REI Halo +25 down bag

[Lillianp]

Hi all, As a graduation gift, I received the REI Women's Halo +25 down bag. I will be starting the AT on Springer probably the first week of March next year. Will this bag be warm enough? I will probably carry/use a bag liner (not cotton of course;)). REI info on bag (http://www.rei.com/product/778164).
Thanks!
Emily

[10-K]

Hi all, As a graduation gift, I received the REI Women's Halo +25 down bag. I will be starting the AT on Springer probably the first week of March next year. Will this bag be warm enough? I will probably carry/use a bag liner (not cotton of course;)). REI info on bag (http://www.rei.com/product/778164).
Thanks!
Emily

Well, it depends on the weather. :)

It's a pretty safe bet you'll see temps below 25 degrees. If you have a liner and are willing to sleep with your thermal underwear on you'll probably be ok. And, you can always put your coat and hat on.

[Survivor Dave]

Just from a little experience....It was 8 degrees with a -10 wind chill at Muskrat Creek Shelter on March 22nd of 2008. I know, I was there!
You might want to consider swapping for a warmer bag even though you have a liner.

[Ridge Rat]

Sounds good. I know I use the old sub-kilo 20 degree bag and have been in temperatures down to 6 and with a coat, hat and long john's, Nalgene full of boiled water, and a liner I was perfectly warm. Expect to get cold, just counteract that cold with what you have with you and it works out. Plus I am a warm sleeper if that helps.

[Tom Murphy]

This is really a two part question:
1.Does

The REI bags are rated to the EURO standard so you can have some faith in the + 25 deg F rating. I am sure it is a decent bag for the summer months.

But since sleeping comfort is very subjective, I would suggest you camp out in the Whites this fall and determine the bag's rating for you.

[Tom Murphy]

Opps

1. does the bag work for you do to 25 deg F?

2. what temps should I expect in early March?

a1: you need to sleep in the bag at various temps to determine what the bag rating is for you

a2: it can get surprisingly cold down south in the early spring on the AT - you would be wise to have a sleep system that works down to zero degrees F

[Lillianp]

Thanks all,

I may end up having to get the long-as this one's only up to 5'6" and I'm about 5'7.5" and am nearly stretching the bag.

Now, a third a question: It seems to be rainy quite often on the AT and will be using a tarptent-should I go for a good +15 degree synthetic instead? It would definitely be easier to dry.

[Foyt20]

as long as you are careful, down is warmer (relatively) and lighter (truly). Just make sure you dont go for a swim with your bag out of a waterproof stuff sack, or some kind of liner. I just picked up the mens version of this bag, and I like it a lot (although I have only used it for one trip).

Have fun :D

[Survivor Dave]

Now, a third a question: It seems to be rainy quite often on the AT and will be using a tarptent-should I go for a good +15 degree synthetic instead? It would definitely be easier to dry.


as long as you are careful, down is warmer (relatively) and lighter (truly). Just make sure you dont go for a swim with your bag out of a waterproof stuff sack, or some kind of liner. I just picked up the mens version of this bag, and I like it a lot (although I have only used it for one trip).

Have fun :D

Agreed with Foyt. I will be taking a down bag with a Henry Shires Contrail Tarptent. I have never gotten the down bag wet in 3 years, HS or Hubba Hubba.:D Just have to be careful. Yes, you will get condensation, but that's an easy fix. Getting soaked in a down bag can take days on Trail or hours at the laundromat to dry. Synthetic does dry faster, but down is WARMER for sure.

[Lillianp]

Well, Survivor Dave, if you take a down bag w/a tarptent, I suppose I can too. Maybe I'll figure out some way to protect it, if it starts really raining... Necessity precedes creativity sometimes.

[bigcranky]

1. Long bag. If you are touching the toe and head end, you'll want the long bag.

2. Warmth. For a March start, you'll need some warm clothing -- long johns, a down jacket, hat, gloves, etc. Wearing these items to bed will significantly extend the lower comfort range of the bag. Will it be enough? Hard to say -- that's so individual. But I regularly took my 30-F bag down into the teens with warm clothing.

2a. Clothing addendum. For #2 to work, your sleep clothing has to be *dry*, meaning you'll need a second set of clothes, hat. and gloves. If you expect very cold weather, down booties make for an amazingly warm addition to your sleeping clothes.

3. Tarptent and down/synthetic choice. I use either a flat tarp or a tarptent in cold weather hiking, and have never gotten my bag wet from rain. It has gotten damp from condensation, but the exterior shell fabric on a down bag dries quickly. (And it's actually very hard to totally soak the down in a sleeping bag. It can be done, but it's hard.)

3a. Tarptent and temperature. Tarptents are airy and open to let cooling breezes through the tent. This is great in July but maybe not so much in a March blizzard. Many tarp and tarptent hikers use a warmer bag in cold weather. Or you can stay at a shelter in bad weather, though shelters are as cold or colder than a tarptent. (You could look at the Scarp tarptents for cold-weather shelters.) That said, I usually carry my 30-F bag in March and it's usually fine.

4. Testing. You have all fall and winter to test the bag and the shelter.*Given that you are in MA, you won't have any problem sleeping outside on a sub-20F night with the bag and tarptent. I would highly recommend this.

[Lillianp]

Thank you all for your wonderful input. I think I will switch to the long version of the bag, but I will stick with this bag. I will definitely be carrying a dry set of clothes to sleep in, long underwear, etc, plus hat. Even though it will add some weight, I think it will be easier to lighten up the bag when I reach a time where I don't need as much clothing and can switch it out as opposed to dealing with a heavier tent. I'll test it out in the fall, and can probably make it into the Whites in September to see how it goes.

[buz]

Since xmas is still coming, maybe your birthday before your hike starts, put a very nice down jacket on the gift list. Montbell makes a variety of weights, light and very warm that would be real nice around camp and in the bag on frosty nights. When it gets warm, you can send home.

[Survivor Dave]

Well, Survivor Dave, if you take a down bag w/a tarptent, I suppose I can too. Maybe I'll figure out some way to protect it, if it starts really raining... Necessity precedes creativity sometimes.

Actually I was skeptical about how that tent would work keeping the bag dry. I asked a a friend who Thru-Hiked last year and he told me with a little common sense and care, I'd have no problems.:D

[Wags]

stick around this site and i bet you'll go through 2 other sleeping bags b/t now and then :D

you're going to be cold in that one the 1st month

[brooklynkayak]

Layering bags is another option to consider. Add a 40 deg summer bag for the first month or so. Forward the summer bag on in your bounce box when it gets warmer. When summer hits, forward the 25 deg bag on and use the summer bag. As it starts to get cooler, ...

Or just bring winter clothing and wear it in the bag on cold nights and send the winter clothing on when it gets warmer. I think this has worked well for many thru-hikers.