Sleeping bag or just liner (starting Frances at SJPdP on April 25th)

[bstuts]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

 

[C clearly]

It depends on how particular you are about being warm at night, what type of accommodation you will usually choose, what layers of clothing you can comfortably sleep in, and what the weather is!

I would take a light sleeping bag or liner-plus-small-down-blanket, as well as some warm cosy clothes. but I chill very easily at night.

Just to illustrate the range of answers you might get to this question, here is a poll conducted last year.

 

[bstuts]

Good info....thanks

 

[David]

A good question - as we often debate this one - really it depends upon what sort of spring it is .. April in 2005 was like a hot summer, a few years later there was snow right to Burgos! - so I think the weather forecast will be your best advice.
Your Marmot weighs nearly 5lbs doesn't it? You could compromise by using a Snugpak Jungle bag, rated to 45°F / 36°F (7°C / 2°C) and weighing just 32oz (900g). Packs really small too!

Snugpak | JUNGLE BAG

snugpakusa.com

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes, my Montbell down bag weighs only a pound so I would not hesitate to bring it in April. I had only my silk liner bag last June and used my rain poncho as an extra cover some nights because it was chilly.

 

[montyhiker]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

Just my two cents: I’m also slated to start my trek from SJPDP to Roncesvalles on April 25 (maybe we’ll meet!). I’ve been monitoring the weather and temperatures in Roncesvalles, since that’s our first sleep, and I’ve made the decision to go with just a silk liner (sea to summit, I believe). I felt that the temps will only go up as we get into May, and I won’t be sleeping outside, but in an Albergue with lots of “others to provide heat”. I weighed all this with having to pack the weight and BULK of a bag that I may only use the first few nights. Hope this helps. Buen Camino, and I’ll see you in SJPDP!

 

[MariaC]

Does all Albergues provide sheet and pillow cases on the del Norte?

 

[trecile]

Does all Albergues provide sheet and pillow cases on the del Norte?

Some have real cloth sheets, but it's more normal to have disposable sheets.

 

[bstuts]

A good question - as we often debate this one - really it depends upon what sort of spring it is .. April in 2005 was like a hot summer, a few years later there was snow right to Burgos! - so I think the weather forecast will be your best advice.
Your Marmot weighs nearly 5lbs doesn't it? You could compromise by using a Snugpak Jungle bag, rated to 45°F / 36°F (7°C / 2°C) and weighing just 32oz (900g). Packs really small too!

Snugpak | JUNGLE BAG

snugpakusa.com

The Marmot weighs 26 ounces.

 

[David]

The Marmot weighs 26 ounces.

26 ounces? Really? That is only 750gms or so.
Ah, perhaps my mistake? I googled 40F Marmot down bag and that is what came up - that weight. Is your 26oz Marmot also a 40F down bag?

 

[bstuts]

Yes. Thanks

 

[bstuts]

My apologies. I just weighed. It is a 40°F Marmot Atom Long down bag and weighs 21.6 ounces. Thanks again.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

We hav walked in snow in May before. I'm 71 and wouldn't think twice about taking a sleeping bag.

 

[Wanderingfriend]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

I walked April and May two separate years and I would have been way too cold in just liner.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

I started from SJPdP on April 19th (age 75). I took my Sea to Summit silk liner. No sleeping bag. If I got cold in an unheated Albergue, I put on socks and fleece. I sacrificed some comfort for keeping the weight in my pack as light as possible. But there were only about 4 instances when I needed to do this. After a day's hike, there was never a problem with sleeping except in Molina Seca where the bell of the church next to my hostel (having been given celestial instructions) insisted on ringing through the night . . .

 

[JerryStroebele]

Yes, carry your Marmot. Buen Camino

 

[howardd5]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

I don’t know these , but I’d bring an ultra light down bag. I have one and used and appreciated it on 8 Caminos.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

My go to is a Snugpak Jungle Blanket. I am your age. It is big enough that I can wrap it around me or just use flat.

 

[Dougie]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

I will be leaving from SJPDP on April 17 and will be bringing my very light down sea to summit sleeping bag that only weighs 245 grams and packs really small I'll be hopefully staying mostly in municipal albergues when you never know how warm its going to be at night, I am also bringing a silk liner in case the sleeping bag gets too warm.

 

[Jodean]

Have walked this stretch the last 2 springs, April and May, and it was cold at night and in the mornings, like around 2°C. most mornings until almost the end of May. I was very glad to have my cosy sleeping bag.

 

[SamButtigieg]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

I will also be starting my Camino on April 25th from SJPdP and I am currently planning to bring both. Unless the forecast the week before is for very hot weather, I’m planning to pack both. I’m staying at a combination of albergues, pensions and hotels. Look forward to meet you on the Camino.

