[pct-l] Sleeping Bag Ratings

[Thomas Jamrog]

It is not as simple as reading the rating on the bag and looking at  
the outside temp.  People's individual metabolism, age, food/fat  
intake, fatigue level,  and bodily comfort are another factor.  I'd  
suggest getting out there and sleeping in the cold to expand your  
frame of reference.  Borrow bags to check this type of thing out.   
Then you can make a better choice of how cold ( and expensive)  a bag  
you personally can  y deal with .  I need to be warm , and was  
surprised at how may nights some of my fellow hikers were cool or not  
able to sleep soundly and yet they just went with the flow for a while.
Uncle Tom

On Dec 11, 2008, at 2:21 PM, Bob Sartini wrote:

> So I guess the point is that if you are camping in 20 degree weather  
> you can
> not expect a 20 degree bag to be warm unless the air is still AND  
> you are on
> a pad in a tent. Is that what you mean? That the ratings are just  
> some sort
> of vague guideline depending on this that and the other thing. Not  
> like,
> say, shoe size?
>
> So ... is a 20 degree bag good enough for the colder days on the PCT  
> more or
> less with a lot of caveats. What degree bag would people bring?
>
> "EVERYTHING is in walking distance,"
>    ......Bamboo Bob
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hannah Brewster" <hwb7285 at mac.com>
> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:32 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] Sleeping Bag Ratings
>
>
>> Sleeping bag temperature ratings are the lowest temperature at which
>> you will be comfortable assuming you are INSIDE a tent and ON TOP  
>> OF a
>> crash pad.  Some companies list temperature ratings from EN 13537  
>> test
>> which they uses in Europe.  They will list the comfort range, lower
>> limit, and extreme limit for temperatures.  I know Marmot tests their
>> bags this way and they have a pretty good explanation of it on their
>> web-site.
>>
>> Hannah
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