Sleeping bag vs. Bag liner

[jessebob]

Hi
I will be doing the Camino Frances in April. I want to simply use a sleeping bag liner, but only if the refugios and albergues are warm enough. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks
Jesse Bob

 

[Liv Marit]

Hi, Jesse Bob.

I walked the camino last year, in september. I brought a silk liner and a fleece sleepingbag, to secure both warm and cold nights. I thought. I ended up freezing quite many nights, despite the fact that I used both bags almost every night.

Most albergues have woolen blankets you can borrow, but not all of them looked and smelled like something you would be able to sleep in.

Of course, people are different when it comes to when they start to get cold at night, but the nights I froze were bad, and I got a serious cold when I arrived in Santiago.

Good luck with packing, and buen camino !

Liv

 

[Deleted member 397]

Take a sleeping bag. Mine is rated to 0 c and I used it on the vdlp last may/june.It weighed about 1.3kgs and there were nights were it proved invaluable. I don't know about you but to have a decent nights sleep I need an adequate sleeping bag-a sheet is not enough

 

[Trudy]

Hi, I walked part of the Camino Frances last year and some nights, especially on the meseta, were quite cold. So I was really glad to have my sleeping bag. Also took a silk liner, but used that to cover the pillows!

 

[spursfan]

Just to provide an alternative view - walked in late April / early May and took a sleeping bag - nearly always got a blanket and as a result was sometimes too warm; this year I'll take just a silk sleeping bag liner and hope for blankets (though might take some thermal underwear just in case)

 

[BobM]

Having a re-think about sleeping bag

. . Mine is rated to 0 c and I used it on the vdlp last may/june.It weighed about 1.3kgs and there were nights were it proved invaluable.

My "lightweight"sleeping bag (not sure of the rating) weighs 1.6kg, incl the compression bag that I will use as a pillow case - if I take this bag.

My concern with it is the weight, and volume it takes up in my 35L pack.

I have not bought a sleeping bag for a while, so I don't know what the new bags weigh. Can anyone comment on the weight of the sleeping bag they use? I did see one packing list with an 800gm bag.

BTW, my camino starts on May 18, finishing on June 26.

Bob M

 

[spursfan]

your old "lightweight" bag is now very very heavy

I treated myself to a PHD Minimus bag (down to 5C) that weighs 465g albeit expensive (£154) - typically classed as ultralight

 

[Anonymous]

Sleeping bags, super duper light, forever :!: Best, xm 8)

 

[BobM]

your old "lightweight" bag is now very very heavy

I treated myself to a PHD Minimus bag (down to 5C) that weighs 465g albeit expensive (£154) - typically classed as ultralight

That's incredibly light! Following spursfan's post, I have just done a quick search of Mountain Designs, Kathmandu and MacPac websites and I see there is a great range of sleeping bags now rated approx +5C, but weighing commonly 850 gm or so.

So, it is back to the shops for me. I really need to save that 1kg - or add a small luxury like a silk whip (oops . . . I mean silk liner) to my load.
Regards
Bob M

 

[Anonymous]

BobM

I have just done a quick search of Mountain Designs, Kathmandu and MacPac websites and I see there is a great range of sleeping bags now rated approx +5C, but weighing commonly 850 gm or so.

Can u share the web site addresses?

Thanks,

xm 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Got it, Bob M! Best, xm 8)

 

[BobM]

Mountain Designs, Kathmandu and MacPac websites and I see there is a great range of sleeping bags now rated approx +5C, but weighing commonly 850 gm or so.

Can u share the web site addresses?

xm 8)[/quote]

Here they are:

Mountain Designs has a mountain climbing flavour and emphasis. I have bought a tent and a Kashgar 150 sleeping bag from them some years ago and the quality is very good.

http://www.mountaindesigns.com.au/index ... eLocations

I have a soft spot for Kathmandu. If I have the story right, Kathmandu was founded by a slightly reclusive NZ lady years ago to make good quality adventure gear because she could never find good quality adventure gear designed by users for users. The company has recently been sold I believe. They have a buyers club with up to 20% discounts
http://www.kathmandu.com.au/ Staff are very knowledgeable, because they are users, not just sales staff. Same for Mountain Designs, actually.

