Sleeping bag or liner?

[Luka]

Does anyone know if a sleeping bag is necessary in May? Are there blankets in the average albergue on the Via de la Plata?

 

[alansykes]

I just used a liner in November-December, so would assume in May that'll be fine. There were blankets everywhere I stayed.

 

[hotelmedicis]

Have you tried sleeping in your sleeping bag liner at home in a chilly unheated room? Perhaps with a window opened just a crack to give a bit of a draft?

I walked the Camino Frances in the month of July (2001) with only a flannel sleeping bag liner and boy, was I cold in the middle of the night. There may be provided blankets, but is it a certainty? How much does your sleeping bag liner weight compared to an ultralight down sleeping bag from Marmot or Zpacks.com ?

Personally I like to sleep warm, with the added comfort of knowing in advance that I will sleep warm at night, so I now always travel with some sort of sleeping bag, usually my Marmot Helium.

Let us know how it goes in May and what you decide! Best of luck.

 

[Luka]

@alansykes, wat a coincidence, I read your posts on the website of the Guardian earlier today and just now found your reply here. I will read your blog as well! Thanks for the information. This sounds like I could take the chance!

@hotelmedicis, my sleeping bag weights 1200 grams, my liner about 170, so yes, a significant difference. The thing is that I have problems sleeping in mummy sleeping bags and I haven't found a light weight blanket sleeping bag yet.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There are lots of sleep sacks on eBay -- 130 grams for this one with built in pillow case:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Royal-Blue-Faux ... 2a136b34fc

 

[Luka]

Yep, I have one quite similar, but that is a liner, isn't it?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

At 650 grams:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Camping ... 4d06440548

I have used one like it, and it was not much warmer than my nylon sleep sack. I think "liner" and "sleeping sack" are interchangeable terms.

 

[hotelmedicis]

@alansykes, wat a coincidence, I read your posts on the website of the Guardian earlier today and just now found your reply here. I will read your blog as well! Thanks for the information. This sounds like I could take the chance!

@hotelmedicis, my sleeping bag weights 1200 grams, my liner about 170, so yes, a significant difference. The thing is that I have problems sleeping in mummy sleeping bags and I haven't found a light weight blanket sleeping bag yet.

Your liner is not in the shape of a mummy bag?

There's a significant difference between your liner (170g) and your sleeping bag (1200g) however I don't know what your sleeping is made of or capable of. As you don't like mummy bags that option is out, so what you need is some king of down quilt that will give you lots of room to move around. Mummy bags with a full-length zipper (most Marmot bags have this) will give you this option, allowing you to unzip it all the way and just drape it over your body as you sleep. Have a look at what Zpacks are making in Florida for down quilts. Their 40 degree (+4.4 C) twin quilt (yes, TWIN!) weighs a mere 523g, that is to say, 353g more than your liner and certainly much warmer. And in twin size, you'll have plenty of room.

http://zpacks.com/quilts/twinquilt.shtml

Which is not say that this is for you. Perhaps a liner is all you need. As reports indicate that blankets are available perhaps you don't need a sleeping bag. I however wouldn't leave home without one, evean at 1.2 kgs.

 

[Luka]

@falcon, well then I prefer my 170 grams liner, I guess...

@hotelmedicis, I have a liner in 'blanket shape'. I thought of the option of using a mummy but zipping it al open. But that means I need something to cover the mattress, which will add extra weight again. Last summer I walked in France for three weeks with just a liner. It wasn't a problem. There were always blankets and sometimes I slept in chambre d'hotes or little hotels, because there was no special accomodation for pilgrims. I would prefer my sleeping bag, but the difference is about 1 kg, which is a lot!

I will take a look at a chain here in the Netherlands with very cheap stuff (Xenos). I heard that they might sell something like a 'summer sleeping bag': still lightweight, but thicker than a liner. They also have a fleece liner, which might be an option as well.

 

[camino07]

Bitter cold last April/May. Certainly needed my cosy sleeping bag plus a blanket on top......

 

[Luka]

That is pretty unusual for the time of the year, isn't it?

 

[hotelmedicis]

That is pretty unusual for the time of the year, isn't it?

Beautiful snow at O Cebreiro 15 April 2012

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/album/gali ... 166571.htm

Be prepared for very cold weather, snow and freezing rain and then you will then be ready for the worst.

 

[cmxev]

I walked the vdlp last May and June and there were about 4 albergues where the sleeping bag was useful. If the blankets seemed ok, I used them to avoid unpacking the compression sack. I also used it in order to sleep outdoors once and that was fun. i would definitely bring it again.

