Re: [pct-l] Half bags

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

Jeff this was recently a thread on another list. I've tried out
variations of what you describe, and it works-for-me. - it's what I used
last week, in fact, when the nights were in the high teens. Keep in mind
that 1) the jacket had better be awfully warm (mine was a Frostline kit
down Puffy Shirt like thing), with a good neck collar etc 2) you have to
have a good/total head-covering (I had the puffy hood of the parka _and_
a synthetic balaclava) since there's no sleeping bag hood and gloves or
at least warm liners 3) the "half-bag" should be capacious enough to be
able to scrunch most of your body into should disaster strike. I too
carry a vapor-barrier (garbage bags or Space Blanket), which is good
insurance any time of year; I recommend them to all the '99 spring
hikers, BTW, no matter what their other sleeping arrangements are.

It's nice to be able to have a really warm jacket, like you say (I've
often rued the fact that sleeping bags are just dead weight in the actual
hiking) and be able to make a weight tradeoff. Remember to keep in mind,
tho, that the coldest temps are at night, when you'd be in the bag
anyway, and that it's easier to stay warm (or warm-enough <g>) when
you're moving, as in hiking, climbing, or even futzing around camp. You
really have to make sure that the jacket, short-bag (I'd opt for a 3/4
rather than 1/2 bag just for safety-sake) combo should be as warm as the
full bag would've been - only you know if that's true. Otherwise, you'd
just be carrying less warmth for the same weight, obviously. Kind of
tricky, but it _can_ work if done properly.....         bj



On Sun, 07 Mar 1999 21:29:57 -0800 Jeff Jones <jjonz@gte.net> writes:
>Howdy listers,
>This past year, I bought a North Face polarguard coat (I forget the 
>name
>and it's not written on the coat) that has impressed me.  As I already
>have an ultralight down bag (a  Blue Kazoo), I'm thinking that I'd 
>like
>to try to find a synthetic fill half bag to try out with this jacket.  
>I
>did a couple of late fall and early spring hike/climbs with a buddy 
>that
>used one and it was handy having a warm coat to wear around camp (I 
>sat
>in my sleeping bag or shivered).  I mostly use a bivy sac now instead 
>of
>a tent.  For those that have problems with condesation in a bivy sac, 
>I
>use a vapor barrier liner during cold weather.  I only pull it up to 
>my
>chest as I like to have my hands free so this would work with the 
>jacket
>too.   Thanx in advance.
>        Jeff Jones
>
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>http://www.backcountry.net   *
>

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