bag for apr 1 start date?

[stonedflea]

hey y'all. :)

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision? i'm a tosser and turner and i think i could get used to a mummy bag, but my only experience with them has been a five-night hike in which i kept getting twisted up throughout the night. =P i was also thinking since i'm on a budget that instead of having to buy two bags for spring and summer, i could just unzip the rectangular bag and use it as a blanket if it gets to be too warm.

what do y'all think? will this work?

[stonedflea]

oh, sorry. i'll be nobo. :)

[swjohnsey]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

[double d]

I have the Campmor 20 bag (mummy style, not the same as yours) and like it very much and it has a great price. My question to you is this: how tall are you? You could go with the 6'6" bag over the six foot bag (I have both, one for my wife and the longer one for me). Good luck and have a blast!

[double d]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!

[stonedflea]

I have the Campmor 20 bag (mummy style, not the same as yours) and like it very much and it has a great price. My question to you is this: how tall are you? You could go with the 6'6" bag over the six foot bag (I have both, one for my wife and the longer one for me). Good luck and have a blast!

lol i'm 5'6" on a good day. :)


I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

i'm a really cold sleeper. i was in a 40+ bag back home in MS one year camping on a lake and got so cold i couldn't get back to sleep so i got up at 2 am and drove back home to sleep in my own bed instead of shiverin' all night. i'm a pansy when i'm cold.

[crazystick]

Is the bag down or synthetic. I have a hard time seeing you being able to fit a 20 degree rectangle synthetic in a backpack,. That's more for car camping. Big Agnes "lost ranger" I think it's called is a good wide bag with a sleeve for a sleeping pad it's a cross between mummy and rectangle. Good for Rollin.

[garlic08]

I used a Campmor 20 down mummy bag on my first thru hike (PCT) and it was just OK the whole way. That 20F rating is slightly optimistic for the average person. I upgraded for my next hike and kicked myself for waiting so long. Get the best bag you can afford. If you end up hiking a lot, you won't regret it.

I started the AT on April 4 '08 and in the first couple weeks managed to hit two winter blizzards in the high country with temps in the teens for several nights. The Campmor bag would have put me in survival mode. I could have easily bailed out and avoided that, but my excellent 15F bag kept me on trail. The money saved by not spending those nights in town helped defray the extra cost of the bag. Plus I got some great stories, being out there in the snow.



You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!

Ditto this! Be sure to subtract about 5F for every 1,000' of elevation from the town forecast, and be ready for blizzard conditions.

[mountain squid]

You should be careful with a 10 day forcast on the AT, them mountains have their own ways! Have fun and enjoy yourself!Also concur. Have some extra money at Neels Gap just in case . . . (to swap out a 40F bag)

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[bigcranky]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

Good luck with that.

[HiKen2011]

Good luck with that.

He'll freeze!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: Or she???

[Blissful]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way.

NO way Jose.

[max patch]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

Are you on a diet? Cause you're gonna freeze your azz off.

[Blissful]

hey y'all. :)

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision? i'm a tosser and turner and i think i could get used to a mummy bag, but my only experience with them has been a five-night hike in which i kept getting twisted up throughout the night. =P i was also thinking since i'm on a budget that instead of having to buy two bags for spring and summer, i could just unzip the rectangular bag and use it as a blanket if it gets to be too warm.

what do y'all think? will this work?

Wish you had the money but I know its hard, the Montbell spiral would be just the ticket for you. The rectangular bag will likley also take up a good deal of space unles you can get it crammed into a decent compression sack.
I don't think you can count on the Campmor rectangular keeping you as warm, esp in the 20s which are common. You'll be cold at times until mid May, imo

[max patch]

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision?

I agree with the others that you are going to have some cold uncomfortable nights. If you locked into this bag then at least take a vest and wool hat. Still gonna be cold.

[bigcranky]

I agree with the others that you are going to have some cold uncomfortable nights. If you locked into this bag then at least take a vest and wool hat. Still gonna be cold.

You can wear your down jacket inside the bag, and bring some warm base layers and socks. Wear a good hat, too, and you'll survive down into the teens. Might have a couple of cold nights, especially in the Smokies.

[bigcranky]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way.

I should add that I owned the Kelty LY 40 down bag. I took it to Springer Mountain for our first 3-week section hike heading north. Had a couple of VERY cold night in that bag.

That was in early June, 2003.

For me, that bag got cold below 50F. Adding lots of clothing made it bearable to 40 or so -- luckily there is plenty of room inside the bag.

I can't imagine starting a thru-hike in early April with it. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Roots]

I'm startin' March 31st. You are carryin' more bag than me. I am gonna use a Kelty Light Year 40 the entire way. I am also gonna keep a close eye on the weather before I start. You can get a pretty reliable forcast 10 days out.

