[pct-l] Sleeping Bags: 15 vs 20 degree and down treated bags

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Tracy,

On a cold night if I don’t sleep wearing everything I brought, then I
brought too much.  That old truism applies only to the bare-minimum
clothing I am carrying anyway.  It doesn’t make good sense to buy a lighter
bag and then supplement it with clothing that is unnecessary to wear except
for occasional sleeping.

You didn’t mention how you sleep.  I use a 15 deg. bag because:

1) I don’t often sleep in, or under, any kind of shelter.  Most lightweight
tents add about 5 degs. to the warmth of a bag by controlling air movement
around the bag.  A more highly-featured three-season tent may add 10-15
degs. of warmth, however it doesn’t make sense to carry 2-3 extra pounds of
tent to save 4 extra ounces of down in the bag.

2) When I wanted to buy, the 15 deg. bag was on sale.

A 20 deg. bag seems to be the most common for PCT hikers, even those
sleeping under the stars, but I believe that mostly applies to bags by one
of the best name brands.  As for off-brands … well, talk is cheap so roll
the dice.

For myself, I wouldn’t buy down treated with water-resistant stuff.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 7:04 AM, Tracy Fisher <tfisher9 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I am in the process of choosing between several sleeping bags from several
> different makers (not a quilt) but am now so overwhelmed with all of the
> sales chatter that I decided to get some advice from you all to perhaps
> help me in making my final decision.
>
>    1. Is it better to get a warmer 15 degree bag that will keep you
> comfortable in the colder places on the PCT, or a cooler 20 degree bag that
> keeps you comfortable in the warmer places, and just add more clothes in
> the colder places?
>
>   2.  Has anyone had experience with down bags where the down filling has
> been treated with the new water repellant technology?  Each company has its
> own name for it, for example, Mountain Hardwear calls it Q Shield.  It
> seems like more and more companies are using this product.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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