Sleeping bag?

[LisaMc]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

 

[Grousedoctor]

If you are staying in albergues and considering the time of the year, I’d recommend that you carry a sleeping bag. It may be that some albergues offer blankets, but that’s not guaranteed. So, I would err on the conservative side and plan for needing a bag. The one I carry weighs no more one pound so it adds very little weight to an already light pack. Enjoy your Camino!

 

[LisaMc]

If you are staying in albergues and considering the time of the year, I’d recommend that you carry a sleeping bag. It may be that some albergues offer blankets, but that’s not guaranteed. So, I would err on the conservative side and plan for needing a bag. The one I carry weighs no more one pound so it adds very little weight to an already light pack. Enjoy your Camino!

Thank you very much for the information. A simple answer to a simple question is all I was looking for and I spent ages working through the very many threads that mention the words 'sleeping bag' without getting any clarity.
I really appreciate the help...and am now going to look out my sleeping bag!

 

[FourSeasons]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

I highly recommend taking a sleeping bag this time of year. Burrr. I just googled lightweight sleeping bags and a few sites came up. One in particular Stealth Angel. Prices and weight look good. Plenty of options. Buen Camino

 

[Former member 92300]

Yes, bring a sleeping bag. I walked in June/July and I was cold almost every night. A lightweight down bag is ideal as they are very light and compress very small in your backpack.

Unless you are staying in private rooms - those may have blankets. But dorm rooms generally do not offer them - or those that did may not be offering due to COVID. I found very few albergues with blankets due to COVID this past summer.

 

[LisaMc]

Thank you everyone

 

[C clearly]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

The answer to your question depends very much on what type of accommodation you choose. In general, you will get sheets, blankets and towels if you pay for a private room in hotels or hostales. Usually you will not, if you are staying in albergues. Some albergues used to have blankets available, but now fewer do because of Covid cleaning requirements.

 

[jsalt]

100km from Sarria starting next week

Welcome to the forum.

If you intend staying in the cheapest accommodations, then definitely take a sleeping bag at this time of the year, as many places have had to remove blankets due to covid requirements.

If you have booked private rooms in budget hotels, then a sleeping bag is not necessary.

Do report back sometime about whether you needed one or not, as everything has all changed during covid, and we welcome news from those who are walking now.

Many thanks, and Buen Camino!

 

[RJM]

Yes, bring a lightweight sleeping bag. Besides, Sarria to Santiago is at the most a week's worth of walking. Can't really overpack for that.

 

[norbert]

A silk sleeping bag or so is in my view sufficient. Buen camino !

 

[Xali1970]

Carrying a sleeping bag is like an insurance policy... carry one. It's easier to look at one than to look for one.

 

[benny aumala]

https://novaprosports.com.au/products/compact-ultralight-sleeping-bag-naturehike-0-72kg-dark-blue

Use it like a quilt.
Benny

 

[nedjinski]

You can save yourself some packed size and weight by going with what is now called a quilt - specifically a down quilt - all the advantages of a "sleeping bag" without the bulk and weight - here's a good example -

Flex 30°F Quilt

Stay warm on next trip with the Flex 30 Ultralight Quilt from Katabatic Gear.Shop now and experience the ultimate in warmth and versatility.This lightweight quilt is perfect for backpackers.

katabaticgear.com

 

[Julian]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

A silk liner was sufficient. When the temp drops then wear a few more clothes and you’ll be toasty.

 

[TrvlDad1]

A silk liner was sufficient. When the temp drops then wear a few more clothes and you’ll be toasty.

I use this option because I don’t like the bulk of a sleeping bag and have to wrestle it into a stuff sack. I take a silk liner in late spring/summer and a fleece liner other times. You can generally find accommodations with blankets and heat if you’re flexible and look around, especially on the CF.

 

[lt56ny]

Somebody sent a link (all suggestions appreciated of course) that cost $370 US. FO for someone who does alot of camping especially in colder weather this may be worth the price. If you are doing a one off or two you can find much more economical alternatives. I am a budget pilgrim and $370 is more than I have spent for all my Camino clothes. I have walked about 6,000K so I have walked alot. I buy closeouts that are well made but a last year's model as they say. Someone else mentioned a bag for about 60 Australian dollars =40 Euros.
It is good to 15C. I have a similar bag that is a little bigger as mine is extra large (the photo shows a small) that I bought at Decathlon before my 2021 Camino. It was about 40 Euros and it was insulated to 15C. I was walking in December and at worst I had to sleep with a baselayer top and bottom. DIdn't add to weight as I walked in them in cold weather anyway. Most nights I still slept in a tshirt and underwear. Never cold, easy to pack, light and I know this bag will be good for many caminos to come. They had other bags that were more insulated but of course larger and heavier and more money. I do not think you need a heavier bag at all and unless money is no object at all spending $370 US for a bag you will not use that much well I don't think it is worthwhile. Unless of course you will be walking the Appalachian Trail next February!!

