1 Sleeping Bag for AT

imported
#1

Hello everyone,

Are there many people who use only 1 sleeping bag through the entire trail? If so what would be a good temperature rating for the bag? (assuming NOBO starting Mar 1st)

I did find a previous post where someone mentioned bringing a single 15 degree bag, but didn’t see any follow ups. Also, I think the person was planning on this and hadn’t actually done it.

I’m assuming if it got too cold you could just go into town, however did it ever get cold fast and you were stuck in a shelter?

How much warmer (lighter) of a bag could you bring if you also had a tent? And possibly a bag liner?

My root question is, could I get by with only 1 bag? And if so, how much extra weight will I be carrying during warm periods over what distance?

I’d like to spend something less that $250, but can go higher if I beg the wife and show her the savings over two bags.

Thanks in advance!

Mitchell

#2

Why not get the nice warm bag so you are comfortable at the colder times and your wife won’t worry about you freezing to death - I had a 15 an loved it! Use a Walmart fleece sleeping bag or something similar which is cheap for warmer time. Two bags yes, but the Walmart one is so inexpensive.

To make your gear a little more diverse, you could get a slightly warmer rated bag - 20 or 30 and get a fleece or silk liner which can then double as your summer bag. Also helps keep your grim off your expensive sleeping bag.

All sorts of options out there. Depends on if you are generally a cold or warm sleeper, how much insulation you have on your body. Tents help but when it is 15 degrees its cold tent or no tent!

I had a 15 degree marmot helium and it was heaven in the snow in the smokies and heaven in the cold nights of NH and Maine!

Yes you can get by with 1 expensive bag (just get one really cheap one too) To answer the rest of your questions - I’d get 15 or 20 for a March 1 start. If you keep the winter bag the whole hike you’d be carrying 1-2 or more pounds of useless weight that takes up space in your pack from mid VA all the way to VT depending on speed, weather that year etc. If you don’t need it don’t carry it. Bounce it ahead to yourself. Also, you can’t just go to town if you are 50 miles into the 100 mile wilderness or stuck in snow high in the smokies while the roads are closed. You’ll want the warmth!

Blip

#3

I used a 15 degree bag from Springer to the end of Virginia (I think) PLUS from Manchester Center VT to Katahdin. In between, I used a 40-degree bag.

If you choose to use two bags, I recommend NOT sending your winter bag home when you switch to the summer bag. Instead, bounce your winter bag up the trail — send it one month ahead, for example. Put the sleeping bag in a box with nothing else. Mail it Priority Mail. When you get to that PO one month later and decide you don’t need the winter bag yet, you can bounce it ahead again for FREE.

You are supposed to be able to continually forward Priority Mail boxes for free as many times as you want. Occasionally, you’ll run across a PO which makes up their own rules and won’t let you forward it for free. Also, some PO’s strictly adhere to the regulations for General Delivery mail and will only hold Gen Del packages for a short time ( I think they’re only required to hold them for 2 weeks, but I’m not 100% on that).

The advantage of bouncing your bag ahead is that when the weather starts to get colder, you can shorten the distance you’re bouncing your bag, then when you need it you HAVE it. You don’t have to wait for your resupply person at home to send it back to you.

Hope that made sense.

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#4

Yes, you can use one bag for the whole AT. Starting in Jan., I carried a 30d down bag and a Bibler tent all the way. HOWEVER, during winter, I slept in all my clothing; about 6 layers. In shelters, you can use a tent as a bivy. It helps if the tent is breathable. If I were to do it again, I would carry an expensive, very lightweight, down, 20d bag for the whole trail. This winter I tried two bivys, one a Bibler. It was great, as the weather was warm. Didn’t have to use it in snow or rain. Used a different brand bivy in the snow; not for me in bad weather. Prefer a tent for all types of weather.

margie

#5

One bag can do it just fine. All the above posts offer good choices.
You could do something like this: 20 degree down bag from Campmor: 120 bucks, on sale now. Add a silk liner as I suspect their temp ratings are a bit hopeful. Then for summer possibly something like the 45 degree Mountain hardwear Lamina from llbean for $99.

Also, check out e-bay. Lots of last year’s models of good bags going for excellent prices.

RenMan

#6

So would the Wal-Mart fleece and bivy be adequate, while bouncing a 20 degree bag for cold areas?

If so then this sounds great, there’s a substantial price and weight difference between a 15 and 20 degree bag (at least it looks like that to me).

But a 20 degree bag, Wal-Mart fleece, and bivy should be adequate for most of the colder areas, correct? Also, I’m not an especially cold or warm sleeper.

I seem to gripe about the same as everyone else in cold weather!

Mitchell

#7

Hi RenMan

Thanks for your post. I think we were responding at the same time so I didn’t get a chance to pick your brain :slight_smile:

I’ve never used a down sleeping bag, but have heard some caution about them (loosing fluff and getting wet) Do you think I should worry about this? I suppose like everything else if I took good care of it then it would be fine.

This brings up another angle. Should I get a nice expensive and lightweight 15-20 degree bag and use a cheap wal-mart fleece in the summer.

Or should I get an average weight 15-20 degree bag for winter and 40-45 degree bag for summer.

I suppose that the first option would be lighter overall, but may not be as comfortable as having two sleeping bags that fit better with the weather.

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks a ton for your help.

Mitchell

#8

My advice. A 20 degree ultra-lite bag. Western Mountaineering make what I call the prefect bag. Use it like a blanket when it’s too warm but u shall never freeze.

