[pct-l] Sleeping Bags and paDs

[Elizabeth Hoffman]

I too love sleeping bags and get excited just thinking about them. I carried
a Mont-bell Super Stretch #4. It was by far my favorite piece of gear I
purchased for the trail. It only weighs 1 lbs. 5 oz. and is rated to 35
degrees. Check it out
here<http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=102&p_id=1121730>
 .
The best part was that it would stretch as I wiggled around but retained its
shape and "hugged" me which keeps you warmer. I'm a woman and although I'm
supposed to sleep cold I found this was the perfect temperature for me. I
added a silk liner for the Sierras and was only cold one night: sleeping on
a rock at the base of Forrester Pass (not the most brilliant camp site).

I highly recommend Mont-bell sleeping bags and down jackets. Although
they're expensive, they are extremely well made and perfect for lightweight
backpacking.

As for sleeping pads, I started out with the Therm-a-Rest
Z-Lite<http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=43&cID=1>which
worked as a frame in my ULA pack but switched to a small Therm-a-Rest
Prolite <http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=42&cID=1>
inflatable
in the Sierra when I had to switch packs because the ULA couldn't
accommodate all the gear I was carrying. I slept MUCH better on the Prolite
and wish I had carried it from the beginning, although I hear a lot of
people have trouble with punctures in the desert.

One last note, I found that if I dug a shallow space in the ground for my
hips and butt I slept much more comfortably. I did this mostly in the desert
when cowboy camping and while Badmoon loved to make fun of my "butt-hole" he
ended up trying it himself. Obviously you must refill the hole when you quit
camp to leave no trace.


Whoop Ass