 

[cardifflad52]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

 

[cardifflad52]

First of all have a lovely time on the Camino as it has a special place in the hearts of many pilgrims .. As your only doing 100km I expect you can do it with a daypack then either take a sleeping bag with you it saves you buying a sleeping bag liner which I purchased to go from SJPDP in two weeks time ..
Buen Camino

 

[Vince Rollason]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

Hi Lisa
I have been 4 times on full Caminos, walking in April, May, June, July, September and October and I have only ever carried a sleeping bag liner. There have probably been about 3 nights when I have needed to use a blanket. I assume as things open up again that alberques will continue to supply them. The liner is much more compact and lighter to carry.
Buen Camino
Vince

 

[jsalt]

There have probably been about 3 nights when I have needed to use a blanket. I assume as things open up again that alberques will continue to supply them.

So about three nights when you DID need a blanket? Hmmm .

So if the albergue DOESN'T supply blankets (due to NEW covid health regulations), one might have a sleepless night in MARCH due to the cold.

But all is not lost!

I've noticed that many places are now offering blankets or duvets for hire (about 3 euros), as they are not supplying them automatically anymore .

Take a sleeping bag.

 

[SeñorJacques]

Along with deciding between a water bottle or hydration bladder, a poncho or a raincoat, and whether to bring trekking poles or not, the Great Sleeping Bag Issue seems to be one of the most frequently asked questions on this forum.

And like every other "x vs. y" discussion here, some folks on each side of the debate are absolutely convinced that their opinion is "definitely" the correct one - when of course the answer for each individual depends on any number of variables and personal preference.

Personally, I fall squarely within the sleep sack/bag liner camp for any trip where I will be sleeping indoors. The weight and bulk of even the lightest sleeping bag simply isn't worth it for me, whether I'm walking 100K or 1000K. A sleep sack like this one weighs only a few ounces and takes up practically no room in one's pack. If warmth is a concern (as it likely will be during the time of your walk) you can always sleep in extra layers, which you will be carrying anyway. And for extra insurance against the cold, a lightweight fleece blanket like this one can come in handy for other things besides sleeping in an albergue (like napping on a plane or train, as a privacy screen in shared accommodations, a ground cover for picnics, etc.) and will still keep the weight in your pack at a minimum.

Again - this my .02. Your mileage, as they say, may vary

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, I resisted getting on my sleeping bag soapbox for the first twenty responses, but I just can't resist any more!

Here is my standard response to this question.

I think the "should I take a sleeping bag" question is the same as the "what are the best hiking boots" or "which backpack should I use" questions. This is a question that no one else can answer for you because it depends exclusively on your own body. I don't doubt that all of the posters have accurately reported on what feels good for them in those conditions, but they have their own unique internal heating and cooling systems. I always take a lightweight sleeping bag (850 grams), even last year arriving in Santiago in late July. But then I'm what the Spanish call "friolera", someone who gets cold easily. Only you know if that describes you too. If you're the one who always pulls out a sweater to warm up in summer air conditioning, or who needs extra layers when sitting around in the winter, then you will probably be very happy with the decision to carry a sleeping bag. If you sweat a lot and run around the house in shirt sleeves in winter, then you are likely to be fine with something much less.

There is also a gender difference.

Why women secretly turn up the heating

While male and female body temperatures are similar, subtle biological difference conspire to make household temperatures a perennial bone of contention

www.theguardian.com

So my bottom line is that all I can tell you is whether I would need a sleeping bag. Which will be totally irrelevant for your decision whether YOU will need a sleeping bag. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[SeñorJacques]

But then I'm what the Spanish call "friolera", someone who gets cold easily.

Thank you for this sane and reasonable response - and also for teaching me another new word (the third new one I've learned on these forums this weekend, as it happens.) Not to derail the current discussion, but is there a corresponding word in Spanish for someone who runs hot?

 

[vjpdx]

Not to derail the current discussion, but is there a corresponding word in Spanish for someone who runs hot?

Caluroso - as in, I used to be calurosa but now I'm friolera.

 

[Karl Oz]

Hi All
I'm planning my first taste of a Camino, doing the 100km from Sarria starting next week.
I've found the forum very useful in helping me put together a packing list but I can't find any specifics on sleeping bags. Am I likely to need one?
Thanking you in advance for helping me

Take one. It can get cold at night without one, and if it does you will spend a miserable evening.