Austinpaterson
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Future Camino
Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Austin
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Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Thanks … this is such a great forum - I’m very grateful-I have walked the CF 3 times in April / May.
It's usually not cold, other than high in the mountains.
What type of accommodation are you planning to use?
For Albergues, I think most people would say a liner is sufficient.
But that was pre-Covid.
Those who have walked recently might be able to give an update though, as during Covid maybe blankets are not provided?
I have taken a lightweight 5degC bag on each of my pilgrimages, and never regretted that. Perhaps as I grow older, I am less cold tolerant than in my youth. So I am prepared to carry the weight to give me the flexibility of staying in less well-heated places, and to not rely on albergue blankets, etc.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Here you goThanks Doug … I must check out the way to send stuff forward to Santiago along the way!
Cheers
Austin
Hello Austin, I was curious about the same issue, packing lists appear to be for summer or winter. With blankets being removed it seems it would be necessary to pack something in addition to a liner. Previously I have packed both a liner only and a liner plus sleeping bag, excessive but it was my first Camino. I hope to arrive in St Jean in mid/late April.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
YesHi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
ABSOLUTELY!! A very light weight bag is best and essential. Albergues provide beds but no bedding. I took a liner sheet and a very light weight sleeping bag. I spread my liner sheet on the bed and put my sleeping bag on top. Buen Camino!!Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Absolutely! Most albergues don't provide linens for their beds and I took a very light weight sleeping bag as well as a liner. Most nights I would spread my liner on the top of the bed and my bag on top of that. I walked in May and there were chilly nights.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Austin: I concur with the recommendation that Esperanza made about down blankets. I carried one rated to 30F (Brooks Range Cloak 30) when I walked in Oct/Nov 2013. I plan to carry it again this April/May, and my daughter will also carry one. Mine blanket with compression sacks weighs about 24 ounces and is the size of a large container of cottage cheese. Unless you plan to sleep outdoors, you really don't need a full size sleeping bag with the weight and bulk. Another option to a down blanket is to carry a US military "woobie" poncho liner blanket. Warm, lightweight, just a bit more bulky, fast drying. Here's a link what they look like. Buen Camino.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Hi, Yes, you should take a lightweight down sleeping bag. I have taken one on the four Caminos I have walked, and have found I needed it, not often, but at least half a dozen times. Some Albergues do not offer blankets, or the blankets on offer on less than optimal. Sometimes you will encounter a cold snap where having a sleeping bag makes the difference between a cold night and a comfortable one. There is one item that is even more important than a sleeping bag and that is a sleeping bag liner. Get a good quality silk one, they are expensive but well worth it. I used mine every night; that and a albergue supplied blanket would be all that I needed. The advantage of a silk one over cotton or synthetic is that you can wash it easily, and it dries very quickly. Buen Camino!Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
I toss and turn, too, and the combo of the nylon shell of the blanket and my silk liner is so slippery, the blanket is on the floor before I can even get in. My solution was a couple of safety pins to anchor it in place. The blanket is very light, so it doesn’t take much to hold it. I put the highest one at chest height so I can still flip down the blanket if I get too warm. The pins worked okay, but were inconvenient. Next time I am going to sew on a few tiny ribbons to tie the two together.The down blankets sound like a good option for some, but I usually toss and turn while sleeping. I would end up not being half covered or it could slide off on the floor.
I make silk sleep sacks and put loops inside and outside to attach a down blanket to. I usually use the down blanket inside the sleep sack.I toss and turn, too, and the combo of the nylon shell of the blanket and my silk liner is so slippery, the blanket is on the floor before I can even get in. My solution was a couple of safety pins to anchor it in place. The blanket is very light, so it doesn’t take much to hold it. I put the highest one at chest height so I can still flip down the blanket if I get too warm. The pins worked okay, but were inconvenient. Next time I am going to sew on a few tiny ribbons to tie the two together.
Thanks … I will take my trusty old bag - I hope to be in St Jean at the end of April - you never know, we might meet up!Hello Austin, I was curious about the same issue, packing lists appear to be for summer or winter. With blankets being removed it seems it would be necessary to pack something in addition to a liner. Previously I have packed both a liner only and a liner plus sleeping bag, excessive but it was my first Camino. I hope to arrive in St Jean in mid/late April.
Many thanks … I will have a look at the linkI make silk sleep sacks and put loops inside and outside to attach a down blanket to. I usually use the down blanket inside the sleep sack.
Unfortunately, Costco hasn't sold the really lightweight and inexpensive down blankets for a couple of years now. I used to be able to find the same blankets on Amazon, but they are all gone now too.
