[pct-l] mummy bags

[Eric Lee]

Sherry wrote:
>
And if I am going to hike the Oregon section of the PCT starting sometime
mid July do I really need a mummy bag?
Sherry
>

As we've discussed a lot recently, you should be prepared for temperatures
down past freezing pretty much anywhere on the trail and any time of year.
Admittedly it's not *likely* to get super cold in July but I walked out of
the Three Sisters wilderness in a snowstorm last August, so you never know.
How much sleeping bag you need depends on how warm or cold you tend to sleep
and how many other layers of clothes you bring.

Mummy bags are more efficient at keeping you warm because they have less
surface area from which to lose heat.  Rectangular bags can work fine;
you'll just pay a bit of a weight premium for the same warmth, assuming
equal materials and construction.  That's a tricky assumption, though -
rectangular bags tend to be made of cheaper and heavier materials, which
increases the weight penalty.

There are various manufacturers that make high-quality mummy bags with a bit
more than the usual girth, or with elastic so they expand when you want them
to, or things like that.  I can't remember which ones off the top of my head
but if you do some web searches or maybe take a trip to REI you'll probably
find some.

Eric