What degree* sleeping bag?

[Pappa Green Jeans]

I am starting in the summer and dont know how far I will go. I am doing a SOBO.
I want to do all of it of course. But who knows. I just want to know what sleeping bag you take with you. I am thinking of getting the Big Agnes 40*, it packs to the size of a cantalope. But I'm not sure this will be ok for the later months of hiking. Any one please give me your opinion. God Bless.:datz

[weary]

I am starting in the summer and dont know how far I will go. I am doing a SOBO.
I want to do all of it of course. But who knows. I just want to know what sleeping bag you take with you. I am thinking of getting the Big Agnes 40*, it packs to the size of a cantalope. But I'm not sure this will be ok for the later months of hiking. Any one please give me your opinion. God Bless.:datz
That's about what I would carry on a southbound through October. After that you will have to either carry some insulated long johns to supplement, or some decent fleece or down stuff.

I carried an ancient North Face down sleeping bag liner on a northbound between April and Oct. 16 on Katahdin. I guess it would rate about 45 - 50 degrees F. The final couple of weeks were a bit chilly, but I had no real problems as long as I added heavy socks and a down jacket to the bag.

Weary

[Peaks]

If you are starting a SOBO during the summer, then just like the NOBO's, you need to be prepared for cold weather in the Whites. I usually carry something heavier than a 40 degree bag when I go into that part of the world.

[Smooth03]

I SOBOed starting May 30th.

I had a 35+ Kelty Light Year and can only remember one cold night until I got to Shenendoah in early October. After that I carried a 20 Degree down and only had a few cold nights in the middle of November.

Of course it all depends on what type of sleeper you are, and the weather of the particular year. I also carried a tent so when the temps started creeping towards the ratings of my respective bags I would sleep in the tent for added warmth.

So I'm not neccesarily saying a 40* is too warm, but this what I carried.

Good luck!

[YerbaJon]

I recently started useing an emergency blanket underneath me to reflect heat and add degrees to my sleep experience. Anyone else experiment with this?

Would it increase lightning risk?

I learned about the idea from Alison Simon and Alan Dixon: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00151.html?id=a2ZwwB5M

Could it be improved by putting the blanket between the bag and thermarest as opposed to Simon's and Dixon's original concept?

During colder camping conditions a second emergency blanket (or one split in half) could be added inside the sleeping bag to create a heat sandwich.

Thank you in advance for comments about this.

[schwenkler]

I used a Marmot Trails (unrated, possibly 50 deg) bag in Jul-Aug in NJ-ME and was okay (to high 30s), so if it was ME doing the SOBO I'd feel safe with a 40 deg bag. But I cannot recommend that to someone else without knowing their sleeping style.

1. Don't trust the bags' temperature ratings.

2. Think about how warm or cold you sleep.

3. Learn how to stay warmer, with extra clothes, proper site selection, hydration & food, and more extreme methods in an emergency (use of a space blanket, hot water bottle, etc.

You could also add a sleeping bag liner in late season for extra warmth.