I started April 1st in 08 carrying a Montbell SS UL #2--25degree bag that will go much lower than that--and had many nights in the 20s and some in the upper teens. A kelty light yr is very liberal with their ratings--my daughter has had 2 of them. If it says 40, it might get you to 50 degrees.

The weather forecast for 10 days out is VERY inaccurate in the mtns. For example: I called my husband once I got to Neel Gap and he told me "you've had some good weather. I've been following the weather channels for your area." The truth was it had been rain for 4 days with high winds, fog, and in the low 40s upper 30s.

I live in NC mtns and know very well how the weather changes daily. I can see it raining on MT Pisgah and sun shining here in the valley. Be careful and prepared!

[swjohnsey]

I should add that I owned the Kelty LY 40 down bag. I took it to Springer Mountain for our first 3-week section hike heading north. Had a couple of VERY cold night in that bag.

That was in early June, 2003.

For me, that bag got cold below 50F. Adding lots of clothing made it bearable to 40 or so -- luckily there is plenty of room inside the bag.

I can't imagine starting a thru-hike in early April with it. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I am a warm sleeper. I would rather carry a lighter bag and suffer a little on a freak cold night that carry a heavier bag. I have spent a few nights in the 20s wearing 100 fleece, top, bottom, hat and gloves plus down booties and been very comfortable in a tent.

[Roots]

I am a warm sleeper. I would rather carry a lighter bag and suffer a little on a freak cold night that carry a heavier bag. I have spent a few nights in the 20s wearing 100 fleece, top, bottom, hat and gloves plus down booties and been very comfortable in a tent.

Have you tried sleeping in it after being in cold rain or snow all day?

[Roots]

ooo...and my bag will take me in the upper teens and it weighs 1lb 12oz so you don't have to carry a 'heavy bag' to be warm. :rolleyes:

[max patch]

and suffer a little on a freak cold night

You're leaving March 31. You'e gonna see some cold nites that are "normal" and not at all a "freak situation."

I left on May1 and still had snow in the GSMNP.

[Skidsteer]

I am a warm sleeper. I would rather carry a lighter bag and suffer a little on a freak cold night that carry a heavier bag. I have spent a few nights in the 20s wearing 100 fleece, top, bottom, hat and gloves plus down booties and been very comfortable in a tent.

Your most important piece of UL gear may end up being your debit card.

[stonedflea]

so is the general consensus that the campmor 20+ down rectangular bag *could* work as long as i had extra layers to wear to sleep at night?

it says on the website that the packed size for the mummy vs. rectangular is the exact same at 7x14. think it's possible?

i just don't have the money to buy a $250 bag to get me through until may, just to have to turn around and spend another $150 on a bag to get me through the rest of the hike.

i want to spend as little money as possible on hotels, but if the conditions are that crappy to begin with (tons of snow/ice/extremely cold), i'd probably just rather get off the trail for a night or so instead of pitching a tent in 6" of snow. :)

[mountain squid]

A 20F will probably be ok in Apr (I started with a 30F, 20Apr04, and had just a few, tolerable cold nights - I also had a silk liner - every yr is different though), but it might be too hot in the summer. Rectangular bags are just so bulky. It is hard to believe that a mummy is the same packed dimensions. How much does it weigh?

It's a hard decision to make. If early Apr is very cold, you might be forced to purchase a new bag at Neels Gap.

As far as a silk liner goes, I wouldn't rely on manufacturer's temp ratings. They may add some warmth, but how much?!?! A silk liner will definitely help keep your bag clean though. It was also a good summer sleeping solution with my 30F as a 'blanket' when needed.

The Campmor store is in NJ. When you get up there, you could get off the trail and visit if the 20F is too hot during summer.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

some observations (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14493)

[moytoy]

I have the rectangular 20 degree down campmor bag. I don't use it because I can't afford more, it just works for me. I use a double pad system under it so that probably helps. I slept in the bag last month at 30 degrees and was warm but if it had got colder I would have used my fleece liner. The liner weighs almost as much as the bag but it's more easily washed. The nice thing about the rectangular bag is that you can unzip it and use it as a top quilt in warmer weather. The only way to really be sure of its suitability is go out and sleep in it on a very cold night.

[swjohnsey]

You're leaving March 31. You'e gonna see some cold nites that are "normal" and not at all a "freak situation."

I left on May1 and still had snow in the GSMNP.

I did so more looking at the temperatures I can expect. I concentrated on the section between Springer and Damascus since this is what I will probably cover before May. I look at all the towns on the board weather site before Damascus but the coldest temps were consistantly at Damascus. The highest places I can expect to camp are around 5,000 feet. The weather reporting station for Damascus is around 2,000 feet so the temps can be expected to be around 10 degrees colder.