 

[ajloughran]

Hi,
Was pondering this issue and came to he conclusion that I would take my sleeping bag (1kg) and a liner and wait and see what happens. If the conditions are suitable for a liner I will post my sleeping bag on to a foward location for uplift and forward on again as needs be. It is not costly and 1kg down can make a lot of difference.
regards,
Arthur Loughran

 

[nalod]

You are getting loads of conflicting advice. I have used a liner silk 170gms in late Aug Sept in France. Used a sleeping bag on other trips.

My Advice stick with a LINER it will be great comfort to have small size and weight and really if it does get cold BUY a basic sleeping (I dont think you will need to).

I have done Camino Mozarabe and part of Via de La Plata this year and weather was awful so the law of averages says the weather will be great in May, be forever an Optimist, you will live happier that way.

 

[Katakun]

You'll be fine with a sheet liner....as long as you have a warm jacket....only 2 places didn't have blankets on the bed for the first third of the VdlP I've done so far and think those places would have found you something if you asked. In 2005 it seemed like only half of the Albergues on the Frances had blankets.

 

[robventures]

I walked the VdlP last year in May with just a good liner.

I only came across two albergues without blankets (I remember that Castilblanco was one), so it is definitely doable, but you might make different albergue choices and have less luck. There is also a risk of a limited blanket supply being claimed before you stop for the evening.

I'm actually walking part of the VdlP again this May, and taking a light sleeping bag (680g according to the manufacturer) this time. Make of that what you will.

 

[Luka]

I have chosen something in between in the end. I arrived in Sevilla today land I brought a 600 gr thin sleepingbag.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Luka. Can you give me the name of the store and the make of the bag? I'm conflicted as to whether to bring my down bag or buy one in Seville. How much did you pay? Thanks. I'm excited to follow you next week!

 

[robventures]

I'm not Luka, but the Decathlon one I linked above isn't expensive and listed on their site as 680g. Hoping Luka gets to reply as I want to buy mine soon and wondering if there is a better (cheaper/lighter/warmer) option.

 

[Luka]

I bought mine in the Netherlands, Annie. At Xenos for 24 euros (if I remember well).

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ok thanks. I think I'll just take my down bag.

 

[jaws101]

We are biking the VdlP starting on 15 May and are taking our very light weight Decathlon bags. We used them last year on the Frances and found them OK, using blankets also on some occasions. You need to balance the weight carried with the use you make of them (e.g. how often will blankets not be available to supplement). If you are happy with the weight of your pack, including your sleeping bags,then go with what you know.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The last time I attempted the VDLP it was August and about 110 degrees in the shade and a liner would have sufficed. My concern now is people saying they 'froze' at night in May and June. I usually carry about 14 pounds but also remember having to carry much more water weight on the VDLP than on the Frances which is why I'm trying to decide if I need the extra 2 pounds of a sleeping bag.

I also won't walk more than 25 or so k per day so I plan on sleeping out occasionally. My main concerns are being cold and Mosquitos.

If I were biking neither probably would concern me. But I'm walking and the weight is an issue.

I have a Marmot Pounder Plus but the darned thing is in another city.

thought about cutting my down bag into a blanket but remembered the $450 price and reconsidered. Lol. Anyway, I'll figure it out. Thanks all.

 

[marji]

Well, another "momentous" decision made.
I usually travel with a liner and rely on an abundance of blankets (even if on the dusty n dirty side).
I just bought a Roman Palm sleeping bag, however, and feel relieved that I now have my own bed, so to speak. Yes, super compact and weighs .9 kg. Perhaps on the heavier side for some of you, but I don't enjoy feeling cold at night and my pack will still be under 10 kilos...

 

[jirit]

Given the deep freeze that rolled into Spain during the past few days, a sleeping bag along with blankets is necessary if you do not want to freeze at night

 

[Luka]

Agree. A lot of people were complaining about the cold last night and the albergue in Castilblanco only had 3 blankets...

 

[Anniesantiago]

Today I bit the bullet. I took the heavy zipper out if my down sleeping bag. I cut off the hood and hemmed the top. It now weighs 1.5 pounds and will be warm as toast. It was difficult to make the first cut but I'm happy I did it.

 

[hotelmedicis]

It's hard to imagine setting off on a journey of 1,000 kilometers and not carrying at least a lightweight sleeping bag. Sleep is no less important than food. Today's bags with upwards of 800 or 900 down fill-power can be incredibly warm as well as light. As I've written before, I've spent many cold nights in the middle of summer in Spain because my fleece sleeping bag liner was not warm enough. The difference in weight between a liner and a lightweight bag could be as little as 300 grams.
Sweet dreams everyone!