15C sleeping bag warm enough?

[Stellere]

I'm walking the camino frances from mid-March to late April. I prefer to bring my own sleeping bag, rather than using albergue blankets. What rating of sleeping bag do you recommend for the allergies in early Spring? Is 15C too light?

Thanks!

 

[wayfarer]

I think that should be fine. I walked mid April 2012 which was very wet and cold and I had a 15C rated bag. Most nights I slept with it unzipped.

 

[Kathy F.]

I used a 15C in mid-May-end of June and was very comfortable. I agree that weight is an important issue. Perhaps use that 15C weight sleeping bag and prepare to wear layers for sleeping garments/pajamas? You could even use those extra layers when walking if the weather takes a turn for the worse (everything serves a double-duty). A lighter sleeping bag will be easier to pack.

 

[rsmith0000]

I walked this year from 25 March until the end of April. I recommend carrying the lightest sleeping bag you can find. My 2 pound North Face down bag was fine, but something even lighter would have been even better. It was often cold and rainy, but the albergues hadn't shut off heat for the season. So I was often too hot. I highly recommend carrying your own pillow. I took a crushable one from REI, a Therma-rest brand pillow, that was splendid.

 

[freescot]

I'm walking the camino frances from mid-March to late April. I prefer to bring my own sleeping bag, rather than using albergue blankets. What rating of sleeping bag do you recommend for the allergies in early Spring? Is 15C too light?

Thanks!

Yes, 15º comfort is too light on its own. Most albergues have blankets, but not all. The North of Spain has frosts in April quite often. Even May can be cold and this year was very cold. I carry a 0º bag, 3 seasons in Spring, but I sleep outside sometimes. In albergues you have enough shelter to manage well with a 5º bag. Bring some thermal under wear.
Buen Camino.

PS I followed a link to your post which didn't display the comments. Obviously my opinion is very different from the others. No wonder I always wanted the windows open!!!

 

[David]

Ah sleeping bags (or not) and ratings .... this thread could go on for a while! I agree with freescot, Two main problems with choosing a bag for the Camino - you cannot predict the weather; Spring could be warm and bright or snow to past Logrono! - then there are some high places to climb to stay where it will be much colder than down at low level.

So the rating of your bag should be weighed against the size and weight of the bag. Is 15C ok? - well, is it ok for you? How will it be if it is really hot? does it open at the foot? How will it be if it is a late winter and no heating in the refugio?
Also - men and women feel the cold differently. For cold weather females should get a bag that is rated 3 to 4C lower than one chosen by a male.

In the UK Snugpak make items for the military and the same items are sold - sometimes in other colours - to the public, globally.
They make and sell the Snugpak Jungle Light. It is rectangular and opens out completely so can be used as a throw. It has a mosquito net hood facility - no bed bugs then, as long as you only put it on your bunk when you get into it! and the inside is treated with an anti-bacterial anti-fungal preparation.

It weighs just 850 gms ! packs down really small, though it does take some pushing and scrunching to get it back in the bag.
Obviously, as a 'jungle' bag it is fine for hot weather but also lists as comfort 7C and extreme 2C (don't depend on that too much, should it go below 5C you will most likely need to keep some clothes on!) - and - costs under £40. Under £40!!

It is what I now use - I like it, I like it very much. (I also have their Sleeka Force 35 rucksack - both in olive).

This is an honest youtube review. I agree with the chap about the zip on the mosquito hood but have never had a problem with it myself.

Buen Camino!

 

[Stellere]

Thanks for all of the responses! I know that this is one of "those" questions. But just couldn't help myself.

I think I should probably go for a warmer bag. I still have a few months to figure things out, thank goodness!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Only you know how warm you want to be while sleeping, but you will be indoors! It can be frosty outdoors but nicely temperate inside. Only three albergues have been reported without blankets -- Roncesvalles, Leon, and one other that escapes me. The blankets are as clean and bed-bug-free as the mattresses, so inside your sleeping bag, they are quite satisfactory for use if it is unexpectedly cold.