Here's a couple that I've found that could work
These from Montbell are very nice. I have the medium size blanket - it's very small, but fits well inside my sleep sack.
Search Result | Montbell America
www.montbell.us
Down Blanket M
Fitted with snaps and lightweight adjustable cords, this down blanket easily converts to a shawl...www.montbell.us
I'm walking in April as well. From what I understand due to Covid many if not all Albergues aren't providing blankets and you need to bring a sleepsack or bag.......So I'm bringing my down sleeping bag which weighs 11oz.....Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Yes! April can be cold and wet. Even when the weather is warm, there are some albergues that are cold due to their stone construction and/or lack of heat. I take an indoor/outdoor sleeping bag that is warm down to 15C and a silk sleep sack. Both are lightweight and invaluable at 3a.m. in a cold albergue.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
Yes, a huge and heavy blanket will cover you more thoroughly! However, you can get away with a smaller and lighter cover, if you can manage the down-quilt-inside-a-liner method. I have found that even placing an open down vest (sleeveless) over my hips and torso inside my sleeping bag can provide very helpful warmth. That will depend on how much you flail about during the night, and whether you like to turn over within the bag, or if you prefer to flip your entire self and bag over, and also on the friction coefficient between your sleeping attire and your coverings.I don’t understand how it would cover me and especially my backside and knees if I slept on my side. My blanket on the outside drapes over the edge of the bed, just like a normal blanket, and I am covered no matter how I toss and turn.
You have described the flailing in perfect detail.That will depend on how much you flail about during the night, and whether you like to turn over within the bag, or if you prefer to flip your entire self and bag over, and also on the friction coefficient between your sleeping attire and your coverings.
Just to be clear, my down blanket is neither huge nor heavy. It weighs about 8 ounces/ less than .25 kg. I roll around a bit, but I don’t come close to flailing about.Yes, a huge and heavy blanket will cover you more thoroughly! However, you can get away with a smaller and lighter cover, if you can manage the down-quilt-inside-a-liner method. I have found that even placing an open down vest (sleeveless) over my hips and torso inside my sleeping bag can provide very helpful warmth. That will depend on how much you flail about during the night, and whether you like to turn over within the bag, or if you prefer to flip your entire self and bag over, and also on the friction coefficient between your sleeping attire and your coverings.
The only way to determine what will work for you is to test it at home!
I don't think you are missing anything. It simply doesn't work for you, so I wouldn't advocate changing from what does work. It is just an option for people to consider.Maybe I am missing something. Obviously, it works for some people, but my system is already trail-tested and works perfectly for me.
Good advice but… it could (and in my case it did!) get colder once around O Cebreiro or even on the way to Finisterre ( and that was in July!).And be prepared to post it forward once you cleared the Pyrenees and it might start to get warmer later in Apr. You should then have a better idea about how much you are using it.
Many thanks … I will definitely take mine now-Good advice but… it could (and in my case it did!) get colder once around O Cebreiro or even on the way to Finisterre ( and that was in July!).
If you intend to sleep in albergues, I wouldn’t ever go without a sleeping bag (or some equivalent like a quilt etc). As long as it is lightweight of course
True, and I puzzled over that when I wrote my earlier response. The first time I walked the CF I crossed the Pyrenees in late Mar, and used my bag every night except in Burgos and Leon, where I stayed in hotels. That said, I was opening up my bag and using it as a quilt towards the end, and that worked as well. There was a combination here of it getting warmer and tending not to stay in municipal albergues.Good advice but… it could (and in my case it did!) get colder once around O Cebreiro or even on the way to Finisterre ( and that was in July!).
I think I got one of your sleep sacks for Christmas this year! Camino+Casa - a beautiful large silk sleep sack, dyed blue and purple, with a matching pillowcase, a light down blanket/quilt sewn inside on one side and straps to attach the blanket to the albergue mattress so I don't get tangled up in it while I sleep. I figure on hot nights I sleep with the down beneath me and on cold nights with it above me. The perfect Camino sleeping system. I'm not sure how heavy it is but it seems significantly lighter than any sleeping bag I've used.I make silk sleep sacks and put loops inside and outside to attach a down blanket to. I usually use the down blanket inside the sleep sack.
Unfortunately, Costco hasn't sold the really lightweight and inexpensive down blankets for a couple of years now. I used to be able to find the same blankets on Amazon, but they are all gone now too.
Here's a couple that I've found that could work
These from Montbell are very nice. I have the medium size blanket - it's very small, but fits well inside my sleep sack.
