Sleeping bags again ... but in winter this time

[Elizabay]

I am planning to walk from SJPdP to Santiago, then on to Fisterra and Muxia, in February and March 2016. Of course I will have a down bag and silk liner but, given winter conditions and unheated albergues, and sometimes the absence of blankets, the question is ... what weight bag?

I don't want to overdo it - one can always add thermals, a beanie and socks - but sleeping cold is not a recipe for a good day's walk the next day. Also, I appreciate that the answer will vary given that some people sleep "hot", some sleep "cold".

So, would a good rule of thumb be a 10 degree bag? Or a zero degree bag? Grateful any advice.

Cheers from a 35 degree Melbourne. Peter

 

[mountaingoat999]

I am planning to walk from SJPdP to Santiago, then on to Fisterra and Muxia, in February and March 2016. Of course I will have a down bag and silk liner but, given winter conditions and unheated albergues, and sometimes the absence of blankets, the question is ... what weight bag?

I don't want to overdo it - one can always add thermals, a beanie and socks - but sleeping cold is not a recipe for a good day's walk the next day. Also, I appreciate that the answer will vary given that some people sleep "hot", some sleep "cold".

So, would a good rule of thumb be a 10 degree bag? Or a zero degree bag? Grateful any advice.

Cheers from a 35 degree Melbourne. Peter

I use a down Rab 900 well over the top for sleeping inside or outside on the camio that time of year,and that weighs 1:5 kilos..... a 600 will be plenty and you can get theses coming in weighing around 1 kilo, for a down bag with rating zero or -2 about 0:75 kilos..costing around £300 this is actual not extreme rating..

I was in El Burgo Ranero once and there was ice inside the window frame... the wood burner was not working due to broken glass in the front door..

I try not to compress a down bag too much so carry a bigger rucksack to place it in the bottom ... there are new models of down bags out there with dew and condensation fabrics .as you know down bags are not good if they get damp. zero degree comfort rating not extreme would be my suggestion.......sorry about this....always keep a down bag lofted at home to prolong life of bag. you probably know this .I keep all of mine in separate 50 litre containers....I wear a lovely alpaca hat and socks in bed with ski tights ..

hydrophobic down is now the latest features on good quality bags.....I tend to go to the outdoor shop and give the ones on display a good seam test and squash them to check the seams .Rab or mountain equipment have excellent quality control..compared to some other well known branded bags....a few feathers loss every day mounts up.....there very lightest bag I own is a Terra nova but the cost is seriously outrageous £550...cutting edge

 

[MTtoCamino]

My go to bag is a 29f, water resistant hydro down. 1 kilo I carried it in April just because I had no idea what to expect & I always expect I could be sleeping out.
I would easily be comfortable with it in alburgues in the winter. It is a REI bag, These light weight bags are great for this task but you might think of keeping a emergency blanket or fly with you to roll up in if you are caught out in a storm. It was 500$ well spent as I use it in the fall here in Montana. It is not a bag for our winters. I use a -20 below non down bag for that.
Trouble is with what I have access to versus what is available in Australia. But if you can find a 0C bag That is light such as mountaingoat999 (Who is a man) or I have described I think you will be better off. Some places just don't have heat.

 

[Magnara]

We walked in January and early February and, even though it was not an extremely cold winter (2007) it was very cold. We stayed mostly in pensions as most of the albergues were closed, but when we stayed in albergues they were always unheated and freezing. Brrr. My husband had a Sea to Summit zero degree down bag from Paddy Pallin in Sydney and was fine with the addition of socks and thermals as pyjamas. I had a good quality synthetic and it just didn't do as well, I was sometimes miserably cold and even wearing everything couldn't fix it. Yes, he gave me his bag For that time of year, don't risk it, get a -5 down bag ... you can always open the zip. As mountaingoat999 says - don't use a compression pack, just drop it in the base of your pack to maximise the loft. Benefit of walking then? - no crowds!

 

[Elizabay]

Hi mountaingoat999, MTtoCamino and Magnara. Many thanks for your generous responses. Much appreciated.

With thermal level sorted, the task now is to balance volume, weight and, to some extent, price in a new bag to get me on the way. Unfortunately, my favourite old (Macpac) bag, weighing in at 1500 grams and about 20 litres, fine in the days when I bush walked with a 90 litre pack, doesn't cut it for the CF.

Cheers, Peter

 

[jsalt]

This is 2015 and even municipal albergues are now heated in winter I take the same lightweight sleeping bag all year round. If there is no heating there will be blankets available, and if there are no blankets, you will be carrying one extra thermal layer anyway, which you can sleep in. It’s not as if you are sleeping outside. As MTtoCamino said, toss in a space blanket for emergencies, just in case. Jill

 

[Seabird]

This is 2015 and even municipal albergues are now heated in winter I take the same lightweight sleeping bag all year round. If there is no heating there will be blankets available, and if there are no blankets, you will be carrying one extra thermal layer anyway, which you can sleep in. It’s not as if you are sleeping outside. As MTtoCamino said, toss in a space blanket for emergencies, just in case. Jill

I've read so many threads on the question about sleeping equipment, with people noting problems with missing blankets, broken heat sources, hot stuffy rooms, etc. And of course noting the ultimate issue of whether a person is a "warm" sleeper or a "cold" sleeper.

But something I haven't seen is any indication of the actual temperature range experienced within an albergue. I will start mid-April -- is the heat even still on within the albergues? Do I expect indoor temperatures in the 50F (10C) range? Higher? Lower? When I see people recommending sleeping bags with a 0 degree rating.... yikes!

I'm not looking for advice on what to bring, just on what indoor temperatures I might expect. Thanks.

 

[jsalt]

But something I haven't seen is any indication of the actual temperature range experienced within an albergue.

Indoor temperatures are usually comfortable. Sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold, so you have to be prepared for every eventuality. Some places have their central heating system controlled, from say 1 Nov to 30 Apr, so that it comes on for a few hours in the evening. If you arrive on say 2 May on a freezing cold day, then tough luck! I stayed at a municipal albergue in Nov which had underfloor heating. I was all alone and had no idea how to work the thermostat on the wall. I woke up at 3am drenched in sweat because I’d put it full on! Wow, did I feel guilty, what a waste of electricity.

 

[Elizabay]

Indoor temperatures are usually comfortable. Sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold, so you have to be prepared for every eventuality. Some places have their central heating system controlled, from say 1 Nov to 30 Apr, so that it comes on for a few hours in the evening. If you arrive on say 2 May on a freezing cold day, then tough luck! I stayed at a municipal albergue in Nov which had underfloor heating. I was all alone and had no idea how to work the thermostat on the wall. I woke up at 3am drenched in sweat because I’d put it full on! Wow, did I feel guilty, what a waste of electricity.

Thanks Jill. Clearly, flexibility is required: have the capacity to sleep warm if the internal environment is frigid, cool if the heat is on. All of this from the resources contained in a 30 litre pack. Part of the attraction of walking the Camino in winter.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I divide the alburgues two ways the city & the country where In the cities always heat, in the country 40 to 60F in month of April. A couple were maybe 35. But those had no heat at all & no one showed up to take money.

 

[Seabird]

I divide the alburgues two ways the city & the country where In the cities always heat, in the country 40 to 50F in month of April. A couple were maybe 35. But those had no heat at all & no one showed up to take money.

Very helpful, thank you.