 

[SYates]

Don't you just love auto-correct? ;-) 15C comfort temperature would be a bit on the coolish site for me at that time of the year and remember - refugio blankets are getting washed infrequently (to put it politely) in most cases. And no, don't put on more clothes inside your sleeping bag (apart of head covering and socks), cover your sleeping bag with spare clothes if necessary - far more effective! Buen Camino! SY

I'm walking the camino frances from mid-March to late April. I prefer to bring my own sleeping bag, rather than using albergue blankets. What rating of sleeping bag do you recommend for the allergies in early Spring? Is 15C too light?

Thanks!

 

[Stellere]

Don't you just love auto-correct? ;-)

Haha! I hadn't even noticed that!

 

[nidarosa]

I walked from a blistering heatwave in SJPdP in late August to a rainy and cold Galicia in late September last year, from just a silk liner to wearing my woollen longjohns and top inside the silk bag to buying a sleeping bag rated comfort 10, extreme 5 degrees C, to putting the silk bag inside the sleeping bag to wearing pretty much everything I had, including a hat, inside both bags and still freezing after they put two blankets on me! So yeah, I bought a new sleeping bag this year. I wish I had known about the Jungle one, but it would probably not have been much warmer than the one I had, which was fine in the morning but too flimsy in the cold nights. Next time I am thinking of taking silk PJ bottoms or longjohns instead of the silk bag. If I open up the warmer sleeping bag and use it as a duvet before it gets too cold, I can wear them as a barrier between the mattress and me (or with my sarong under) and it will be easier to go to the loo in the middle of the night in them too

 

[Doodles]

We walked the Frances this Spring starting May 8 and it was cold, one of the coldest Springs in a long time so everyone said. We had 5C bags and were glad we had them. We also supplemented with albergue blankets, but we were coming from Thailand and not ready for cold weather. I would err on the conservative side and go with something lower than 15C, besides the extra weight is insignificant in my opinion. One other thing, by the time we started all the albergues had turned off the heat for the season so we were totally dependent on our bags and blankets. I'm not sure when the cut-off date is but it must be early May and May can be very cold some years.

 

[piogaw]

i would carry at least a 2 season sleeping bag or even a 3 season one which protect you down to -5 degree centigrade. as mentioned by other peregrinos the weather could be very unpredictable. you are starting your walk in mid-marc, i would not take any chance with a 2 season bag if it is up to me.

whatever you do, good luck and buen camino.

 

[Camino Samoset Santiago]

It can be cold in March, but you can wear termal underwear in your sleeping bag, or a blanket over your sleeping bag. Then a 15C is warm enough in the coldest nights.

 

[t2andreo]

Ah sleeping bags (or not) and ratings .... this thread could go on for a while! I agree with freescot, Two main problems with choosing a bag for the Camino - you cannot predict the weather; Spring could be warm and bright or snow to past Logrono! - then there are some high places to climb to stay where it will be much colder than down at low level.

So the rating of your bag should be weighed against the size and weight of the bag. Is 15C ok? - well, is it ok for you? How will it be if it is really hot? does it open at the foot? How will it be if it is a late winter and no heating in the refugio?
Also - men and women feel the cold differently. For cold weather females should get a bag that is rated 3 to 4C lower than one chosen by a male.

In the UK Snugpak make items for the military and the same items are sold - sometimes in other colours - to the public, globally.
They make and sell the Snugpak Jungle Light. It is rectangular and opens out completely so can be used as a throw. It has a mosquito net hood facility - no bed bugs then, as long as you only put it on your bunk when you get into it! and the inside is treated with an anti-bacterial anti-fungal preparation.

It weighs just 850 gms ! packs down really small, though it does take some pushing and scrunching to get it back in the bag.
Obviously, as a 'jungle' bag it is fine for hot weather but also lists as comfort 7C and extreme 2C (don't depend on that too much, should it go below 5C you will most likely need to keep some clothes on!) - and - costs under £40. Under £40!!

It is what I now use - I like it, I like it very much. (I also have their Sleeka Force 35 rucksack - both in olive).

This is an honest youtube review. I agree with the chap about the zip on the mosquito hood but have never had a problem with it myself.

View attachment 6824

Buen Camino!

