I’m looking to buy a sleeping system for the PCT and wodering what the best sleeping system strategy is specifically for the PCT.
Is it better to get a 3-season 20 degree bag (like the Western Mountaineering Ultralite) for the whole thing or is it better to go with more of a spring 30 degree bag with a bag liner? Or a combination of both?
Thoughts? Suggestions? Recommendations?
Jon
Jon Looney
Jon, I’d say it depends ENTIRELY on your personal sleep temperature. You’ll get a lot of people telling you to buy the 20 degree bag for the whole trail AND use a liner, you’ll get a few telling you to get a 15 degree or warmer, and a few telling you to get a 25-32F bag. You’ll get a few that tell you to carry two bags – one for the desert and norcal/oregon and a separate, warmer bag for the Sierras and Washington, if you can afford it.
But ultimately, it depends on you. Know yourself – take a 20 degree bag for a test run if at all possible, or preferably base it on previous experiences. I started with a 15 (really more like a 20) degree bag and sweated my FACE off. I sweat so bad all the time. First chance I got, I bought a Western Mountaineering Summerlite – a 32F bag. I discovered that the “common wisdom” about a 20 degree bag for the whole trail did not apply to me. I weathered several rainstorms in Washington where I woke up to a frozen rainfly (frozen SOLID, with ice caked on) and had slept fine in my 32F Summerlite inside my tent.
Of course, I’m definitely on the warm end of the spectrum. Basically, get out there and try some bags if you can. I’d say a 25F bag with a liner would be perfect for the entire trail for an average sleeper, or 20F with no liner. But that’s only for an average sleeper, which you may or may not be.
Sorry to be so verbose, this is one of my favorite topics. 
Joker
Definitely everybody is different and you should test-run something before starting a thru-hike.
I did well with a 20-degree quilt. On warmer nights i didn’t cinch down the straps, so there was just enough cool air flow to be comfortable. On cold nights, i cinched it tight and it was always warm enough. And they’re lighter than a bag.
One thing that might affect your choice is that if you’re skinny or normal weight, you may lose a lot of weight in the first month and for many people that means you get colder a little faster than when you’re at normal weight.
markv
I went the distance very comfortably with the cheap Campmor 20 bag. It’s not side-baffled, so in the summer I shook most of the down from the top to the bottom.
Garlic
Thank you Mark and Joker…
Those are some good things to think about. I have to do a little more personal field testing to know my own sleeping style a little better…I just hate to spend money and then discover it doesn’t work for me!
Any other advice from others?
Thanks so much…I’ve got more questions that are coming:)
Jon
Jon
I used a 20 degree quilt. When I was cold, usually the wee hours, I put on my jacket and was fine. I was coldest in Southern California (I only made it to Northern California.) I was very hot in Northern California and often could not sleep under anything until it cooled off after dark.
I’m a woman, and we tend to be colder than men. On the other hand, my man is a huge blanket hog and I’ve gotten a bit used to making do with a tiny corner of blanket. Good backpacking training.
Piper
Just like so many others, we found the 15-20 degree range to be just about perfect for the entire trip. We started with 15 degree bags, and then bought 20 degree Western Mountaineering Ultralites after Lake Tahoe to save some weight.
We usually used them quilt-fashion, unless it was exceptionally cold. We used Prolite sleeping pads.
Chipper and Jeff