Which sleeping bag/system for a thru hike from Georgia to Maine is best?

[jimyjam]

I am starting my thru hike in March 2016 and have been struggling with what sleeping bag I should get to take with me. I am taking my hammock set up and imagine I will be sleeping in it most nights. I also must be prepared to sleep in shelters as I am sure it will happen from time to time. I first was considering the Kelty TraiLogic Dridown 20 SB. then thought I should really take a synthetic bag because of all the rain and humidity. I have considered a few different brands. The last sleeping bag system I have been looking at is the Sierra Designs backcountry 800 fill Dridown 3 season bed (it is a bag quilt combo type bag; which makes me wonder if it would work best for hammock and ground camping also versatile enough to squeeze a mate in (maybe)).
Any and all suggestions, advise and experiences are welcomed. What sleeping bag and systems did you use and how well did it work for you? Much appreciation :-)


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[CalebJ]

There's no need to use a synthetic bag for the AT. Plenty of people use regular (non-treated) down every year.

Starting in March may mean that you'd be better off with a bag for the first month or so, then a lighter weight bag for the warmer portion of the trip.

[ScottTrip]

I started March 9th with a 15 degree bag and liner. When I got to NJ in early June, I switched to 40 degree bag..

[SteelCut]

If you are hammocking, you didn't mention what you are going to use for bottom insulation ... pad or under quilt or nothing ?? That's an important consideration to keeping warm during colder months.

I agree that there is no need for a synthetic bag and that you can keep your down dry.

[jimyjam]

Sorry guys....I am going to use a pad for bottom insulation. The Sierra designs backcountry bed has a sleeve for a pad; which is another plus. I just can't see spending the money on an under quilt or carry the extra weight compared to a pad. So a pad no matter what bag I end up buying.


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[Slo-go'en]

It can be pretty darn cold in March, expect lows in the 20's often enough to have to be prepared for it. There are enough people starting in March that there is a lot of competition for shelter space, so you can't count on that if it's too cold to hammock.

I saw a guy at the Hawk Mt shelter (his second day out) who didn't set up his tarp properly over his hammock. Of course it rained that night and it soaked his down sleeping bag, turning it into a heavy, useless mat of wet feathers. Don't think I ever saw him again.

[jimyjam]

I plan on starting my hike at the end of March...sometime around the 23. That may be important as well. (hoping to avoid the harsher temps and weather).


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[squeezebox]

Do I need a different bag for summer? But my summer bag weighs the same as what I plan on buying for winter. Should I just keep the winter bag for the whole trip , or what?

[jimyjam]

Squeezebox, some people by 2 different bags (summer & spring/fall) and ship them back and forth. Others opt to buy one bag and a bag liner that will give additional warmth. Combined they should keep a person warm on the coldest nights and in the summer the bag liner should be sufficient. I am opting for the latter because I don't want to rely on shipments as well as accrue the cost of doing so and warmer needs will be present at the beginning and the end of the hike. I plan to carry my sleeping system from beginning to end; which is why I am giving it great thought so all my needs are met. Hope this helps...


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[Slo-go'en]

Starting at the very end of March is better then the very beginning of March. In that case, you can skimp a little on the bag rating, 30 instead of 20. You can supplement with extra clothes for the few really chilly nights you might have early on.

I'm not sure how you'd get into a bag liner using a hammock. It would be a real tricky move. The reason quilts are popular with hammocks is you don't have to crawl into them. Once you get into a hammock, anything under you is not moving.

[jimyjam]

I hang in my house and frequently crawl into a mummy bag to sleep. It takes a little practice but not impossible. Actually I get into the bag outside the hammock and lay in the hammock from inside my bag. That's how I'm gonna try doing the liner (crawl in the liner bag then crawl in my hammock and into the sleep quilt system). I'm gonna get a sea to summit bag liner that adds 25 degrees of warmth. I'll practice with it. May have to make some modifications to it or just return and think about other alternatives.