Search Result | Montbell America
www.montbell.us
Down Blanket M
Fitted with snaps and lightweight adjustable cords, this down blanket easily converts to a shawl...www.montbell.us
Yes, you did!I think I got one of your sleep sacks for Christmas this year! Camino+Casa - a beautiful large silk sleep sack, dyed blue and purple, with a matching pillowcase, a light down blanket/quilt sewn inside on one side and straps to attach the blanket to the albergue mattress so I don't get tangled up in it while I sleep. I figure on hot nights I sleep with the down beneath me and on cold nights with it above me. The perfect Camino sleeping system. I'm not sure how heavy it is but it seems significantly lighter than any sleeping bag I've used.
Many thanksThe cost of energy has gone through the roof in Spain (and possibly other European countries) so the chances of staying in an unheated or less heated albergues/casa rurals/hostals are higher than they were. Several people wrote about experiencing unheated and all-but-unheated accommodations this fall.
And as others noted, blankets in albergues are sparse or unavailable.
For me, I'm planning to walk in early April, I tend towards cold, and I'll be bringing a quilt or sleeping bag.
Any particular down blanket you recommend?Hi Austin,
Consider a down blanket … they are sold here in the states as a lap blanket to bring to a sporting event at an outdoor stadium in colder weather. I don’t feel like I need a complete sleeping bag, but I also don’t want to rely on albergues supplying blankets. Since Covid, they aren’t all providing them anymore, apparently, so maybe there won’t always be one when I want one, and I really do not like to be cold at night. My down blanket is perfect, and it’s at least half the weight and bulk of a sleeping bag.
Also consider how you can utilize clothing that you are already carrying to keep you warm at night. Wearing a stocking cap to bed will keep you much warmer, as will socks and long johns. I am thinking of bringing a scarf/wrap kind of thing to wear for extra warmth in the evening and morning, but doing double duty as a second small blanket or shawl at night. I realize that might not be something most men would wear, but it’s an example of getting multiple uses from everything I carry. A sleeping bag is a lot of weight and bulk to carry for just a single use.
You can also find much more expensive down quilts from companies like Enlightened Equipment.@Antananarivo
I have one from Costco that I bought a few years ago. Apparently they are no longer available. Trecile posted a few links to similar ones in response #22, above.
Seriously jealous!I think I got one of your sleep sacks for Christmas this year! Camino+Casa - a beautiful large silk sleep sack, dyed blue and purple, with a matching pillowcase, a light down blanket/quilt sewn inside on one side and straps to attach the blanket to the albergue mattress so I don't get tangled up in it while I sleep. I figure on hot nights I sleep with the down beneath me and on cold nights with it above me. The perfect Camino sleeping system. I'm not sure how heavy it is but it seems significantly lighter than any sleeping bag I've used.
I bought one of your sleep sacks for my del Norte Camino. I love it and the tye dye colors are beautiful and unique. Mine came with snaps so I could snap the very lightweight down quilted blanket either inside or on top. It also has the elastic bands so I could secure it to all corners of the mattress to keep it from sliding around. Worked like a charm. It was perfect for a summer Camino. There it is pictured with my kit.I make silk sleep sacks and put loops inside and outside to attach a down blanket to. I usually use the down blanket inside the sleep sack.
I bought one of your sleep sacks for my del Norte Camino. I love it and the tye dye colors are beautiful and unique. Mine came with snaps so I could snap the very lightweight down quilted blanket either inside or on top. It also has the elastic bands so I could secure it to all corners of the mattress to keep it from sliding around. Worked like a charm. It was perfect for a summer Camino. There it is pictured with my kit.
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@Austinpaterson For my Fall and Spring Camino’s I did have a lightweight sleeping bag and was glad I did. It was like my little warm snuggly cocoon on those damp/wet chilly nights and early mornings. Shop around and you’ll find a light and inexpensive one, I did back in 2013.
Buen Camino
$30 sleeping bag. Made for a good night's sleep.Hi … I’m hoping to do the CF in April 2022 … do you think I would need to take a sleeping bag? Thanks
Austin
My apologies- apparently the Costco down blanket I purchased is this year's version of the down camping blanket, not the mythical unicorn one.
You're right. The blanket that Costco had this year is much different from the previous version. I bought a several of them on Amazon - perhaps the last few that they had. I cut them in half to be used inside sleep sacks that I make.@BookGirl305
That is not the one they used to have at Costco, if this is what you’re talking about: https://cascademountaintech.com/products/adventure-blanket
It isn’t down, it’s larger, probably a lot bulkier, and weighs 2 pounds, which is about four times as heavy. If one is trying to keep total weight under, say, 12-15 pounds, there is just no room in the weight budget for a completely unnecessary extra pound and a half. It might be an option for some folks, but at that weight and bulk, I personally don’t see any advantage over a lightweight down sleeping bag, much less a down blanket. YMMV.