David - Excellent post! I strongly second the SnugPak sleeping bag. The "Jungle" bag is the military variant of the same lightweight bag they call the "Traveller" for civilian use. The only difference is the colors offered. Instead of olive, tan and black in the Jungle bag, the Traveller offers a claret red and royal blue outer cover. The stuff sack is black. The price is something like BpS 35 (@ USD 55). Both the Jungle and Traveler bags are available online through commercial sources. I have the Traveller in Red.

Here is my related post on a layered sleeping system for almost all seasons:

I recommend a layering system that gives you 12-season comfort for sleeping. Add or subtract line items depending on the season and expected temperatures and sleeping accommodations (i.e. if staying in a hostal or hotel - nothing is needed). Here are the components:

1. A three-season or summer-weight sleeping bag. I use a Snugpak "Traveller" bag. It is based on their military version "Jungle" bag, albeit in brighter colors. But it is cheap (at least in the UK @ 40 BPS), machine washable, lightweight (< 1 kg), and comes in its own stuff sack. It compresses to the size of a pineapple. You can also get this model with opposing zips that connect two bags to form a single, double bag for two persons - of course, this assumes the bunk is wide enough...attachFull7543
2. A silk or Cool-Max sleeping liner. Used with the lightweight bag it raises the temperature rating by about 10 degrees centigrade. Try to find one with at least a partial zip or Velcro / snap closures to make getting in and out easier. Going to the toilet in the middle of the night is problematic when you have to shimmy out of and into one of these sacks. attachFull7544
3. Hat - wear a lightweight microfiber stretch (watch) cap, which you likely have anyway for cold weather walking. Walking in the spring or summer? A "Buff" or lightweight microfiber stretch cap will suffice.
4. Socks - wear the liner socks you were planning to wear under your heavy merino wool outer socks to walk the next day.
5. Clothing - If you wear the clean outfit you plan on wearing to walk the next day, you will add to the layered sleep "system" But that should only be necessary if you know it will be COLD in the morning when you get out of the sleeping bag and would prefer to be already dressed.

Bear in mind that we lose most of our generated body heat through our head, hands, and feet. So, even if sleeping in a liner sack, covering you head and feet will make you sleep far more comfortable in any except the most hottest weather.

This is EXACTLY the same list you would have year-round, EXCEPT for the sleeping bag. If walking from May to September, most experienced pilgrims will tell you to leave the bag at home and only bring the liner. Most albergues have blankets should the need arise, and the liner, plus cap, socks and next day clothes (in extremis) should all that is needed during the warmer months.

This uses all the stuff you already have, so no additional weight is incurred.

As always, I hope this helps someone.

 

[David]

T2Andreo - great post, clear, concise, informative - top tips!

One thing I would add - if you are cold make sure your bladder is empty. For some reason having an empty bladder allows one to become warmer - -no idea why, unless it is that the energy used to keep the full bladder at body temperature is released to keep the rest of the body warm.

I did mention this a couple of years ago but some folk who hadn't tried it disagreed rather strongly with me - so, to be clear, this tip isn't about warming up by getting out of bed and going for a pee - to test this try keeping a wide necked container by the bed so you can empty without getting up and see the difference - errmm .. try this at home of course and probably men only .. in winter, windows wide open, no heating, sleep in your bag - then if you wake up cold try it - it works
(can't quite see how one would do this in a refugio though ... )

 

[t2andreo]

T2Andreo - great post, clear, concise, informative - top tips!

One thing I would add - if you are cold make sure your bladder is empty. For some reason having an empty bladder allows one to become warmer - -no idea why, unless it is that the energy used to keep the full bladder at body temperature is released to keep the rest of the body warm.

I did mention this a couple of years ago but some folk who hadn't tried it disagreed rather strongly with me - so, to be clear, this tip isn't about warming up by getting out of bed and going for a pee - to test this try keeping a wide necked container by the bed so you can empty without getting up and see the difference - errmm .. try this at home of course and probably men only .. in winter, windows wide open, no heating, sleep in your bag - then if you wake up cold try it - it works
(can't quite see how one would do this in a refugio though ... )

Ooh that was spot on! I usually have to get up from 2 -4 times per night. It is one of the reasons I frequently stay in hostals. It's a guy thing. Once I turned 50, the frequency just increased. All the bits and bobs are fine. My bladder just craves attention.