thumb is to be prepared for 10* below the lowest adjusted temperature / windchill they forecast. I adjust for elevation ~2-3* per 1000 ft.
I use a homemade 28* quilt from ray-way.com. One of the advantages is less condensation. Mine weighs abut 2 lb. Probably less than a sheet/blanket combination.
traildust
05-02-2009, 09:39
sleeping bag. better to be warm than sorry.
Mid summer you can mess around with alternatives, but not spring. Always find out for sure just how cold it can be on the worst night, and go by that. 50F isn't all that cold, but I would never go by weather forecast for clothing and gear. Go by climate data for that month, and always be prepared for the coldest it can be. Check the weather forecast also, for route planning and such, and to know what's going on, but use climate data for chosing clothing and gear.
Fiddleback
05-02-2009, 11:30
Hammock hanging has made me more...umm...compulsive about planning for low temps. I may be a bit conservative but I always pack for temps 10° lower than the forecast and adjust for elevation. Then, I have a vague plan for what I'm gonna do if it's even colder than that, i.e., go to ground.
So far, so good.:rolleyes:
FB
bigcranky
05-02-2009, 14:13
Yeah, sleeping bag. We had temps in the 30s at Springer Mountain in early June a few years back.