Summer slumber bags

[nuknees]

Greetings,
In the midst of summer, realizing that geography and weather conditions can sometimes produce a cool night or two, what do you UL'ers use for sleeping bags or quilts?
Thanks in advance!

[egilbe]

A warm sleeping bag or quilt. There is such a thing as stupid light and skimping on your sleep system is one place it shows up most often. A slleeping bag or quilt that wont keep you warm is wasted weight that you carried.

I suppose I should answer the question. 20 degree Accomplice Quilt from EE when with my gf for three seasons, and a 30 degree quilt from EE when solo.

[DownEaster]

The same 32 degree mummy bag and silk liner I use for colder temperatures; I just sleep in the liner on top of the bag. If my feet get cold I can stuff them inside the sleeping bag's footbox.

[Just Bill]

Greetings,
In the midst of summer, realizing that geography and weather conditions can sometimes produce a cool night or two, what do you UL'ers use for sleeping bags or quilts?
Thanks in advance!

If I'm not out east on the AT (in the mountains) I will go all the way to just a cotton poly bedsheet (70+) or even just sleep in a windshell... when it's 80 and sticky as hell you don't want anything more.
45/50* is plenty for me even with the odd cold night. As you noted... geography plays a part and may form an exception to the rule.
Short answer- At some point though when average lows are in the 60's... I'd call 45/50 plenty "safe" without being stupid light. With rare exception that covers the bulk of the AT in summer time in my opinion.

Even on the AT, you don't HAVE to camp high or in an exposed shelter. So part of UL philosophy is knowing when you should walk on a few more miles to select a lower/warmer/better camp if a cold front does pop through unexpectedly or you find yourself in a katabatic zone that could be fixed by a little elevation gain. On the flipside knowing that it will be colder than planned might be good cause to pull up short, not push yourself to exhaustion and sleep warmer for it. Exhausted folks tend to sleep 5-10* cooler than normal too. Stopping short, having a good meal, hydrating, and even cleaning up a bit is a good way to squeeze an extra 5-10* back into your system on that odd cold night.

I'm a big fan of the 80% rule if you're talking UL... plan for the average low, not the one or two odd nights (lowest possible temp +10* "just in case") that might occur if you're looking to save weight.
The most realistic bad thing that will happen in non-winter conditions is you'll have to get up, do some jumping jacks or get a hot drink/water bottle if you get that one odd-ball night.

The worst possible scenario is you won't sleep much and you'll have to get up and move around or start your day early with some "night hiking". The coldest hours are usually 2-4 am. So if you've pulled up early in anticipation of the cold night to come... you may be able to sleep from 7 or 8 pm until 2 or 3 and simply start the day early. You've still gotten your 8 hours of sleep... and you avoided the part of the night where your bag is likely to "fail" so in effect you've simply corrected for the unexpected cold front by adjusting your sleep time and your bag worked fine. Going with the flow is the trick under most of UL philosophy really.

It's not that some UL have some unnatural tolerance for suffering- it's more that they have a very natural ability to adapt when needed. While not everyone is cool with hiking in the dark... you don't have to go fast. Simply being awake kicks our metabolism up. Simply moving at 1 MPH doubles that rate and will often "buy back" 20* of warmth. So you don't need to be "killing it" to stay warm. And in those deep dark hours just before dawn a minimal light is much more effective than those twilight and brighter hours just after sunset. There are many here who will not "night hike" but will happily "pre-dawn hike". If nothing else; mentally you are freshly slept, your vision is already adjusted to dark, and you don't get that same sleep walky feel as you do when adding hours at the end of a long day, nor the anxiety/stress found when you're trying to "reach camp". Most folks experience with night hiking is because a day went too long or got behind schedule and it has soured their experience. And many a "Speed hiker" will happily tell you of the wonders and life changing experiences to be found when you are on trail a few hours before dawn. It's exhilarating to mosey along for that first hour or two while you and your body wake up to the new day. And satisfying to take a siesta during the nastiest hours of the day's heat too if you feel you need a bit more rest. Being willing to walk outside the "9-5" schedule of many hikers opens up quite a few options.

You have to know yourself, where you're going, what you brought... and how you plan to use it.

Egilbe is correct- too little bag can be stupid light. But if a X* bag works perfectly fine 80% of the time then it's a good choice. If you have one cold night in 30 or so... you probably called it "just right". But if you are a cold sleeper or a bad night's sleep will ruin your night (and day or two) then it's not worth pushing too far. As we all age our window for discomfort (and recovery from it) dictates safer choices too.