For 1 - 14 April

The Average High Temperature is 65 F with a historical range of 35 F to 127 F The Average Low Temperature is 43 F with a historical range of 21 F to 62 F

Subtract 10 degree for altitude.

For 15 - 29 April

The Average High Temperature is 68 F with a historical range of 42 F to 87 F The Average Low Temperature is 46 F with a historical range of 30 F to 62 F
Subtract 10 degrees for altitude.

I have quite a bit of experience with this bag down to 20 sleeping in my fleece. If it hit 21 (11 where I camp) I might be a little uncomfortable. I still have my Precip as an additional layer. I would bet on me spending any money for new gear.

[Skidsteer]

The only civil thing I can think of to say is, "Wow, you are going to get really, really, really cold."

Have you ever been on the AT in April?

[swjohnsey]

No, but I have been in Alaska in April. Come to think of it I was, back in '83 when I was in Ranger school. Didn't have a sleeping bag at the time and I was very cold and wet and hungry.

[Sassafras Lass]

so is the general consensus that the campmor 20+ down rectangular bag *could* work as long as i had extra layers to wear to sleep at night?

it says on the website that the packed size for the mummy vs. rectangular is the exact same at 7x14. think it's possible?

i just don't have the money to buy a $250 bag to get me through until may, just to have to turn around and spend another $150 on a bag to get me through the rest of the hike.

i want to spend as little money as possible on hotels, but if the conditions are that crappy to begin with (tons of snow/ice/extremely cold), i'd probably just rather get off the trail for a night or so instead of pitching a tent in 6" of snow. :)

Sleeping in the backyard and sleeping after a full days' hiking are 2 different animals.

I have a 20F bag and hubby has a 15F. We went to the Smokies for New Year's and even though it was a lovely 50+ degrees in Gatlinburg, it was around 40-45 at the trailhead and drizzling, and continued to rain about 3/4 way up Mt. LeConte, with gusting tornado winds. We were at serious risk for hypothermia and we were absolutely freezing when we went to bed - though the temperature wasn't too bad, I couldn't even see my breath.

DH and I are starting March 27th. I went with my bag because it was a brand-new 800 fill down bag, 2 lbs 1 oz., w/ shipping, for around $180 - couldn't pass up that great deal. DH went with a 15F because he sleeps colder than I do, generally. Mine's a GoLite and he has the Marmot Helium, so I'm assured that they are rated accurately (especially the Marmot) but I cannot say the same for many other brands. We are using these bags the entire trip - when it gets too warm they can be unzipped and if it really gets too warm then we have a silk liner to cover up with if we choose.

I go camping/hiking in the Smokies a few times every year and this past August, around only 2,500' elevation or so, I was chilly in my Coleman bag I picked up @ Rural King - I think it's 25F or 30F. Granted, we were by a stream, but just want to stress how likely it is to encounter humidity and temperature fluctuations in the mountains and how prepared you will want to be for them.

As far as hotels, we're planning stays only if the weather is too severe for our gear and we wouldn't be safe outside. Leaving the last week of March will greatly decrease that risk, but it's always possible. But we're saving our $$$ for lots and lots of cheeseburgers. ;)

[garlic08]

I'll join the group of experienced AT hikers here in stating that heading into the Southern Appalachians in April with a summer bag is a bad idea. A three-season bag is often barely adequate, as attested to by many above.

Of course, any hiker may do as he or she pleases. A person who can survive low teens in a blizzard with a summer bag has my admiration. So does Aron Ralston.

[bigcranky]

I have quite a bit of experience with this bag down to 20 sleeping in my fleece.

If you are comfortable at 20-F in that bag, then you'll probably be fine. (I would not be.) Most years you won't see more than a handful of April nights in the teens or lower, but plenty in the 20s and 30s.

[RWBlue]

hey y'all. :)

i'm planning on stepping foot on the trail april 1st. would the campmor +20 rectangular bag be a decent decision? i'm a tosser and turner and i think i could get used to a mummy bag, but my only experience with them has been a five-night hike in which i kept getting twisted up throughout the night. =P i was also thinking since i'm on a budget that instead of having to buy two bags for spring and summer, i could just unzip the rectangular bag and use it as a blanket if it gets to be too warm.

what do y'all think? will this work?

Your issue with the previous mummy shouldn't be because it was a mummy. Your feet don't need that much room.

Not knowing your, not knowing the bag.....all I can say is that I had that problem once. It was because the mummy was too tight in the chest area. ( I am a big guy.) I bought an expander and was very happy with the bag.

Most people like the mummy because it is less weight, size and when it is cold you can be setup with just your nose sticking out.