is a 20 degtee bag fine to use if im starting out in the begining of March? or will i need to start out with a warmer one and switch out later on? and where should i switch?..I like to be a little chilly when i sleep, but not shivering
Anthony
March Bag - Appalachian Trail
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#3
I would say it depends. First it depends on how warm you sleep. Next it depends on how good of a pad you have (z-rest have the least insolation, ridgerest the most). Next it depends on how good of a bag it is. A western mountaineering 20 degree bag is A LOT warmer than a feathered friends 20 degree bag (My wife has both. The FF she freezes in, the WM she sweats in). Finally, it depends if you know what to do if you are cold at night. I’ve spent a few nights were I was so cold I was just waiting for the sun to come up. Now I know - heat up water bottles, put on only enough clothes that you don’t compress the bag, use a vapor barrier as a last resort.
In short, my next thru-attempt I plan on starting with a WM ultralight 25 degree bag.
Gravity Man
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#4
I hiked in Ga-NC at the end of Feb this year with a 20 degree down bag and wished I had carried a 0 degree instead. Had temps down into the teens and rain/sleet/snow every day for a week with sunshine only one day. Next year I’ll get a 0 degree to winter hike.
Zydecajun
system
#6
Z, this spring’s weather in GA-NC-VA was absolutely crazy. I can’t even believe you went hiking in it! So many ice storms and power outages I wanted to scream! Let’s just hope it’s not that bad next year!:girl
HHC
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#7
Darn those pop-up adds! To finish the thought, if you tolerate the cold pretty well, don’t mind wearing some of your warm stuff in the bag and don’t pitch your tent on the windy side of the ridge, I think a 20 degree bag is fine for the section from Springer to the Smokies. Doesn’t hurt to keep up with the forecast, either. If really severe weather was moving in, and I had a 20 degree bag, I’d have to consider making for a hotel or something.
The Dumpling King
system
#8
I have a 20 degree North Face Blue Kazoo. It’s a great bag but, I had several nights where I shivered fully dressed-especially my last night on Standing Indian Mountain where the temps went from 61 degrees/rain to ice/sleet and then 19 degrees and snow- all within 12 hours.
Zydecajun
system
#9
Sleeping is a very personal thing dependent on lots of factors. First off, yes, the biggest factor is if you’re a warm or cold sleeper. The quality of insulation (old/new, wet/dry, etc.) will affect things. What once was a 20 degree bag may now be a 35 if its been in a stuff sack all of its life. If taken care of down lasts twice as long as synthetic and contrary to popular belief does fine damp, just not soaked. Most bags these days are sprayed with a water repellant finish. Any good down bag (like W. Mountaineering) can withstand a half-liter of water puddling on it for half an hour (I’ve seen it demonstrated).
A good pad to prevent the ground’s ability to suck the warmth out of you is important as well. Sleeping in a one man tent can be at least 10 degrees warmer and keep you out of the wind. A shelter on a cold windy night can be hell.
Consider buying a silk liner. It doesn’t seem like much but can add about 8 degrees to your bag’s rating and it keeps your bag cleaner and weighs only a few ounces. Hitting the privy before sleep will also make you sleep a little cozier so you’re not warming up all the extra, er, juices. AND a hearty meal will keep your inner fires stoked. Wearing long underwear helps but especially a fleece or wool cap with the bag’s hood pulled over your noggin makes a world of difference. A draft collar around your neck will help keep the heat in and the cold out, too. (Can you tell I work at an outfitter yet?)
My recommendation is to try out some bags this winter. A good outfitter will let you test out a bag if you promise to use a liner. Sleep on your deck for part of the night. Try synthetic and down. Temp ratings are subjective to the brands so try a few (My vote is for W. Mountaineering. Ya get what ya pay for, IMO)
It may sound like a lot of work picking the right bag, but I figure since you’re spending a third of your hike in it, it’s a pretty important decision. Oh and for me, a 15-20 degree bag works in GA and NC in March.
Good luck!
Cap’n
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#10
I started march 1 this year and was fine with a 20 degree Western Mountaineer bag. The key was having a silk liner for back up which i used often to add 8-10 degrees. There were a couple nights in the smokies where i needed both and full clothes but i was always ok to sleep, and im a cold sleeper. The one exception was the 16 degree night at Gooch Gap with the wind whistling into the gap and into my tent…but we wont go into that 
A-Train GAME03
A-Train
system
#11
Dont carry a 20* to start your thru-hike. I have a WM and Moonstone bag… both high-quality. The WM is super-light for summer… my Moonstone is 10* 800-fill, down weighs 2lbs 6oz. Ive had this in the Smokies in March and it was perfect. It snowed, the ground was cold and frozen… I was warm. The low was in the low teens with windchill it was atleast 0*. Some say take a 20* while others say take a 0* bag. I say take a 10*!! :lol The 10* rating is more versitile in my opinion since you can always put more clothing on, etc. But then again… if you can stay warm/comfy in your 20* bag when its 10-15* outside by all means go that route. I know I wouldnt be comfortable doing that but we all have a different metabolism rate. BTW- I have a silk liner… I never use it anymore. It doesnt keep you any warmer in your bag and you can get all twisted up in it at night. I mostly use it if its super-hot… and I sleep in it. The main reason I could see using one would be to protect your bag… but its really good to wash your down bag along the way on your AT trip.
guru