I couldn’t access the gear forums, so sorry this is in the overall AT forum. I’m going with my MSR Hubba/Thermarest combo for shelter. Is it absolutely necessary to purcahse both a summer and winter sleeping bag? I mean, if my winter bag only weighs 1 lb, and keeps me warm down to 15 degrees, couldn’t I just use that all the way through, or will I absolutely need a summer bag for enough warmth w/out roasting to death? Thanks!
–Michele
Michele
Michele-
You could easily use just one bag for your entire hike.
I use only one bag during my thru-hikes. (Western Mountaineering Ultralite, 20’) Its light enough to carry in the summer and it has a full zip so i can use it as a blanket when its warm or sleep on top when its hot.
I have experimented with swapping out bags and even going to just a fleece blanket, but have found that it wasn’t worth the mailing expense & the risk of suffering through a freezing night. (i got caught once on a cold mid-August night on the CT/MA border with only my fleece blanket and the damp clothes that i had… never again!)
What kind of winter bag do you have that weighs only 1 lb?
Happy Trails!
freebird
Hi Freebird, I’m going to purchase the Marmot Helium for Women, it’s a 15-degree 850-fill down bag, and I messed up, it weighs 1 lb 13 oz…it was the Marmot Atom 40-degree bag (I was thinking of purchasing for my summer bag) that weighs 1 lb. I sleep pretty cold, so I’m getting a bag liner for about 9 more degrees of warmth. The Helium only has a half-zipper, so do you still think it will work to have just this bag?
I’m trying to cut down on $, while still purchasing high-quality gear. I get cold really easily, which is why I thought I’d ask some opinions, before going out and spending another $230.00 on something I may not need. Thanks!
–Michele
Michele
A full zipper is convenient for regulating the temp. of your feet (so they don’t sweat) & to use the bag as a down comforter. Otherwise, it really doesn’t matter at all. I have noticed that if i unzip the last couple of inches of my bag on warm nights, this eliminates any condensation that might normally occur in the foot-box area.
If you haven’t purchased the Marmot bag yet, you might want to check out the Western Mountaineering Ultralite bag that i mentioned above: its 3oz lighter, $50 cheaper, has a full-lenght zipper & has an impeccable track record with thru-hikers. This bag is becoming extremely popular on the PCT - last year i saw so many of them @ the various trail angel houses that it was hard to tell whose bag was whose! (they come in one color - blue)
A big trick in keeping warm on especially cold nights is to wear all of your dry clothes inside your bag. A fleece hat and some type of kneck warmer can help maintain your body temperature even better than most bag liners (which add weight and take up space in your pack). If its REALLY REALLY cold, you can heat up water on your stove, put it in your water bottle, wrap a spare piece of clothing or bandana around it and put it at the foot of your sleeping bag. Also, your tent is considerably warmer than an AT shelter - higher ambient heat.
Good Luck!
freebird
I checked out the bag you’re talking about. I really like the idea of having a full-length zipper, but I didn’t see that it came with a hood. I think I 'll need that, because even in my bedroom in my apartment, I get cold at night and pull my down comfortor up around my head and ears. I lose a ton of body heat out of my head, and I’m a bit concerned just wearing a fleece cap won’t be enough if I’m lying still. Man…it seems you can’t ever find the “perfect” product in some instances. If the Marmot had a full-length zipper, it would be perfect. Hmmm…I’ve got time, so I think I’ll keep looking around. Thanks for all your info!!
–Michele
Michele
On my 05 thru hike I used the Marmot Helium bag. Kept it all the way to Waynesboro with a couple of night when I was to warm. I too am a cold sleeper.
Got a summer bag and used it until I got to MA. Some of the nights in MA and VT can get cold if there has been a rain. Glad to have it back then as some didn’t get their warmer bags back until Hanover and were cold.
Really was pleased with the bag but wish it had a full zip.
Freebird was right about being able to stick you feet out.
Any summer bag around a pound or so should get you by fine.
socks
I tried to use my 20 degree bag in the summer. I found I was roasting in it, but the temperatures were cool enough that I wanted to have something over me. I bought a summer sleeping bag, and slept better.
Peaks
the WM Ultralite comes with a hood & very good draft collar. The picture on their website doesn’t show the hood very well.
Peaks - does your 20’ bag have a full zip? If its warm, but not warm enough to sleep on top of my bag, i simply unzip my bag fully and drape a bit over me. If i go to sleep knowing that that the temp will drop considerably during the night, i unzip my bag from the hood and from the foot box area until the zippers meet in the middle of the bag. It’s then really easy to zip up the bag as it gets colder at night rather than fumbling around trying to get the zippers to line up at the foot of the bag.
On really HOT nights, i soak a t-shirt in a stream, put it on and lie on my Ridgerest. (on 5 thru-hikes, this has only happened twice - once on the PCT and once on the AT)
With really light bags these days (850+ fill), its not as important as it used to be to swap your bag out. The WM Ultralite weighs 1lb 10oz. So the real question is, is it worth spending over $200, plus the hassle (& expense) of shipping bags back and forth to save 10 ounces of weight?
Keep in mind that “mountain weather” can be very unpredictable. Cold, wet weather is possible even in mid-summer. Sleeping bag ratings are not “comfort” ratings for most people. I prefer to have the peace of mind of not worrying about how cold its going to get - i can always look forward to my warm sleeping bag on chilly nights.
freebird
Dear Michele,
You should be able to get by on one bag. When you hit high temperatures you just drape it over you. Believe me, its not a problem. It’s much like you do at home–you kick off the covers as needed–you don’t usually get a lighter blanket.
One time I started in Georgia with a -10F Polarguard sleeping bag weighing five pounds. Now, forget the five pound part. Early on, it was great, in sub-freezing temperatures. By the time I was in Virginia, I was sleeping in +70F weather and just draping part of it over my shoulders and hips at most.
By the way, I think full zip is the way to go if you want your bag to be most useful as temperatures get warmer. With a full zip, you have a comforter; with a half zip, you have a problem from the hips down.
Simmer
Simmer
Gosh…thanks everyone. After looking some more at the WM bag, I’ve decided to just go w/the WM Ultralite now. Besides, if I get miserable out there in the summer, I can always buy another bag, but I think the unzipping/draping over my mid-section option with the WM will be absolutely perfect. Thanks Freebird for telling me about this. Just when I thought I’d scoped out every option…another one appeared. See you on the trail next year!
–Michele:girl
Michele
Dear Michele,
Google the Pro Mountain Sports website and take a look at their 7 pound base pack weight set up, just for fun and to see how low one can really go.
Conan
Michele