october tour sleeping bag

[molzor]

at the end of october i will cycling from margate in kent up to kerry in ireland to see the family. most people would fly but any excuse right...

now ive got two sleeping bags:
one which is a really small one season type thing comfort temp 11-14c. with an alleged extreme rating of 0c.
the other is a big old boy. 2-3 season, and about a kg heavier. comfort 4.3c. with a limit of -0.9c

part of me wants to take the silly small one and just wear clothes to bed cos its so much smaller. but is this a stupid idea?

[molzor]

how light do you dare go?!

[Merry_Wanderer]

No, not stupid. I would say it depends on how cold you are when you sleep. I would go with the heavier bag for the extra warmth but 20 odd years ago in my 20's I happily bivvied out between May and September with a minimalist approach when I was a mad keen mountaineer. Have you used the one season bag in the Autumn and what other clothes would you be wearing in your bag?

[FarOeuf]

it's an opportunity to learn, take the smaller one. worst case is it's unbearable, and you buy a replacement in any town.

[molzor]

ive only really used the smaller bag in summer before so im not sure how it would hold up. ive got to say its pretty thin! maybe my silk liner would help.

Its the age old debate really isnt it. ive always thought warm clothes are probably valuable than a big bag but either way you are carrying extra.
in the summer i have been known to just have a coat and no bag at all. so im not averse to roughing it a bit if it means i can lighten the load, you just wonder when its a step too far.

[FarOeuf]

the only way you'll know is by trying it out. you can't buy that sort of experience, and the stars have aligned to give you an opportunity to learn. take the bigger bag and you'll still be left wondering.

[molzor]

ha i like that attitude!

[LollyKat]

Get some thin closed cell foam, say 100cm x 200cm, to use as a blanket. It may be a bit bulky rolled up but weighs virtually nothing. Years ago I used some like this when travelling in winter on the overnight train to Inverness. It was one of the old-fashioned compartments where I could stretch out but the heating had broken down and it was freezing. Fortunately I happened to have a large sheet of this foam and it kept me toasty warm. (It was the green Karrimat that Karrimore used to sell as tent underlay.)

There is also a lightweight blanket available which gets good reviews but I haven't tried it.

[Heltor Chasca]

+1 for the warmer bag. I've used my 1 season on a cool Autumn weekend and it was utter misery. Don't forget the day is shorter too. Either way I'm sure you'll have fun. Your excuse is perfect!

[bikes4two]

I test my bags and sleeping mats overnight on the floor of the conservatory when the outside temperatures are near those to be encountered on the tour I'm planning. For me, that gives me a reasonable guide to what to expect.

[hamster]

Do you have a down jacket? If you are taking it, then consider the lighter bag, provided you have thermals etc with you.

Ultimately it depends on the weather forecast for the week, plus how the equation between a miserable night or two and 1 extra kg pans out in your mind. The answer to that is personal!

[andrew_s]

I'd take the warm bag.
You've got to allow for frosty nights at the end of October, and whilst one night not sleeping because it's too cold and you are shivering can be though of as an interesting lesson, several nights on the trot wouldn't be pleasant.
The extra for a warmer bag will be less (in weight/bulk) than any extras you may take to make up the same warmth in a colder bag, so liners aren't too good, and clothing only if you would take most of it even with a warm bag.

[iviehoff]

A cheap and light way of making a sleeping bag a lot warmer is to use an emergency survival blanket, typical mass 60g, typical price £3, and they are reusable. So they are a bit noisy when you move, but they are very effective. Another annoyance is that you will get condensation on the underside on a cold night, sometimes even when the tent stays dry. They do fold back up again and fit into the packet you took them out of, if you are careful.

Nevertheless, personally I'd be taking the heavier bag for October.

[RobinS]

We are doing a last camping tour of the season in October, and will take our Vango Venom 200 down bags. They have a comfort rating of 10c and an extreme rating of 0c. Since it can be cold when rising in the morning taking thermals and a down gilet is good idea anyway, so it is no extra to use these for sleeping in if it gets cold. My Venom started life as my alpine bivvying sleeping bag, paired with some clothes and a lightweight bivvy bag (no tent). I used it frequently in temps down to -10c. By the time you get really cold it is time to get the kettle on for a brew anyway - coldest just before dawn etc.

[robing]

Try it before you go! There's some pretty cold nights coming up now we are at the equinox. I reckon you'll need the warmer one. Beware some sleeping bag ratings. I've found Vango ones in particular are not what they say! Nothing worse than being too cold at night.