Hikerdude

#9

I used one light weight down bag for the whole trip. It was a tad warm some nights but then again I didnt get caught in some of the unexpected cold snaps after Virginia…

Ill have to check on what make it was. My stupid cat pissed all over it so its been stored somewhere far away.

jalanjalan

#10

Mitchell, since you asked, I would say the best recommendation is what others have said: Your should buy a nice 15-20d down bag. Get the highest quality, lightest bag you can afford. A used, very good condition, western mountaineering Iroquois just went for 150 on e-bay, yesterday.
Pay attention and don’t sleep directly in a thunderstorm without some shelter and your bag will be just fine. I have a feathered friends bag and a silnylon tarp and haven’t had an issue since I’ve been using them, going on 8 years now.
This winter be on the lookout for online deals for a summer bag. You can get some pretty decent bags that time of year for real deals. I use a Kelty 55d bag that has insulation on one side and a cottony feeling sheet on the other. 2004 model on sale now, 40 bucks at http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/47963160.htm
I’ll say it again, e-bay is an excellent source for a good sleeping bag. Lots of folks buy a bag, use it twice, then sell it for good price.

RenMan

#11

if you go top notch and drop a chunk of change be sure to get a liner. you can wash those! otherwise after continued at use it gets nasty nasty nasty then you gotta wash it then it loses loft then you get it funky again… alas… my solution is those campmor 20 degree down. wish i could get a six pack of them. i get em rank and toss em. bout one a year. but i am mr ghetto fabulous, so i can roll with the cheapies. those things are probably a bit chilly.

milo

#12

two more cents: ditto the Western Mountaineering 20d down bag. After each trip, I take my sleeping bag to a dry cleaners that knows how to clean down. It comes back like new. My bags don’t get funky. Sounds like a good trail name: funkless.

margie

#13

High quality 2 pound down bag on e-bay. 2004 model Lucid. barely used according to the poster.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7175365000

The bag was posted on TLB forums but no takers, so she put it up on e-bay.

RenMan

#14

That does look like a good bag RenMan, thanks for the tip.

I was also looking at some 20d Northface synthetic bags for about $200, these were just a bit heavier.

The more searching I do for Western Mountaineering the more good feedback I see. It seems everyone loves these bags. I’m going to price out a few more things on my list and look at how much money I’d like to spend. I’d really like to have the Western Mountaineering because of its unwavering support from others.

Although I do have most of the needed gear, they are all quite heavy. I had a 45 pund pack on 2-3 day trips last year.

After the sleeping bag and bivy (or tarp), I’m going to have to put a lot of research into clothing. This is one area where I am quite ignorant.

Mitchell

#15

Regarding Western Mountaineering. With any bag make sure you get the right (length and girth) size. I even ordered one with the zipper on a certain side. Since I had to order it with the zipper on the left side, it took a while (like two months) to get the bag. If you have to order it and they have to make a special run, you will have to wait for a while. But baby it’s worth it. They tell me Western Mountaineering has a rep for long waits for custom orders.


Feathered Friends was also on my list too.
Go down, go lite, and go pertex and get a bag with a draft collar


More cents…

Hikerdude

#16

I started out with a 15 degree Marmot helium and was never cold. Sometime in May I shipped it home and have since used a liner (I sleep very warm). I could have continued to carry the bag and draped it over me as a blanket, but like to hike as light as possible. Currently I’m going to bounce the bag and a few other items north and pick them up when needed. Good luck.

Nimblefoot

#17

I have a 2004 Moonstone Lucid similar to the one advertised on e-bay. It’s a super-fantastic bag, and very warm, and very light. The regular length unzips almost all the way, unlike some of the other lightweight 15-20 degree bags – could be useful if you plan on using it as a blanket in warmer weather.

Jean

#18

I thru-hiked the AT in 2002 from February to October using one bag. It was a Feathered Friends’ Swallow 20 degree down bag. I also used a silk liner with it. The silk liner doubled as a sheet in hostels that only provided a mattress. In mid-summer in PA I slept in the silk liner on top of the bag or my pad in my tent. The tent adds some warmth and depending on how you ventilate it, it can be used as part of your sleep system. Also, my bag is channeled so as to allow the shifting of down to the top or bottom of the bag. Now during the first portions of the hike I slept with everything I had on later buying the silk liner at the NOC and never looking back. But the silk nuzzled under my chin with a twenties night on a bald in the south overlooking the valley below. I can still feel the cool breeze on my cheek.

Two Scoops

#19

Sorry, couldn’t resist. We used one bag the entire trip and I would recommend using one HIGH quality bag (Marmot, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, etc; not Walmart). I’m talkin’ bags, not liners. Our bags are Western Mountaineering Ultralites (20F). We slept in those things in below 0F temps.

Two KEY tricks to staying warm and also not boiling to death.

For cold: Carry a 16oz to 32oz nalgene bottle (4oz - 6oz you’ll never regret) and boil enough water to fill the bottle just before you hit the sack. Slip the bottle into a sock or two and put it in the sleeping bag (it doesn’t burn). I slept like I was in a sauna with a 20F bag in below 0F weather. Others were shivering and I was smiling wide. :slight_smile: Also, make sure you have shifted the down to the front (so you’re not sleeping on the down).

For warm: Those things called continuous baffles are your friend! In a down bag, they are the “sleeves” that hold the down. They go all the way around the bag (front/back, bottom/top). If you sleep ON the down (shift all the down so it’s between you and the floor), then the bag becomes whatever temp you want! More down you sleep on the higher the temp rating. 35F, 40F, etc. Also, you can unzip the bag for extra cooling.

Remember also that the sleeping pad is also ESSENTIAL. There can be 100 degrees of difference between you and the ground. You need something to insulate. Even if you get a 3/4 length, make sure you figure a way to get your feet off the ground. Makes a HUGE difference. Plus, it’s more comfy. :slight_smile:

Dave and Miranda