Primitivo in April and over-thinking the sleeping bag versus silk sack options

[Random Travels]

On Easter this year, I plan to start the Primitivo and end-up in Finesterre. I try not to be too neurotic about packing light, but after the luxury of doing big slices of the Frances and the Ingles with a silk sleep sack, I have been concerned about Albergues in April and finding adequate blankets. Because I have to carry significant weight in medication and think that I need a heavier jacket than a mid-weight fleece, my goal of carrying less than 8 kilos, including water, is quite tenuous when a sleeping bag adds another kilo. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I do realize that weather is not predictable, but are blankets? Many Thanks!

 

[grayland]

The simple thing is to reduce the sleeping bag weight with something lighter. Either a bag that weighs about 1 pound instead of the 1kg....expensive.
An alternative (and what I am doing) is to take a very light fleece throw/blanket that is in the 1 pound or less range.
That way the throw along with your silk sleep sac should get you by when no blankets are available.
For colder nights you could just wear clothes in bed...which is not unusual.
Take a really hard look at your meds and see if any are available along the way from Spanish Pharmacy.
You could possibly cut your supply in two if you could do this.

 

[Random Travels]

Thank you for the advice Grayland, I had not thought about a fleece blanket but I did check out the 1 pound bags - lots of money if you want one that is for 1.2 degrees C or so. Unfortunately, the meds are not of the optional get-at-the-pharmacy type but at least they reduce in weight with each day on the Camino. Your insight is appreciated. The Primitivo kind of feels daunting, but worth it!

 

[Bajaracer]

On Easter this year, I plan to start the Primitivo and end-up in Finesterre. I try not to be too neurotic about packing light, but after the luxury of doing big slices of the Frances and the Ingles with a silk sleep sack, I have been concerned about Albergues in April and finding adequate blankets. Because I have to carry significant weight in medication and think that I need a heavier jacket than a mid-weight fleece, my goal of carrying less than 8 kilos, including water, is quite tenuous when a sleeping bag adds another kilo. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I do realize that weather is not predictable, but are blankets? Many Thanks!

http://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/thermalon-liner-military

If you already have a silk liner, combine the silk liner you already own with a thermalon liner from Snugpak, only 400 grams.

 

[Tia Valeria]

On the Primitivo:-
Two years ago I used my sleeping bag (no liner) plus blanket(s) because it was cold in May. I feel the cold. Personally I would look at a bag and leave the liner out in April/May. Do the albergues in Galicia still have blankets? We were in private albergues and pensiones so are not sure of the latest situation, but in 2009 Terry had his bag and liner and needed them. He too would take the bag and leave the liner if weight is a problem.
Note that there is usually only provision for 1 blanket per bunk so if the albergue is full there will not be spares, or some-one may have taken 2........

 

[peregrina2000]

On Easter this year, I plan to start the Primitivo and end-up in Finesterre. I try not to be too neurotic about packing light, but after the luxury of doing big slices of the Frances and the Ingles with a silk sleep sack, I have been concerned about Albergues in April and finding adequate blankets. Because I have to carry significant weight in medication and think that I need a heavier jacket than a mid-weight fleece, my goal of carrying less than 8 kilos, including water, is quite tenuous when a sleeping bag adds another kilo. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I do realize that weather is not predictable, but are blankets? Many Thanks!

Hi, RandomTravels, welcome to the forum!

Like Tia, I feel the cold as well. I was on the Primitivo in June two years ago and used my bag every night. It's a kilo I would never give up, even walking in June. But that's me. I think April is very close to the end of winter, and the Primitivo has some higher elevations. Even if you're the one who always turns down the heat and throws off the blankets, I think you might regret not having a bag in April. I also used blankets frequently, in addition to my bag, but I can't tell you for sure which albergues do and do not have them.

My own strategy would be to bring a lightweight fleece, which I can wear under my rain jacket if things get chilly. I find it much easier to get warm while walking than to get warm while lying in an unheated albergue. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[t2andreo]

http://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/thermalon-liner-military

If you already have a silk liner, combine the silk liner you already own with a thermalon liner from Snugpak, only 400 grams.

I nested a cool max liner into a silk liner (both rectangular) using ping pong balls and bungee-type, hair scrungie loops in the four corners. I have tested it locally on cool nights - down to about 50 Farenheit. It is half the size and weight of any sleeping bag I have seen and is quite warm. If that is not enough, I plan to wear clothing.

