[pct-l] Sleeping bag question

[Brian Lewis]

Tamsin said: "I'm getting the sense from some feedback that maybe I should
stick with a 20F bag all the way through and maybe even bring a silk liner
for the shoulder seasons and the Sierras. Should I bother swapping out for
the 40F bag at any point, to save weight and not be too warm at night?"


We're not all alike in terms of how warm is "warm enough", but FWIW a 20
degree bag felt like the right choice for me for the first 1000 miles or so
this year, and then I was happy to swap to a 32 degree bag for the remainder
of the trip after the Sierras (I think I switched in Bridgeport (Sonora
Pass)).   My Western Mountaineering ("Summerlite") 32 degree bag is not only
lighter but lower bulk.   On colder nights I still had the option of an
additional warmth layer (thermawrap jacket) to put on if needed, but I
didn't need it, not even in Washington state in September (I got into Canada
Sept 16th).   I did use a silk liner, but don't think that makes so much
difference to matter much.

If I were to do it again, I'd go with the same plan, but again --- we don't
all have the same metabolism, nor hiking style, etc.   One other thing that
could matter is your tent choice, as some tents add to your overall warmth.
I cowboy camped for the first 700 miles, though I had a very lightweight
bivy I used a couple of times (for bugs or creek-side dew, not heat
retention).  I switched to a single-wall tarptent at Kennedy Meadows (~start
of Sierras), and used that for the rest of the trip.  Even a single wall
tent adds a little warmth, believe it or not, unless there was substantial
wind I could feel the different when just the mesh door was open or zipped
shut.  Any doublewall tent makes a more significant difference.


Brian Lewis (Gadget)
http://postholer.com/brianle


P.S.  Pay no attention to what Handlebar says about warmth; anyone who
early-season glissades down mount Baden-Powell in a kilt can't be trusted
for temperature ratings.  :-)