[pct-l] Sleeping bag selection. Ahhh!

[Scott Williams]

I used a WM 20 deg UL bag.  It was a touch cold in the deserts, where we
were snowed on 3 times.  For the High Sierra which had a lot of snow in
2010 I supplemented with a pair of WM down pants.  The nice thing about the
down pants were their versatility in being able to use them as extra
clothes.  Mango got to wear them when he went for a swim with all his gear
and had nothing but wet clothes come evening in Evolution Valley.  But it
was great to be able to ditch them when things warmed up and not carry the
extra weight the rest of the summer.  My experience after the High Sierra
was that the 20 deg bag was way too warm and I never slept with it zipped
north of Ebbits Pass.  So carrying a 15 deg bag is a lot of extra you can't
get rid of.   Just like clothes you can layer your sleeping set up too so
as to have some ability to lighten the load when the really warm stuff is
no longer needed.  More than half the trip.

Just a thought.

Shroomer

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 5:30 PM, Jim & Jane Moody <moodyjj at comcast.net>wrote:

>
>
> Ben,
>
>
>
> I have used a 2 5* WM bag on the AT and the southern half of the PCT,
> including the Sierra in 2010 (not like 2011, but still lots of snow pack).
> I added a silk liner for the PCT and the combination was plenty warm for
> me.  That incl uded sleeping on snow at Ned's Univ. of Snow and in the
> Sierra.  Th e silk liner is an option that a lot of people don't like and a
> lot do.  The cleanliness and flexibility on warm nights are its greatest
> benefits to me.
>
>
>
> You also need to factor in the pad(s) you'll be sleeping on.  I carried a
> cheap closed cell pad and a NeoAir.  The combination was heavier than
> extreme UL but plenty comfortable and warm at night.  Plus, the cc pad
> protected the NeoAir from puncture.
>
>
>
> The best advice I can give is to try out your complete "system" in
> different conditions, to see when and if you get cold.  I was able to sleep
> on the back porch in 20* temps, and got a good test of what it would be
> like in the Sierra (although I have to put up with ribbing from Shroomer
> for camping on th e back porch).  Take you r clothes, sleeping pad(s),
> sleeping bag, and liner (?) to the back yard and try them out.  If you can,
> try to borrow a sleeping bag from a friend (or maybe rent one if possible
> from an outfitter) before you buy.
>
>
>
> A really high quality bag will be worth the extra money - don't go for
> cheap, you'll regret it every single night.
>
>
>
> Mango
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