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View Full Version : Is getting a summer bag worth it? Mile 1,370



Josh Calhoun
06-11-2013, 13:52
Hey everyone, Rash here.

I haven't been on since I started my Hike this year. Not being on WB all day took done getting used to. Anyway I have a question for everyone. I currently have a 19 degree 1lb 15 oz bag. I am in NY and of course it's to warm but works as a blanket if I half ass cover up. I am thinking of getting a 1lb 5 oz 40 degree bag. It's a weight savings and I would probably sleep better being covered up and not getting bit by skeeters all night. I understand I should switch back before the whites. Would getting a new bag be justified with only 800 something miles of trail left? My pack is currently at 25.5 lbs with 3 days of food and water. Thanks in advance!

www.trailjournals.com/Rash

FarmerChef
06-11-2013, 14:26
Hey everyone, Rash here.

I haven't been on since I started my Hike this year. Not being on WB all day took done getting used to. Anyway I have a question for everyone. I currently have a 19 degree 1lb 15 oz bag. I am in NY and of course it's to warm but works as a blanket if I half ass cover up. I am thinking of getting a 1lb 5 oz 40 degree bag. It's a weight savings and I would probably sleep better being covered up and not getting bit by skeeters all night. I understand I should switch back before the whites. Would getting a new bag be justified with only 800 something miles of trail left? My pack is currently at 25.5 lbs with 3 days of food and water. Thanks in advance!

www.trailjournals.com/Rash (http://www.trailjournals.com/Rash)

Hey Rash. Great going on your progress. Been following your journal and enjoying it. In answer to your question: it depends. No, really. It does. Your 19 degree bag is probably plenty for the rest of your hike. It will get really, really hot but being from NC you know that already. Here's what I would suggest. Pick up a fleece bag liner for $15 at Wal Mart or order one on Amazon and have it shipped ahead. Mine is rated to 50 and will keep me comfy down to 40 with the right mix of clothes. With evening temps likely in the 60s and up even a 40 degree bag is overkill from a temp standpoint, not to mention the cost. A fleece bag is what my family (you met us down in VA after winter storm Virgil nailed us) uses for 3/4 of the year and we do it comfortably as part of our sleep system. For what you have left, seems like a good fit. Good luck on the rest of your hike! Bring some of that Southern hospitality up north with ya ;)