[pct-l] sleeping bags & liners

[Jeffrey Olson]

I use a 20 oz, 20 degree rated nunatak arc alpine quilt and a full-length blue foam pad I replace after 20 uses or so.  I sleep in long underwear and liner sleep socks whether it's warm or cold to keep the quilt clean and to ameliorate the feeling of sleeping on the blue foam.  I seldom wear the tops when not in the tarptent, and the bottoms never.  Never had the need to, even in day after day rain in Washington.  I've got 150 nights of use out of the quilt and other than where my face touches it, it's relatively body residue free.

Some of wisdom Ray Jardine popularized/contributed to backpacking is the idea that what you carry and wear is a system, and that this system is based on your comfort zone to deal with adversity (weather, animals, insects, snow).  I have a friend who carries two raincoats.  Another puts everything into stuffsacks.  I use a plastic bag I get from United Airlines that everything in my sack/backpack goes into- no stuffsacks.  I use a tent - others a tarp.

Does a silk liner fit into your system?

Jeff
Rapid City, SD
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Hi All,

I've a question regarding sleeping bags.  I've read that most thru hikers use a 20 bag but I've also read that keeping them clean is a problem and if you don't then they lose their effectiveness.  What is the thinking on using a 30 bag with a liner.  That should bring the cold rating to 20-25 AND protect the bag from body oils.