As discussed in another thread; it weighs little to bump your down bag up 10 degrees... "just in case" And as the season turns closer to winter... hypothermia is a real danger not worth chancing. But going a little overboard in cold weather is a much easier situation to adjust to than going overboard in warm weather. In cold weather you can just remove a hat, or open a footbox to cool rapidly. In warm weather- you don't have that option and you spend the whole night shuffling your "burning" parts with your "cold" parts and sleeping like crap.

So in the context of the 80% rule... if 10 out of 20 nights I'm uncomfortably hot just so I'm not chilled 1 night in 20... I would consider that an equally stupid choice.

[nuknees]

Thanks JB...sound advise!

[Venchka]

Just Bill,
Is there an Unequally Stupid Choice? Grinning.
Somebody should make your sleeping gear posts a Collected Sticky.
Wayne

[cmoulder]

Shorter trips with not too much rain, EE Rev 50, 850 duck down, 11.3 oz

Longer trips with potential for lots of rain, EE Prodigy 40, Apex (synthetic), 17.7 oz

Plan to supplement with all carried clothing if necessary. Never been cold.

[backtrack213]

MLD FKT quilt ranges from 35-55 depending on the clothes I wear at night. If it's cold I wear a beanie, fleece, rain jacket, and wind pants. Keeps me nice and toasty and in warmer temperatures, I wear just my shorts and can stick limbs out if too hot. 17oz synthetic fill not bad for three season quilt(I don't use down fill).

[MuddyWaters]

Summer in whites is different from summer in ga

Location, location, location

On much of AT, even 50 bag too hot in summer

Often temp wont even drop under 70 till midnight, maybe hit 60 or mid 50s by early morn...if lucky.

Sweaty, sticky, itchy, humid, damp

[JC13]

For the AT in July, I use a 40* EE Enigma APEX. 16.75 oz
1.3R Klymit inflatable pad, 12.5 oz with stuff sack and repair kit.

[Just Bill]

Just Bill,
Is there an Unequally Stupid Choice?
Wayne

perhaps you have coined a new term, lol.

[Venchka]

Grinning. You think? I wish I could use it at the HaVaad Lyme Disease thread. Rough crowd over there.
But seriously folks...
Wondering if two of Just Bill's Just A Quilts would work in the Wind River Range the second week of September? Thereby saving 5 ounces versus the Alpinlite?
In a normal Climate Change year the answer is Yes.
But with Zero margin of error.
If I bring the warmer merino wool sleeping layer, the Alpinlite is lighter.
Bill, you've hit the nail on the head again! When in doubt, bring the field tested Big Dog!
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deacon]

I am never ever without my 20 degree quilt on the AT. Nuff said.

[Huntmog]

I'm with deacon. I always carry my 20 quilt and just sent as necessary.

Why? Last summer I decided to cut weight by taking lighter and woke up shivering at 2 a.m.. it really really sucks to be cold without proper clothes to warm you up.

[shelb]

If I am in June or July, I go with a good bag that has a 50 degree rating... pair it with a liner, and I have smartwool leggings and smartwool longsleeve top to layer if necessary (plus my fleece jacket and rainjacket)

[4eyedbuzzard]

WM Caribou, rated 35°F, weighs 21 oz. Not really much weight to save by going with less bag. It's perfect for the Whites in summer. Anything north of CT (and at higher elevations in the south like GSMNP) you will likely regret anything less than a 40°F setup at some point.

[BuckeyeBill]

Put me into the always carry my 20* quilts, a Mamba and a Wooki for cold weather and the Mamba and a Yeti in Warmer times. I usually can get by with just the Mamba and the Yeti.

[Rmcpeak]

I'm going out in two weeks to do Buena Vista to Daleville. I'm thinking of attempting this with only a silk liner and UL (patagucchi) down jacket. Good idea?

[egilbe]

I'm going out in two weeks to do Buena Vista to Daleville. I'm thinking of attempting this with only a silk liner and UL (patagucchi) down jacket. Good idea?

Only if you dont plan on staying warm.

[Rmcpeak]

Only if you dont plan on staying warm.

Yeah, it's a tough call. Last mid-July on a Damascus to Pearisburg hike, my 40 deg EE quilt was just way to warm. It was steamy. But that was almost a month later than this hike.

The quilt probably weighs only a couple ounces more than the liner/jacket combo.... Maybe I'll just go with it...