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Post by desertsp on May 25, 2016 10:20:21 GMT -8
I'm buying a sleeping bag (or quilt?) for my wife, and am wondering whether it's possible to find one which is suitable for both warm/hot weather and also cool (into the 40s) weather? It has to be synthetic also.
We have her first backpacking trip coming up in July, near RMNP, where I'm told it'll drop into the 40s. OTOH, we have a car camping trip in June in Wisconsin, where it'll probably be in the 70s at night.
Given a limited budget, would it be realistic to buy a bag rated for around 50 degrees as a compromise? Or should we really be looking at two separate bags...one for warm and one for cold weather?
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on May 25, 2016 11:29:35 GMT -8
One option a friend of mine took was to get one bag, a 20 degree, and he bought a silk bag liner. In winter, the bag is good. In summer he lays in the bag liner, inside the sleeping bag, with the zipper all the way open. In extreme warmth, I've slept on top of the bag.
If you want to look to two bags that is fine, a general thought I have is that a cold weather bag can be used in warmer months if it is opened, while nothing makes a warm weather bag suitable for cold weather.
Your experience may vary.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on May 25, 2016 11:47:42 GMT -8
I've got two methods - I use a +40 with clothing supplement (down booties, down jacket, fleece pants, and a hat). This gets me down to 0F.
I also recently purchased an Enlightened 0 degree Quilt. Both serve similar purpose - To handle an extreme range of temps. At 70 degrees, anything will work as that's just damn hot. In regard to other ranges, I would lean toward a quilt as being the most flexible. Mine has elastic straps to secure below a pad to perform without air gaps. In warmer weather, it can be used by unzipping the bottom, loosening the elastic at the foot, and not securing to the pad to allow for a more pleasant warm weather experience.
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Post by desertsp on May 25, 2016 12:28:18 GMT -8
Thanks both of you.
I'll take a closer look at liners and quilts.
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Post by ashepabst on May 25, 2016 14:02:31 GMT -8
i use a 30-degree quilt for both scenarios.
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Post by Lonewolf on May 25, 2016 14:45:16 GMT -8
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 25, 2016 18:20:09 GMT -8
ANYTHING can be made suitable for warmer weather by using it less efficiently: on the other hand past a certain point something too light and she'll spend a very miserable night shivering at best. Granted at the trailhead she'll have the awesome bragging rights of "lightest sleeping bag ever"... somehow that really doesn't count for much at O dark 30 when you can't stop shivering....
I've used a 5 degree bag in Yosemite Valley in the summer: the daytime high was pushing 100.... it's what I had for my actual backpacking trip higher... so I was probably barely covering my shins. Worked great (inside a shelter).
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amaruq
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Call me Little Spoon
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Post by amaruq on May 26, 2016 9:36:49 GMT -8
I recently expanded my sleeping bag inventory to two, but previously I've had good success to around -20C (-4F) with my -7C (20F) bag used in conjunction with a fleece liner and warm clothing layers. In the summer I would use the bag inefficiently as mentioned above.
However, my new bag is 0C (32F) which will allow me to shave some weight during the three-seasons.
Next time it will be a quilt methinks.
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Post by Coolkat on May 26, 2016 9:48:53 GMT -8
Next time it will be a quilt methinks. I use my 20F quilt for everything. My quilt solves many issues for me including the fact that I'm a stomach sleeper. |
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Post by desertsp on May 26, 2016 11:51:52 GMT -8
Thanks everyone...this is a good forum!
Based on the responses, I think we'll go with a quilt paired with a light blanked/sheet. We might already have both in the closet, so that saves a lot of cash! Funny how sometimes the non-specialized gear ends up working best!
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Post by desertsp on May 26, 2016 14:07:05 GMT -8
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 26, 2016 16:02:02 GMT -8
I see that's only rated to 50 deg. To me, that's unlikely to be warm enough in the mountains (unless you are really sticking to lower elevations). I'd get a 20 deg. quilt or bag (or 30 if she sleeps warm and/or you don't expect to spend much time over say 9000'), and for the car-camping trip, just carry some blankets and a nice, cotton sheet to put between you and the sleeping pad, since weight and to a large degree bulk don't matter car-camping. |
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