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Tom, you could have saved me a great deal of money if you had shared this gem a bit sooner! Great idea.
Very cool! I love the pingpong balls - adds a nice touch.Last year, I brought a Snugpak "traveller" sleeping bag with me. It was inexpensive (if bought in the UK). The poly-filled bag weighted about 900 grams in it's stuff sack - the size of a pineapple. Down is superior, but I am allergic to feathers.
This year, I cobbled together a solution that I personally think is brilliant - just IMHO. Though the forum, I discovered a silk sleeping bag liner available on e-bay from a company in Vietnam. The liner cost USD 12, plus about USD 9.00 to ship worldwide. I ordered the LARGE, rectangular sized liner as I am a stout fellow. The liner arrived in about 10 days and is an excellent value for the cost. Search the forum for "sleeping bag, Vietnam." You should find it. I think the vendor is named "Spirits of Vietnam."
To that, I added a tourist-intended, rectangular Cool-Max liner / sleep pouch I got on sale at www.RickSteves.com.
The Cool-Max liner fits inside the silk liner. They are nearly exactly the same size. The Cool-Max liner is stretchy enough to make this work.
I attached the two liners together (nested them) using a ping-pong ball in each of the four corners with a hair twisty tie ("donated" by my wife). If you put the ball into the corner, inside both bags, you can apply the twisty tie to the outside and keep the bags together when you are getting in and out. It does not add to the weight. It adds to the compacted size a tad, but the big benefit is that the Cool-Max liner nested inside the silk liner is a damn warm sleeping arrangement.
As both the silk liner and Cool-Max liner have a "pillow pouch" at the top end, I had four corners to insert the ping-pong balls. I experimented with smaller spheres of varying sizes but only the ping-pong ball and solid 1.5 inch diameter styrofoam balls I got from my local Michael's craft store worked well.
NOTE: I originally tried this with safety pins, as the pins are lighter and could do double duty with laundry or emergency repairs. However, the Cool-Max and silk material is so fine that the safety pins tore through.
The 1.5 inch dia. styrofoam balls weight 1 gm each. The ping pong balls weigh 2 gm each. The Cool-Max liner weighs 242 grams and the silk liner weighs 187 grams. So, all in, this layered, field-expedient "sleeping bag" weighs about 440 grams "all-in. "That is about 15 pounces. Add a stuff sack for the assembly and we are looking at an even pound or less than .5 Kg. That is also less than half the weight of the Snugpack sleeping bag.
The bags can be used nested together or separately.
I hope this helps.
Very cool! I love the pingpong balls - adds a nice touch.You mention that the two sacks made for a warm sleep…but do you naturally sleep warm or cold?
wow! this sounds excellent. I have been exploring different options and this is what I had thought of trying. Thanks.Last year, I brought a Snugpak "traveller" sleeping bag with me. It was inexpensive (if bought in the UK). The poly-filled bag weighted about 900 grams in it's stuff sack - the size of a pineapple. Down is superior, but I am allergic to feathers.
This year, I cobbled together a solution that I personally think is brilliant - just IMHO. Though the forum, I discovered a silk sleeping bag liner available on e-bay from a company in Vietnam. The liner cost USD 12, plus about USD 9.00 to ship worldwide. I ordered the LARGE, rectangular sized liner as I am a stout fellow. The liner arrived in about 10 days and is an excellent value for the cost. Search the forum for "sleeping bag, Vietnam." You should find it. I think the vendor is named "Spirits of Vietnam."
To that, I added a tourist-intended, rectangular Cool-Max liner / sleep pouch I got on sale at www.RickSteves.com.
The Cool-Max liner fits inside the silk liner. They are nearly exactly the same size. The Cool-Max liner is stretchy enough to make this work.
I attached the two liners together (nested them) using a ping-pong ball in each of the four corners with a hair twisty tie ("donated" by my wife). If you put the ball into the corner, inside both bags, you can apply the twisty tie to the outside and keep the bags together when you are getting in and out. It does not add to the weight. It adds to the compacted size a tad, but the big benefit is that the Cool-Max liner nested inside the silk liner is a damn warm sleeping arrangement.