It’s been several years since Costco had the “mythical” down blanket, and I rather doubt they’ll carry it again. I’m a very long term Costco shopper, and what I have seen is that when something is gone for that long, it’s gone forever.
The blanket you got for Christmas looks quite nice, but Thinsulate wouldn’t be my choice for the trifecta I want for backpacking, which is warm, lightweight, and compact. Down wins in all three categories.
I am starting my journey on March 30th from SJPP. My prior two Caminos were in May and September. I didn't pack a sleeping bag but blankets were generally available. Given the Covid era, the likelihood of not having a blanket is high as I understand it. I purchased a 50F rated bag which is rather compact - I'll be bringing that along this time. Happy New Year to all!You're right. The blanket that Costco had this year is much different from the previous version. I bought a several of them on Amazon - perhaps the last few that they had. I cut them in half to be used inside sleep sacks that I make.
For lightweight down blankets the Montbell ones are a lot more expensive than the old Costco blankets, but they are better quality, and the fabric isn't as slippery. And they are certainly more affordable than the quilts from Enlightened Equipment.
For anyone looking for the mythical unicorn Costco down blanket, occasionally they can be found on ebay, but they are several times the original Costco price.My apologies- apparently the Costco down blanket I purchased is this year's version of the down camping blanket, not the mythical unicorn one.
I'm walking in April as well. From what I understand due to Covid many if not all Albergues aren't providing blankets and you need to bring a sleepsack or bag.......So I'm bringing my down sleeping bag which weighs 11oz.....
Washing in very hot water is not necessary. 20-30 minutes in a hot dryer is what kills the bugs and their eggs. If you also want to wash it I would do so after the hot dryer heat treatment at the manufacturer's recommended temperature.One thing to be mindful of with Down is you're likely going to need to wash your sleeping bag on the way due to bedbugs, in very hot water (
Washing in very hot water is not necessary. 20-30 minutes in a hot dryer is what kills the bugs and their eggs. If you also want to wash it I would do so after the hot dryer heat treatment at the manufacturer's recommended temperature.
Yeah, for a quilt that expensive I wouldn't risk it either. I have a much cheaper down blanket.For a 500 dollar quilt, it's not worth the risk for me Im afraid.
Yeah, for a quilt that expensive I wouldn't risk it either. I have a much cheaper down blanket.
Thanks. that something to consider.....would hate bedbugs.One thing to be mindful of with Down is you're likely going to need to wash your sleeping bag on the way due to bedbugs, in very hot water (and hit it in the dryer as well) to kill them.
Synthetics can handle this no problems, but it wrecks down.
I'm leaving my 600 gram 950fp UGQ down UL hiking quilt at home for this very reason nd bringing my much cheaper and 200 gram heavier military issued synthetic Woobie.
200 grams heavier, but I dread exposing my 500 Australian dollar quilt to bedbugs and wrecking it in the wash, and waiting days for it to dry properly.
brand?Yes! April can be cold and wet. Even when the weather is warm, there are some albergues that are cold due to their stone construction and/or lack of heat. I take an indoor/outdoor sleeping bag that is warm down to 15C and a silk sleep sack. Both are lightweight and invaluable at 3a.m. in a cold albergue.
Alpkit do a down quilt that gets good reviews , I have one on preorder at the momentFor anyone looking for the mythical unicorn Costco down blanket, occasionally they can be found on ebay, but they are several times the original Costco price.
Here's a couple of listings
Double Black Diamond Packable Down Throw with Stuff Sack 60"x70" Gray/Storm NWT | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Double Black Diamond Packable Down Throw with Stuff Sack 60"x70" Gray/Storm NWT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.comDouble Black Diamond Packable Down Throw with Stuff Sack 60"x70" Gray/Storm NWT | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Double Black Diamond Packable Down Throw with Stuff Sack 60"x70" Gray/Storm NWT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
There is also this one on Amazon
Bedbugs are unaffected by the filling if a sleeping bag. Down or synthetic, it is all the same to them. In terms of killing bedbugs, the inability to wash down sleeping bags in hot water shouldn't be an issue either. Bedbugs are killed by very hot drying. Of the many factors for choosing between down and synthetic, I wouldn't make bedbugs one of them.Thanks. that something to consider.....would hate bedbugs.
I bought it at Mountain Equipment Co-op, MEC brand.brand?