[pct-l] Montbell sleeping bags

[Bill Burge]

While Paul's data IS very interesting (I enjoyed it when it was originally posted); the weather info from one year can mean little to nothing about how to prepare the next year.  It's part of what makes preparation so challenging for this endeavor.

In sections where the status of water caches may be critical during one year, there is freezing rain the next.

As others have stated, things like calorie management, also play a role.  Sleep is an amazing dynamic that I've become very acquainted with in my personal history and relating to my profession - and I still haven't figured it out to my satisfaction!  :-)

BillB



On Dec 31, 2010, at 7:17 PM, John Abela wrote:

> Hey Mike,
> 
> I have recently had to re-adjust my sleeping system.
> 
> Take a look at this amazing bit of data:
> 
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/2010-December/042944.html
> 
> Huge props to Paul from  hikethru.com for being willing to lug along his
> weather monitoring gear every single day to be able to record this kind of
> stuff.
> 
> What I got out of it was that I had overshot with my planned bag. I was
> going to take my MBSSDH#1 for the winter areas and a GoLite UltraLite
> 3-Season Quilt (20-f) for the rest.
> 
> But as it turns out, if you figure he spent 168 days on the trail and only
> 12 of those days was sub-freezing, it really does not make much sense to lug
> around a 30, or zero degree bag. Ditch them, go with a 40-degree bag, save
> yourself almost a pound of weight in your pack, and wear some extra close
> for the 10-15 or 20 night it gets below your bag rating.
> 
> That said, you should of course, have some much colder weather gear ready to
> be mailed out to you at a moments notice, if 2011 turns into one of those
> "ultra cold years". Even if you pay for overnight shipping somewhere along
> the trail, the weight savings for the hundreds and hundreds of miles that
> you are not lugging around your MBSSDH#1 will be worth the money.
> 
> You can check out how I have progressed through different gear:
> https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0As-hvbUBJ_X_dHJXU3ZDb2VlOElUczlWS3JaUmNtNGc&hl=en&authkey=CLCE2LAO
> 
> The list does not have every single thing I will be taking, but it gives me
> a good enough perspective at this point.
> 
> Anyway, yeah, ditch the MBSSDH#3 for all but the coldest areas of the trip
> (and maybe even them if you choose to carry warmer clothing) and unless it
> decides to be a vicious year, you should do ok.
> 
> That said, if you don't have the money to put out for another bag/quilt,
> yeah, the MBSSDH#3 could totally work for you for the entire trip. It would
> just mean an extra pound+ you'd have to carry. If you do not care about
> that, by all means, go with that bag. One hell of a bag. I love my #1 even
> though I rarely get to use it. I should probably just sell it or trade it
> for a Nunatak quilt.
> 
> John
> 
> 
> On Fri, Dec 31, 2010 at 6:51 PM, Michael Pinkus <mikepinkus at hotmail.com>wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Hi all. Okay, I'm looking at the MontBell Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 bag
>> which is rated to 30 f/ -1 C. Would this bag be suitable for the whole PCT?
>> I will have a set of merino tights and a MontBell down jacket as well, so I
>> can layer as well. I plan on using a Tarptent Sublite Sil as my shelter to
>> complete the sleep system.
>> 
>> I would appreciate your thoughts.
>> 
>> cheers and happy new years to all!
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
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