Last year I carried a 880 gm Snugpak "Traveller" sleeping bag. It was fabulous for sleeping. But this year, I got ruthless with weight. So, I will try the liner combo.

You can use the search function to search for the various sleeping bag recommendation conversations. Or, to find mine google "ping pong."

I hope this helps.

 

[Suzanne Edminster]

I have so often been cold even in mid-summer in Europe that I would take the smallest down or synthetic bag you can find. Even when I wasn't walking, I took and used a lightweight bag in many pensiones in South Italy in April. Just saying.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Count me in on having a sleeping bag.
As others, I have to be warm, to be able to sleep well.
I think it differs from person to person, so one can truly only listen to ones own preferences.

Have a great Camino
Lettingo

 

[Random Travels]

I nested a cool max liner into a silk liner (both rectangular) using ping pong balls and bungee-type, hair scrungie loops in the four corners. I have tested it locally on cool nights - down to about 50 Farenheit. It is half the size and weight of any sleeping bag I have seen and is quite warm. If that is not enough, I plan to wear clothing.

Last year I carried a 880 gm Snugpak "Traveller" sleeping bag. It was fabulous for sleeping. But this year, I got ruthless with weight. So, I will try the liner combo.

You can use the search function to search for the various sleeping bag recommendation conversations. Or, to find mine google "ping pong."

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the pingpong ball suggestion. This is a novel approach!

 

[Random Travels]

Hi, RandomTravels, welcome to the forum!

Like Tia, I feel the cold as well. I was on the Primitivo in June two years ago and used my bag every night. It's a kilo I would never give up, even walking in June. But that's me. I think April is very close to the end of winter, and the Primitivo has some higher elevations. Even if you're the one who always turns down the heat and throws off the blankets, I think you might regret not having a bag in April. I also used blankets frequently, in addition to my bag, but I can't tell you for sure which albergues do and do not have them.

My own strategy would be to bring a lightweight fleece, which I can wear under my rain jacket if things get chilly. I find it much easier to get warm while walking than to get warm while lying in an unheated albergue. Buen camino, Laurie

Thanks, I will downgrade the weight of my fleece. Your insights on the Forum have been illuminating!

 

[Deleted member 29041]

My own Camino sleeping bag is a Cumulus Lite Line 200. Good temperature range for Spain, low weight (~535 g) and packs real small.

I combine the sleeping bag with a silk liner (120 g), that I mostly use alone during warm nights.

If it's cold, I use both. The silk liner makes the sleeping bag about 4-5 degrees C warmer.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Oh this thread has me flip-flopping. We have been walking with fully loaded packs and know that while we are OK with the weight we have, leaving out our 1.13kg sleeping bags would make such a difference to comfort levels! If we had bags that were half that weight we wouldn't think twice about popping them in. Trying to decide whether wearing thermal top and bottoms and shirt and pants and fleece jacket and gloves and hat inside a silk liner with 400g fleece blanket and poncho will be enough if there are no blankets in May/June.

 

[Alyssa]

Oh this thread has me flip-flopping. We have been walking with fully loaded packs and know that while we are OK with the weight we have, leaving out our 1.13kg sleeping bags would make such a difference to comfort levels! If we had bags that were half that weight we wouldn't think twice about popping them in. Trying to decide whether wearing thermal top and bottoms and shirt and pants and fleece jacket and gloves and hat inside a silk liner with 400g fleece blanket and poncho will be enough if there are no blankets in May/June.

Ditto!

 

[Tia Valeria]

What happens if your poncho is wet??

 

[Kiwi-family]

What happens if your poncho is wet??

I would wipe it with my handkerchief of muslin that masquerades as a towel. And would it not dry after a few hours hanging up inside? Or is that naive optimism? (serious question, not trying to sound obnoxious)

 

[Tia Valeria]

I would have had serious concerns about relying on using my poncho, although my poncho dries in about 2 to 4 hours depending on how dry the atmosphere is. Having said that my sleeping bag weighs 750gms (850 with its compression pack) and was a better option than a liner and fleece. We only took the bags, no liners, to keep weight down. That choice was made before we bought the light bags but would have been more difficult if we had not had to buy my bag anyway. Hope that helps.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Decision made. Today I bought a 500g sleeping bag from Macpac. 40% off - yay. If it is really cold on the Baztan route I can hop into bed with my two boys and we can unzip it and lay it over all three of us, plus use their fleece blankets.
Good compromise?

 

[CanPete]

a Camino compromise !