Please Review My Sleeping Gear

[Arsenul]

So this is just my sleeping gear in link form. Showing you where to purchase it if you want it. I'd like you to please review it and tell me what you think of it.

So to begin, I have my sleeping bag sack. It's the Sea To Summit Compression Sack Dry Bag.
http://www.backcountry.com/sea-to-su...9-001b2166c62d

The sleeping bag I have is from walmart, but it's a down and it's a mummy with a good rating.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Everest-Mu...ng-Bag/2581360

And then I plan on using this sleeping bag liner for the inside of the sleeping bag.
http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Toa...o+Summit+Liner

And of course there is the sleeping pad.
http://www.amazon.com/Therm--Z-Lite-...s=Sleeping+Pad

Clothing is a different story but this is my desired set up for a thru hike from North to South. Please tell me what you think and what I can change or improve upon. Please and thank you.

[bfayer]

The sleeping pad is a good choice.

[Kookork]

I think it is necessary for anybody to know about the date you plan to start your thru hike. a sleeping system for early March start is totally different from an early May start.

Welcome to WhiteBlaze anyway and good luck about your thru. I also plan to thru AT in 2014.

[jeffmeh]

Have you used it yet? You need to make sure you comfortably fit inside the liner, inside the bag.

Personally, I think the bag is way too heavy, as it is likely pushing 4 lbs. Also, it will probably be warmer than you need if it is true to rating. Certainly, the liner would not be necessary for warmth. I know that it is very inexpensive, but in my opinion your sleep system is not the place to try to be overly frugal.

I would suggest getting a true 20F bag or quilt, and keeping the weight closer to 2 lbs., and not bothering with the liner. I prefer a quilt and use my clothing layers to add insulation if needed. With a bag, you can do that only to the point where it starts to compress the insulating layers.

[bfayer]

About the liner. You are almost always better off with a set of midweights than you are with a liner.

They weigh about the same, are usually warmer, and can be used outside the bag.

[HooKooDooKu]

The simple fact that your sleeping bag comes from WalMart tells me it is going to be sub-par compared to what most people would be using on the AT.

For starters, as jeffmeh suggested, this bag is over 4 pounds (the specifications only list a shipping weight, which is 4.65 pounds).

Given that the bag only costs $25, I don't suspect that it is going to have a very long life, or is going to have other "issues" that makes its quality sub-par. I've got no facts to back up these suppositions. But there is some truth to the words of wisdom that say "you get what you pay for". In this case, a "typical" good quality "back-packing" sleeping bag usually costs a minimum of $150 (and quickly goes to $300-$400+ if you want something really light weight).

[Edit-Follow-up]
I noticed that when I looked at some of the reviews, the 1st ones I came across that said the bag kept them warm were people using it in 30 degree to 40 degree weather. I also jumped to a 3 star rating that said "they would never live up to the degree rating they claim to be". This is an example of some of the ways I expect the bag to be sub-par. For example, when you start talking about bags that cost $150+, you can get a bag that will keep you warm in 30-40 degree weather that weights less than half what this bag weights.

I also noticed that the liner you've picked weights 20+ oz. That's over a pound. That's making for a sleeping bag system of over 5 pounds. By contrast, I've got a 32 degree rated bag that is only 2 pounds and a 20 degree rated bag that is only 3 pounds. Of course I've paid over $300 for the two combined (at clearance prices no less, so full price, you might be looking at $400+). So while these items have a small $ amount, they sure have a lot of weight.

I suspect that it should be telling (regarding the quality of the sleeping bag) when you consider the fact that the liner (from a quality company) costs almost twice as much as the sleeping bag (from WalMart).

[Mountain Mike]

Sleeping bag is one place I wouldn't be cheap. You will be using it almost every night for 5 months or so. A quality bag will last for a lifetime. Well worth the investment. Plus you could shave the weight in half.