As both the silk liner and Cool-Max liner have a "pillow pouch" at the top end, I had four corners to insert the ping-pong balls. I experimented with smaller spheres of varying sizes but only the ping-pong ball and solid 1.5 inch diameter styrofoam balls I got from my local Michael's craft store worked well.
NOTE: I originally tried this with safety pins, as the pins are lighter and could do double duty with laundry or emergency repairs. However, the Cool-Max and silk material is so fine that the safety pins tore through.
The 1.5 inch dia. styrofoam balls weight 1 gm each. The ping pong balls weigh 2 gm each. The Cool-Max liner weighs 242 grams and the silk liner weighs 187 grams. So, all in, this layered, field-expedient "sleeping bag" weighs about 440 grams "all-in. "That is about 15 pounces. Add a stuff sack for the assembly and we are looking at an even pound or less than .5 Kg. That is also less than half the weight of the Snugpack sleeping bag.
The bags can be used nested together or separately.
I hope this helps.
Northface has a product called the "Mercurial". Its a bag liner that is really light and can be stuffed and compressed into a 5 liter sack measuring just 5 1/2 x 11. My wife and I are leaving for our Camino in early June. She is using a 28L pack so we are really trying to keep things as light as possible and compact. This forum has been an invaluable resource for us to figure out what we need and have some time to test everything before we leave.
Cheers!
I would recommend a silk liner over cotton for weight alone plus the tight weave in silk is supposed to act as a bedbug barrier. Also if they get wet cotton will be very heavy and hard to dry. Silk liner bags can be bought very reasonably here.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Spirits-of...76367014&_sid=999039774&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
I have dealt with this company several times and find them good.
You can get 100% pure silk or a silk mix depending on your needs or budget.
Buen Camino.
I used a LifeAdventure Downlight sleeping bag rated to +2c which I bought in River Deep Mountain High. As I walked in April/May I used this several times during the Camino and a few times with blankets in the colder albergues. It comes in at 900 grams but packs small enough. Cost €60.00Hi was wondering what you used, with this for sleeping in(fellow Irishman here). Saw Toms combo was just wondering what you used am doing the french way in May ,so it would be something light enough needed ??? Cheers for any info
I used a LifeAdventure Downlight sleeping bag rated to +2c which I bought in River Deep Mountain High. As I walked in April/May I used this several times during the Camino and a few times with blankets in the colder albergues. It comes in at 900 grams but packs small enough. Cost €60.00
A mattress/sleeping pad is not needed on the Camino. Albergue beds come with mattresses!Yes, don't buy one, buy a sleeping quilt and a good R-rated inflatable mattress. Mine is a Neo Air, expensive but really good, I've had it for a number of years now, and when rolled up is the size of a can of beer. I am of the opinion that buying a good mattress is more important than worrying about what sleeping bag to buy.
I cannot help but wonder when you walked the camino, and how? Did you completely avoid albergues and camp? It is the only way that this advice makes any sense to me. The OP hasn't suggested camping, so one could safely assume that they are intending to stay in albergues, hostels, etc, in which case carrying a mattress would generally be wasted effort on their part.Yes, don't buy one, buy a sleeping quilt and a good R-rated inflatable mattress. Mine is a Neo Air, expensive but really good, I've had it for a number of years now, and when rolled up is the size of a can of beer. I am of the opinion that buying a good mattress is more important than worrying about what sleeping bag to buy.
I should have checked the dates when I responded earlier, but this thread is from early 2014 and the OP was going to walk in May that year. They may have walked a couple more times after that. If she has, she probably isn't going to get much value from further discussion here. I suppose it is always possible that others might.Yes, don't buy one, buy a sleeping quilt and a good R-rated inflatable mattress. Mine is a Neo Air, expensive but really good, I've had it for a number of years now, and when rolled up is the size of a can of beer. I am of the opinion that buying a good mattress is more important than worrying about what sleeping bag to buy.
Oftentimes new members find a number of old threads to post onI should have checked the dates when I responded earlier, but this thread is from early 2014 and the OP was going to walk in May that year. They may have walked a couple more times after that. If she has, she probably isn't going to get much value from further discussion here. I suppose it is always possible that others might.
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