Gear questions and sugestions

[mike1056001]

I'm planning a 6 week hike from the South end heading North in mid-July through August. I've of course checked average temperatures for the area but I'd like a more hands-on point of view as to which sleeping bag I should bring. Thoughts?

[somers515]

From Springer heading north in July/August? What sleeping bags do you have to choose from? The answer is likely to be your warmest rated one and you'll probably be sleeping on top of it most nights! But I defer to others on whiteblaze with more experience hiking in the South in the summer.

[Slugg]

The south the summer? Your lightest bag/quilt. 40 or 50 degrees.

[MtDoraDave]

I agree with what has been said. About 40 - 50 rated quilt would be my choice.
Some would even just bring a sleeping bag liner... but occasionally, the temperatures do drop a bit, so it's always a bit of a gamble if you go light weight vs certainly warm enough.

[mike1056001]

Thank you, this is helpful. The vast majority of my hiking is in the mountain-west. Elevation is always a tricky thing, this is what I was looking for. I figured it was probably going to be my lite bag.

[RockDoc]

After 60+ years of using sleeping bags, I go with a lower rating than you think you need. A 40 deg bag means that you will be miserable at 40 degrees. I've frozen on the AT every month of the year. The woods can be cold!

[JPritch]

I've always been fine carrying my 40 degree quilt on summer trips in the South (VA/NC/TN).

[CalebJ]

After 60+ years of using sleeping bags, I go with a lower rating than you think you need. A 40 deg bag means that you will be miserable at 40 degrees. I've frozen on the AT every month of the year. The woods can be cold!

As a blanket statement, this is simply wrong.

Yes, there are brands that overstate their ratings. But it is far from universally true. As obvious examples, Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering do not. As I recall, Enlightened Equipment adjusted their fill quantities a few years ago to make their temp ratings more accurately reflect comfort.

If you know this to be true about a specific brand, then it certainly makes sense to point it out. But it's dead wrong as a universal truth.

[cmoulder]

As a blanket statement, this is simply wrong.

Yes, there are brands that overstate their ratings. But it is far from universally true. As obvious examples, Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering do not. As I recall, Enlightened Equipment adjusted their fill quantities a few years ago to make their temp ratings more accurately reflect comfort.

If you know this to be true about a specific brand, then it certainly makes sense to point it out. But it's dead wrong as a universal truth.

I agree. Over the years most sleeping bag /quilt makers got so many negative reviews about this whole comfort/survival rating BS that they have upped their game and now rate for 'comfort' only. This is especially true of the 'cottage' vendors such as EE, HammockGear, Underground Quilts etc. EE was, as you point out, a bit late to the party, but I have both pre and post 'enlightment' quilts and there is a stark difference. My more recent 30deg Enigma is in my experience warmer than my older (10+ years) 20deg Enigma.

Even so, it is still wildly subjective based upon the warm / cold sleeper phenomenon, and on bottom insulation, shelter etc.

Yep, there's a good-enough pool of experience here to inquire about specific brands / models.... they ain't all the same!

[Daybreak]

I remind everyone of the benefits of a liter hot water bottle in a sock. It may need a reheat halfway through the night. So don't forget a bottle with a tight fitting lid and some extra fuel for those times you get in a bind or when you really want to warm yourself or your bag up. I'd guess it gives me 10+ degrees F.

I would always use more than a liner on the AT in the Smokies (and in VT/NH/ME) for any long hike.