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[RED-DOG]

It's kinda early to start planning a 2016 thru, if you start planning now for 2016 it will consume your entire life, work, family, friends every thing you want be able to consentrate on nothing except the AT if i was you i would wait until fall of 2015 to start thinking about a 2016 thru.
To answer your question, if your going to use a hammock i would go with a 20 degree top quilt ( Down ) with a decent sleeping pad " Neo X Lite " for the bottom, the 20 degree top quilt will be perfect for use on the entire trail, since your starting at the end of march thats when the weather starts to turn for the better, you want need a bottom quilt since your not going to experience that much cold weather, the sleeping pad will be enough to keep you warm from underneath it will also come in handy for when you want to sleep in the shelters and their will be times you will want to use the shelters especially in bad weather, i can't tell you how many hammockers i have met that wished they had a pad so they could use the shelters.
For me on both my GA-ME thru's i used a 30 degree mountain hardwear Ultra lamina synthetic bag and a 4 season thermarest pad which was awesome and i started the middle of Feb on both thru's and i stayed warm except in the smokies but hay everbody gets cold in the smokies that time of year and i kept the sleeping bag the entire trip both times.
on my 96 flip-flop i used a 20 degree bag also synthetic and also from Mountain Hardwear.
Down works just fine you just have to be extra mindful to keep it water proofed when it rains,snows, synthetic in my oppinion is better for the AT since it does rain A LOT with synthetic you don't have to worry that much when it rains.

[Slo-go'en]

I hang in my house and frequently crawl into a mummy bag to sleep. It takes a little practice but not impossible. Actually I get into the bag outside the hammock and lay in the hammock from inside my bag.

Okay, now try doing that while it's raining, the winds blowing and the ground is a mud puddle...

[jimyjam]

You have a good point there Slo-go'en. Red-Dog I have been obsessed with the AT for quite some time now :-) I want to field test my sleeping system so I have time to adjust things as needed. Better to do so closer to home


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[jdc5294]

I used a Marmot Cloudbreak 20 and an old Thermarest 3/4 inflatable sleeping pad (one of the orange ones, I've had it forever, forget the name). Both lasted me the whole way and worked fine even in temperatures down to 5 degrees F.

[Speakeasy TN]

I'd suggest going to the back yard right now! I've had a couple of 25 degree nights to use my top/bottom quilts. My neoair without a bottom quilt would have been miserable! I'm going out mid to late March and expect this to be the low limit of what I will see out there. With my down sweater the setup was pretty comfy. But I definitely need to learn more about how to rig the quilts for maximum efficiency.

[tpike2]

I will say this, if you go the hammock route spend the money to get your setup right. Have your under quilt, tarp, net, and everything the way you want it before you start. Don't do what I did and buy a tent a week later because, you went with an ENO and an 8 point tarp. Never go full retard.

I would recommend a big inflatable. It takes a few weeks to break them in though. I found one of those $50 inflatable pillows in a hiker box. I rolled with a 25 degree bag during the cold weather, and a fleece and bag liner from Daleville to Killington. Tried rolling with just the sleeping bag liner for about a week or so. That was a no go.

[jimyjam]

I will say this, if you go the hammock route spend the money to get your setup right. Have your under quilt, tarp, net, and everything the way you want it before you start. Don't do what I did and buy a tent a week later because, you went with an ENO and an 8 point tarp. Never go full retard.

I would recommend a big inflatable. It takes a few weeks to break them in though. I found one of those $50 inflatable pillows in a hiker box. I rolled with a 25 degree bag during the cold weather, and a fleece and bag liner from Daleville to Killington. Tried rolling with just the sleeping bag liner for about a week or so. That was a no go.

Did you use an under quilt? I don't plan on using one. I got a sierra designs backcountry bed 800 fill Dridown 3 season sleeping bag for Christmas. My tarp is a 4 season warbonnet superfly. The sleeping bag has a sleeve to keep my pad in place and with the tarp pitched in winter mode with the doors in use (its like a tent over your hammock) during cold nights and a few layers if needed (like The North Face Thermoball Hoodie and midweight Baselayers) I'm hoping to be ok without an under quilt. I don't want the extra weight. I plan on carrying everything from beginning to end. I don't want to play the shipping back and forth game. I'm starting somewhere around the end of march in hopes of missing really cold weather.
Do you think this is feasible? Or do you think I really need an under quilt?



Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[tpike2]

Trial and error. Set the thing up and try it out. Some people had under-quilts and some didn't. I saw a guy using a car visor for a sleeping pad. Loved the thing. It is all about staying warm.

[TomN]

I did GA in March 2 years ago with 20 degree top and bottom quilt and was cold a lot, got hit by a big snow storm around Standing Indian Shelter which was miserable, I only use the hammock when it is going to be above freezing for the whole trip. This year did form GA through GSMNP in April, the tent and 10 degree sleeping bag was so much more comfortable when the snow hit this trip.