PDA

View Full Version : As Sherriff Andy Taylor would say…



old fat guy
06-02-2010, 14:52
Ifn you where thinking of maybe doing a thru-hike, nobo, with a mid-March start. And ifn you don’t own a backpacking sleeping bag, would you buy one bag and just use it all the way thru or would you buy a winter and a summer bag exchanging them when needed?

I must say I like the idea of one bag, just seems like less of a hassle, but on the other hand I don’t want to burn up in summer and freeze in the winter either.

CaseyB
06-02-2010, 15:22
You can always make a hot bag cooler, just unzip & lay on your pad. If its really warm you don't even want your feet in the bag, just under it. You can't, however, make a cold bag warmer. I'm generally a fair-weather hiker & I use a 30* bag; some nights mummied up & some nights just kinda draping the bag over like a blanket.

Feral Bill
06-02-2010, 15:24
I have no problem using a 10 degree bag open as a quilt, even in very warm weather. If it's truly hot I just sleep without a bag.

Jester2000
06-02-2010, 16:59
A 15-20 degree bag the whole way. Make sure it has a full zip.

solstice
06-02-2010, 17:27
I use a 15 degree bag in my current hiking and camping situations, and like others have said, it's easy to adapt them to whatever conditions you're in. In fact, I used mine yesterday in 80 degree weather in Florida; I left it unzipped and just kinda draped it over me. Oftentimes in warmer weather I just sleep on top of it; makes a nice pad.

As far as a thru-hike is concerned, I am bringing my Helium 15 degree (full zip, hood, 850-fill) with me on mine next year and I will be starting on or around March 21, GA-ME.

The Solemates
06-03-2010, 12:41
like others have said, it is true that you can use a cold weather bag in warmer weather, but there certainly is a termperature cap on this theory. i cannot stand laying on my cold weather bag when it is hot and sticky outside, and my legs and everything else is sticking to my sleeping bag. i'd rather have something soft and cooler to lay on, like a fleece liner. BUT, for the AT and a mid March start, a 15-20 degree bag would work.

If it were me though, I'd start out with a 5 degree bag, switch over to a 30 degree bag after Mt Rogers, switch to a 50 degree bag in the mid-atlantic, and then switch back to the 30 degree once i reached VT/NH. this is the optimum for comfort for me. But I already own like 5 bags so it would be no biggie for me to do that.

Jack Tarlin
06-03-2010, 12:47
I think for most folks a five degree bag is overkill. And a lot of folks aren't budgeted to buy or obtain three different bags for their thru-hike.

As other folks have pointed out, you can certainly do the whole trail with a 20-30 degree bag, tho there will certainly be large chunks of the Trail (i.e. from south central Virginia to Hanover NH) where in all likelihood you'll be packing too much bag, meaning you'll be sleeping half out of it, or more likely, ON it rather than in it. If budget permits, to save weight and space, and to be more comfortable, most Northbounders switch out their sleeping bags to something lighter for the miles between Bland/Pearisburg and Hanover, but it certainly isn't necessary to do so.

springerfever
06-03-2010, 16:50
soltice

I like your start date of March 21, the vernal equinox. Not sure what your start plans are but I hope to start my thru in a few years on Mar 21 and I plan on doing the approach trail with my first night at the Len Foote Hike Inn. They have built an interesting display called the Star Base that shows the movement of the sun throughout the year.

I was there a few years back on Mar 21 and thought it would be a great place to start a thru. The night I stayed, at dinner, we were entertained by Nimblewood Nomad (author of Ten Millon Steps). It poured throughout the night and I was glad to have a solid roof over my head. Link to the facility is below :

http://hike-inn.com/theinn.asp

Good luck on your thru and don't miss the side trail to Long Creek falls just north of Stover Creek. Great place to overnight !!

bigcranky
06-03-2010, 18:16
The mid-March start makes it tough to decide. If you were to start in mid-February, it's a no-brainer -- you would want a winter bag to start, and swap out for a summer bag in mid-May or so. If you were to start in mid-April, a decent 30-F bag should go the whole way. But that mid-March start is tough -- it could get really cold, especially in the Smokies, or it could be above freezing every night.

Since I already own a good winter bag and a great 30-F bag, I would wait and look at the long term forecasts, and make my final decision right before I left. I would lean toward taking the 30-F bag and my good down jacket and my fleece tights, which I can wear to sleep on cold nights and extend the bag down into the high teens if necessary (done that several times.) The down jacket and tights are useful around camp, too, so they are multi-use. For a mid-March start I would highly recommend a good down jacket or parka like the Montbell Alpine Light or the UL Down Inner -- the parka has a very useful hood.

If I had to buy a bag, I would probably go for a 20-F or 25-F bag and opt to bring warm clothing to sleep in. The only downside is you can still get single digit temps in late March and even April. But then you put on everything you have and shiver a bit and (usually) survive.

In any case, I would want a bag with a full zipper, which I find easier to use as a quilt in warm weather.

BigFoot2002
06-03-2010, 18:18
Another factor to consider is wear and tear on the gear. I've got a nice down sleeping bag that I would like to enjoy for a few more long hikes. No sense beating it up in Pennsylvania in July when a lighter rated, cheaper bag would suffice.

HeartWalker
06-03-2010, 18:40
2 Bags. 15 degree for start and 30 degree bag for summer. I am using this combo on my thru this year and I started mar 01.

superman
06-03-2010, 21:39
20 degree bag, hiking quilt :-?

fiddlehead
06-03-2010, 22:02
One bag, learn the hot water bottle trick and possibly (if you are a cold sleeper) carry a micro-fleece sleeping bag liner (weight aprox one lb and adds 5-10 deg to your bag) when in the colder months.
I see you are from Alabama, perhaps you don't have much experience at below freezing temps? If not, maybe you should see how THAT goes first.

brooklynkayak
06-04-2010, 06:46
Use two. One 20 to 30 degree sleeping bag(or quilt), one 40 to 50 degree quilt.
Layer both for the cold sections, the bag for the cool sections and the quilt for the hot sections.

Or just one 20 to 40 degree bag/quilt and wear you winter clothing to bed.