 

[slowtraveler]

I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to whether I could get by with just a good liner (Sea to Summit cool max) or if I need to take my 40 degree F Marmot down bag. Thanks.

Greetings,
I wish you well on your Camino. I was 68 in 2022 and left SJPdP on April 28th. I chose to bring my 40 degree bag and I was glad that I did. All God’s blessings on you and Buen Camino,
Daniel

 

[Ken & Liz]

We are leaving SJPdP on 9th April and at the age of 79 will only have a sleeping bag silk liner.
I choose you cant walk in a sleeping bag but you can sleep in your rain wear.
I am all about not having to much weight in my pack.
I weigh 77 kgs so max pack weight is 7.7kgs but will aim for 6kgs.
Work for us last time, and if you get cold then buy a puffer jacket and use it.

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

Hi - another one here starting on 25 April! I have researched this topic before, and I guess the answer really depends on your personal thermometer and opinion. I tend to get cold easily. I will be sleeping in mostly private auberges and maybe once a week a basic solo room. I'm taking my 600 gram down sleeping bag. I "road tested" it on the Milford Track (alpine) and it was just warm enough, especially once the room warmed up with 12+ people in it. I'm not bringing a liner. I tested that and I can't get back into it successfully, in the dark, if I need to get up during the night. I can wear hat, socks and gloves if need be, and might bring polyprop leggings as PJs. Hope to cross tracks!

 

[BiggBlue]

The first Camino I walked was the French, and I took a sleeping bag, which I used most nights; however, like all sleeping bags, it took up a lot of space in the backpack. On all subsequent Caminos, I simply took a silk liner. The pack volume is very small, and in almost every Albergue, there are blankets available to keep you warm.

I say almost every Albergue, as twice on the Norte, I arrived at a municipal Albergue where there were simply the usual blue mattresses and pillows. When I asked about blankets, he simply shook his head and said "no blankets" (in Spanish obviously). At this point, I noticed everyone was getting out their various sleeping bags apart from one American fellow who was in the same boat as me -I pulled my best Oliver Hardy slow burn to camera expression!! )

I then proceeded to put on all my clothes, two pairs of socks, my hat, and my jacket and put my feet into my backpack. I can't say I slept well, but I dozed enough hours to feel refreshed the next morning. Two days later, I passed a Decathlon store and went in to look at sleeping bags, then (and I assure you this isn't because I am Scottish) decided it wasn't worth buying a sleeping bag and continued with my liner. About a week later, I went to another Albergue again, which I will not name, but without a doubt, it is the worst one I have stayed in throughout my six Caminos. The owner of the place had a very bad attitude and a hugely over-inflated opinion of his Albergue (it was unclean, rundown, and a pale reflection of what it was 30 years ago). I asked about blankets, as it was wet and chilly, and he said "no blankets". When I went to do my laundry I opened the cupboard and there were plenty of woollen blankets, I took two without him knowing and replaced them the next morning without him seeing.

But I would say both of those occasions were exceptions, and upon reflection, I could've booked myself a private room in a hostel to get a more comfortable night's sleep.

My vote is go with the liner.

 

[MARSKA]

I won't use the blankets provided by albergues as they are rarely washed. Using them increases the risk of picking up a bug that might cause illness.

I am walking this April and will bring both liner and bag. My pack weight is 5kg.

 

[Lexicos]

I never go without a sleeping bag. So I’ve bought a very light weight one that unzips into a quilt. I’m starting in May in Le Puy and this time I’m taking a liner as well. It is extra weight but a good sleep is pretty important.

 

[dougfitz]

26 ounces? Really? That is only 750gms or so.
Ah, perhaps my mistake? I googled 40F Marmot down bag and that is what came up - that weight. Is your 26oz Marmot also a 40F down bag?

@David, the minus 40deg bag might be heavier, but the plus 40dec Marmot bags seem to weigh in around 2lbs.

 

[makingtrax]

I will be leaving from SJPDP on April 17 and will be bringing my very light down sea to summit sleeping bag that only weighs 245 grams and packs really small I'll be hopefully staying mostly in municipal albergues when you never know how warm its going to be at night, I am also bringing a silk liner in case the sleeping bag gets too warm.

I'm also starting from SJPDP on April 17 but planning on only using silk liner. As my Macpac down jacket is longer than average ie half way between hips and knees (I'm very short, 5foot2) I figure I'll use that as well if I'm cold. However I'm interested to know how much your sleeping bag cost as it is very light and where u bought it please. Thanku kay

 

[Dougie]

Sea to Summit Spark Sp0 +9 Degrees Down Summer Sleeping Bag https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PHV6Q6P?tag=casaivar-21. From Amazon £232