[HooKooDooKu]

The sleeping pad is a good quality product. But do you understand how big it is when folded? Notice that the packaged dimensions for a "regular" size are 20"x5.5"x5". That's going to be fine if you plan to lash the pad to the outside of your pack.

Otherwise, you might need to totally rethink things from a perspective of size.

When I used an old large (heavy) Kelty external frame pack, issues of equipment size didn't really matter that much. I was able to lash my tent to the top of the cross bar, my sleeping bag under the pack, and a huge sleeping pad on the back of the pack, and a 21" saw to the side of the pack. That left plenty of room inside the pack for my other gear of relatively diminutive size. But when I changed to an internal frame pack, that only had one lash point on the bottom of the pack, I no longer had room to pack all that large gear. So my tent now goes under the pack, and the sleeping bag goes inside the pack with my cloths. And my huge sleeping pad has been replaced with a (very expensive) Neoair mattress, and I still have problems finding room for the rest of my gear.

[mister krabs]

I have that sleeping bag, it's OK to about 35. I use it for car camping because it's extremely heavy, but it was perfect for cub scout family camping. It's not down and does not compress at all. It's bigger than a large watermelon. Watch Steep and Cheap, they had a mountain hardware lamina sleeping bag today that cost about as much as you were going to spend on your bag, stuff sack and liner for less than half the weight. Or get a kelty cosmic down bag for around $100. Spend some time looking for a deal and you'll be much better off. Do not plan on using the everest sleeping bag. I have one, it won't work.

[mister krabs]

OK, I just did the math ($145 for the setup) and think that you are trolling. If you're not, then you have the spend totally backwards. You're spending the least on your bag ($25) and then spending $40 each on the pad, stuffsack and liner. If you're good with a foam pad, get a 12 dollar blue foam pad from the walmart camping section in store then this http://www.campmor.com/kelty-cosmic-...egular-2.shtml or this if you want synthetic. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___44270
Skip the stuff sack and the liner.
This is a screaming deal and might be truer to rating, and just a little more than you were going to spend on those other three things. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___37417

[HooKooDooKu]

...This is a screaming deal and might be truer to rating, and just a little more than you were going to spend on those other three things. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___37417

That's one of the bags I considered when I also found last year's model of the Mountain Hardware Ultralamina at clearance prices as well:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___42184 This is the 15 degree bag (I bought the 32 degree for myself).

[hobbs]

You could get a Kelty Cosmic down 20 that would last you as long as you backpack for about 150.It has good temp rateing anf only weighs about 2 pounds..Dont skimp on what you sleep in for 6 months..

[leaftye]

No one mentioned the bulk of the sleeping bag. Synthetic sleeping bags don't pack well. Is that why you have the dry bag, because you're going to carry this huge sleeping bag outside of your pack?

[LionDog]

looks good I think you will sleep well.

[leaftye]

OK, I just did the math ($145 for the setup) and think that you are trolling. If you're not, then you have the spend totally backwards. You're spending the least on your bag ($25) and then spending $40 each on the pad, stuffsack and liner. If you're good with a foam pad, get a 12 dollar blue foam pad from the walmart camping section in store then this http://www.campmor.com/kelty-cosmic-...egular-2.shtml or this if you want synthetic. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___44270
Skip the stuff sack and the liner.
This is a screaming deal and might be truer to rating, and just a little more than you were going to spend on those other three things. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___37417

The Kelty Cosmic you linked is the version with synthetic insulation. Here's the version with down insulation:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___43186

It packs to half the size of the version with synthetic insulation.

[q-tip]

Good sleep is fundamental to a successful long hike. Get a good bag-worth every penny- I use Western Mountaineering and they are expensive but will last a lifetime.

[Shovel69]

I love the Z-lite, great piece of gear. As for your sleeping bag, I'd advise you to get something a bit more quality. Kelty has some inexpensive bags, like the Light Years and the cosmic downs. You probably will not need a liner, and you don't need a waterproof stuff sack as long as you pack in plastic.