I have a MacPack daypack and 67L rucksack. The quality is excellent - heavy cordura fabric, zips that last etc. Have not bought any of their sleeping gear.
http://www.macpac.co.nz/

Paddy Palin is another good company in Australia, but aimed slightly more at the fashion and also camping end of the adventure market - at least from my visits to their Melbourne shop. Google for their website.

As it turns out, I bought a 650gm, 0C, 800 loft down sleeping bag from Paddy Palin this morning. Expensive at A$404, after 10% discount. The cost of a bag depends on the loft, and 800 is quite high. Higher loft numbers mean lighter weight and volume for the same temperature rating. I also learned that synthetics don't compress as well as down, so you end up with a bigger item.

If you live in Melbourne, or can get there easily, all the above companies have shops in the same area (Hardware St), so comparison shopping is very easy. They also have seasonal summer, winter sales with large price reductions.

Hope this is helpful for Aussie readers.

Regards
Bob M

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info, BobM. Best, xm 8)

 

[Minkey]

I've got some Mountain Hardwear stuff that'd quite good. MHW 57l rucksack, and a down sleeping bag, that although takes up more space than my other emergency sleeping bag, is a bit lighter and stuffing it into it's pouch is a doddle.

 

[Anonymous]

MHW 57l rucksack

Website info?

Thanks,

xm 8)

 

[Minkey]

I can't seem to find it... mainly because I can't remember what it's called! It's a 55l sack, although because I bought a large size, it's 57l

Check out MHW here

Oh... it's the Foray

 

[Anonymous]

Check out MHW here

Oh... it's the Foray

Got it,

Thanks,

xm 8)

 

[LaurenE]

It seems like the lightest and warmest bags are goose down filled. Down sounds great for ultralight-ness but what about those dreaded bed-bugs? You can't wash a down bag. If you do get them, you'll just have to suffer the rest of the way and your expensive bag is forever ruined. You can always throw a synthetic bag in the wash on HOT.
Lauren

 

[BobM]

Bed Bugs

Down sounds great for ultralight-ness but what about those dreaded bed-bugs?Lauren

Have a look at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bugs for all you ever want to know about these beasties. A propos Sleeping bags, the following quote from Wikipedia is relevant:

Female bedbugs can lay up to five eggs in a day. The eggs are visible to the naked eye measuring 1 mm in length and are a milky-white in color. The eggs hatch in one to two weeks. The hatchlings begin feeding immediately. They pass through five molting stages before they reach maturity. They must feed once during each of these stages. At room temperature, it takes about 5 weeks for a bedbug to pass from hatching, through the stages, to maturity. They become reproductively active only at maturity.

So, a sleeping bag left unused for 5 weeks (and preferably aired and sunned) will kill off any larvae.

Regards
Bob M

 

[Anonymous]

BobM, ugly little things...thanks for the info. Best, xm

 

[Minkey]

Lauren, you can dry clean em... Erm... Anyway, i think I'm changing my mind about how to pack in what. I think I'll just take my smaller bag in a smaller pack

 

[Anonymous]

take my smaller bag in a smaller pac

That's it.

 

[Minkey]

Trouble is, as I've said before the other is easy to pack away... But I guess for the sake of a couple of minutes...

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds lighter 2

 

[Minkey]

I'm not sure if the sound factor has anything to do with it

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the weight will be lighter 2 :lol:

 

[pjdine]

I've just gone into the silk bag topic under the 'packing' heading - but I am in the process of making mine out of old silk shirts because I am too much of a cheapskate to buy one ('use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without' - for any of you Americans old enough to remember that from WWII). I'll tell you how I get on with it.

But the main reason for this entry is that I have just found a product in a pharmacy over here that claims to proof fabric for up to 2 weeks from biting insects - actually killing them on contact (so it claims), so intend to treat said home-made bag before I leave. The stuff is called 'Bug-proof Clothing Treatment' and contains Permethrin. It is made by Nomad Medical, 3-4 Wellington Terrace, Turnpike Lane, London N8 0PX (no website mentioned). It cost £5 for 100mL - but worth it if it works against bedbugs!

 

[Janeh]

also check out the "one planet" ultra light sleeping bags - they weigh 500gm, are super luxurious 800 loft and pack into the palm of your hand. I saw them at the Scout Shop in Adelaide, but check out their web site for those that are interested:

http://www.oneplanet.com.au/OP%20Web/le ... tow150.htm