[at-l] Sleeping bags

[Ryan Crawford]

I haven't really read this thread but I'll give my input.

Yes, I know the cloth cover would be pretty much useless during the summer 
months.  I bought a Ozark Trail sleeping bag at Wal-Mart back in the fall to 
replace my North Face Blue Kazoo.  I always, 7 days a week at home, sleep in 
a hammock and just use a sleeping bag versus blankets or anything else.  The 
Blue Kazoo was pretty much shot after 8-9 years of daily use.

I bought a zero degree mummy bag.  I've used it on three overnights in the 
past month and a half, as recently as a couple of days ago when I spent the 
night at the Governor Clement Shelter just south of Killington.  Yes, it was 
single digits when I woke up in the morning.  I've spent many nights in my 
backyard this winter in the hammock.  Quite a few subzero nights.  Coldest 
was -8.  I had no trouble keeping warm whatsoever.  At 10 degrees sleeping 
on the ground I lasted only two hours in the sleeping bag with pretty much 
the same clothing on otherwise underneath.  If you want to be a warm sleeper 
than stop sleeping on the ground and get into a hammock.  They are eays 
enough to make, I made my own.

The sleeping bag is a synthetic.  Yeah, I paid less the $40 for it.  It 
works and works quite well.  Far better than I expected it to work.  I 
decided to go for the challenge and see if it would last down to zero or not 
or if I would freeze my ass off at the low end of the bag.  I still haven't 
found my lowest point with the bag yet.  Guess I'll have to try harder next 
winter.

All I have been wearing underneath it have been a pair of long johns, my 
Gore-Tex jacket/pants, and on top a sweat suit.  I have been wearing a pair 
of thermal socks(that's what it says on the package) with a pair fleece 
socks on top of those.  I wear my regular winter hat and no I don't wear 
gloves while I sleep.

Yeah...I've stayed warm at -8 for 8 hours.  I can't complain any.

Like I said the weak link to the bag other than its stuff size is the fact 
it is a cloth covered bag versus nylon covered.  I wouldn't want to take it 
out on the trail during the summer.  Any rain/extended wet stretch would 
just about kill the bag completely until you got some real nice drying time. 
Granted I don't do any summer hiking and until this winter I hadn't ever 
been winter hiking before.

I would say keep to a nylon/waterproof material for the outer cover. 
Otherwise don't worry too much about what's inside other than how much of it 
there is.  Actually I think I like the synthetic bag better than the down 
bag.  It forces me to carry less stuff with me.  I'm only carrying 30 pounds 
right now with two days food and water.  When I started my thru-hike in '97 
I was carrying 45 pounds with five days of food and no water.  When I got to 
Pinkham Notch I was up to 55 pounds.  Gee, I like it much better now.

MEANT 2B