Sleeping bags? - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

what sleeping bags have people tried / enjoyed / hated? im planning on the AT in 2004, and am starting to gear up now…

–andrew

andrew

#2

All gear, especially sleeping bags, are personal choice. I wouldn’t get hung up on one brand or the other. Just make sure you figure out what fits you.

Some people use down, and others synthetic. Some people use a Walmart special. Others go for the latest and lightest, and the most costly.

Most people use 2 bags. One for spring until after Mt. Rodgers, and another for the summer.

Peaks

#3

I have TNF Cats’ Meow which I like pretty good. It will keep you comfortable at 20deg if you’re out of the wind. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have gotten a 0 deg bag to give me that extra margin of comfort though… A friend has the golite bag that is convertible between a 0 and 30 deg bag (I think) and I believe the zip-off top cover could be used as a blanket in warm weather. He really seems to like his and I believe there are other brands that have convertible bags also…

Nooga

#4

I can recommend NOT to get a bag with Polargard 3D. Death will become you. On the + side Mountainhardware’s Universe SL 0* is da-bomb. We got them after trying a friend on our hike. Not the lightest but it has a cool zippered baffle that lets you pull your legs up and sit cross legged which is well worth the extra ounces if you get clausterphobic in a mummy. I just leave mine unzipped all year round. SOmething to look at. Hears a linkipoo.
http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/12872

can be had much cheaper especially at seasons end. We got ours for $250 also depends on when you’re starting. We did mid Feb and it was cold as this year. But as above, to each his, her, their own.

One more hint. If you like something try it out over night on the porch on a CLEAN surface and see if it fits your bill. If not send it back for something else. Just as you’d do with boots worn around the house. You have thirty days to return undamaged good from good stores like REI, Campmor, Altrec etc. Snow Leapard Mountain Sports was also good even tough the screwed my order all to hell. They has great season close outs.

Bushwhack

#5

I have the Mountain Hardwear Universe SL (rated to 0). It is the best frickin’ bag ever. I spent a night at -10 degrees sleeping only in my boxers and long sleeve shirt and was toasty warm.

Also, Western Mountainering makes some sweet bags. Their warm weather bags are super light, and stuff to the size of a nalgene bottle. Very cool…

Andy

#6

Yeah, but who can afford one. I love my stachio Universe. Mine mine mine. We slept on the porch in our new ones the night we got them. It was twenty something and windy. The wife gave up saying she was HOT and went back inside. :girl

Bushwhack

#7

If you’re weight conscious like I am, i’d highly recommend parting with your sleeping bag during warm weather and opting for a fleece blanket. One draw back to the fleece blanket is that unlike a sleeping bag. Blankets have a way of staying where they are when you move. However this can be solved by simply sewing two blankets together, and in essence creating a make shift “sleeping bag”. Not only are blankets light weight and affordable, but they dry quicker than most sleeping bags, and take up less room in your pack.
Good luck with your trip,
Spook

Spook

#8

Everyone has an opinion on a sleeping bag and everyone sleeps different. I can simple relate my experiences from last year. I went with a Feathered Friends 20 degree Swallow bag along with a silk liner. But I started in February so my Patagonia Windbloc Fleece was a part of my sleeping gear. Still I was in zero degree weather with snow and was not comfortable a few nights. But I never swapped out my sleeping gear. I carried it from GA to ME. Of course that particular bag was a long for my height, a little over a pound and cost me over 300. I considered swapping it out for something else during the warm weather but I couldn’t find anything that weighted so little. So in really hot weather I slept in the silk liner on top of the bag. In really cold I was in the bag, silk liner and all of my cloths. My system worked for me. As far as down, my bag got wet once. The stuff sack that came with the bag let in some water off of my tent. Both stuff sacks leaked at the same time. I used mail drops and I should have given myself a plastic bag every once and awhile to put my bag and stuff sack in. As far as the silk liner, it gave me some cover when sleeping in hostels without sheets. Also, on really cold nights it felt great to have that silk gather up under your chin. One of my best nights was on a bald in NC overlooking the valley on a twenties night. Wish I could sleep like that every night. One thing if you carry down, do yourself a favor and ship some down wash to yourself around CT or so. Put it in a bounce box or something until you can find a laundry. I did it in Dalton, MA. And if your bag has a water repellant shell, turn it inside out before you wash it else it becomes a large water bag full of down in the wash. Your bag will gain loft after a wash. It is full of your oils by New England. That is if you go for down. Keep it dry, which isn’t hard, and you will love it. I kept my bag off of the shelter floors and it still looks new.

Two Scoops

#9

Since I’m only going to be section hiking in the summers, I bought a great bag from REI for 60 bucks. It’s rated at 55 degrees and only weighs 1 1/2 pounds. This bag can also be used as a liner with a cold weather bag. You could go with a warmer rated bag for the cold months with this liner. May save you money and weight in the long run.

Mary