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What is everyone’s thoughts on taking only a 50° sleeping bag from the southern terminus through Kennedy Meadows? I understand it gets cold quickly sometimes in the desert, but I’m not familiar with what that exactly means. Anyone with experience that can provide some insight? Thank you.
Its not all low desert, the trail hits 9000 ft quite a few times between the Mexican border and Kennedy springs. The temp difference just from altitude can be 30+ degrees F.
What’s your projected start date?
TF
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It depends on your starting date and how wet the winter/spring was as you could be camping on snow in the higher mountains. In March/April, you can see frost form on your sleeping bag when cowboy camping. Something else to consider, I've seen it snow near Wrightwood in early June more than once in the last decade. I personally wouldn't do it, but if I was going to go with a lighter weight bag with a mid May start, I'd carry at least a 40F and not a 50F rated one.
I started April 14 and had frost on my quilt the next morning, with slushy water bottles. I would not have been happy in a 50* bag.
I’m hoping my start date will be mid April.
April snow storms in the Laguna Mountains are not unusual.
I did Campo to Kennedy this last spring, starting March 29th, a couple week earlier start than mid April.... I carried a 25 degree sleep system and was sure glad to have it. I personally think a 50 degree system is inadequate, and would say so even with a 40 degree system. I'd go 30 degree.
Of course, it also depends on your shelter. IF you will be carrying a traditional double-wall tent, that adds some warmth, trapping a bit of your body heat. I used a relatively open tent system, basically a tarp with bug netting (zpacks hexamid solo+).
We had some really chilly nights in SO California in April, pretty darn close to freezing temperatures a few times, maybe just below freezing once or twice.
Thank you everyone. I’m learning a lot. Looks like I’ll be going with my 20 degree bag.
I used a 20 deg quilt the entire way and never wish I saved a couple ounces with something lighter. It can get cold anywhere on the trail at elevation pretty much the entire window you will be hiking. By no way is the Sierra the coldest section.
The only time I didn't need it was NorCal, when it was over 100 in the daytime. But even then, buying and swapping to a 40 or 50 bag was still more trouble than it was worth. Bouncing your down jacket and longjohns ahead, however, that's another story.Quote:
Originally Posted by Navster
Just don't bounce your sleeping bag forward to Oregon in NorCal because you hit a stretch of really hot weather. I know of 2 different people who did so and both regretted it within a few days when the weather turned colder. One suffered through with a borrowed emergency blanket and the other bought a heavy blanket in town to carry.
I just figured it was not worth swapping out as a box would come in, but potentially the bag would be the only thing shipped out