Luxury and lightness

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I am planning a trip to San Jacinto over Thanksgiving. Because my pack is so light now, I'm thinking about bringing two sleeping bags. I will be so toasty. Is this crazy or decadent or stupid?

[Thomas Burns]

. . . one really lofty sleeping bag?

Seriously, whatever floats your boat. This hobby is, as my wife is wont to point out, supposed to be fun!

Stargazer

P.S. Seriously (really, this time), you might be better off just sleeping in your coat and clothes. Dual sleeping bags have a way of getting all tangled up if you are (like me) a tosser and turner. Still, as Doug points out below, if the alternative is freezing, two bags is the way to go.

I've had some success with a Heetsheets emergency bivy over top of my bag. At 3.5 oz., it can't be beat on the utility vs. weight measure. (it'll give you at leave 10 degrees F.)

[BlackHatGuy]

Crazy? Perhaps.
Decadent? Probably.
Stupid? No way.

Be toasty. Be happy.

[John Donewar]

Thomas,

Please post more pictures of the really "yellow" lofty bag.

Is that a two way zipper in the front? ;-p ;-)

Do you have to be careful about downhill grades at your choice of campsites?

Many, many apologies for the thread drift but that picture really got my attention.

Just having a little fun like Stargazer's wife said we should. :-)

Party On,

Newton

[Bob Gross]

"Please post more pictures of the really "yellow" lofty bag."

I think it is a Yellow Gumby.

–B.G.–

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Is the yellow gumby suit very warm? I would think it would be less warm than hoped for. Last night it was cold in my house so I slept with my arms folded over my chest. I would have a hard time doing that with the puffy suit on. Unless, do you pull the sleeves in with you for extra warmth?

[BlackHatGuy]

The gumby suit is indeed very warm. And yes, you bring the sleeves into the suit for a toasty sleep, so tossing and turning is no issue at all.

I used mine one snowy night in PA. I was on an elevated wood floor in a shelter (so plenty of cold air circulating under the floor). I was in an MLD bivy on a NeoAir and Ridgerest. The temps got down to 28 degrees.

I started inside my Raku (the gumby suit) wearing Icebreaker 200 briefs and shirt, RAB vapour rise pants, Nunatak Skaha down jacket, and some type of beanie. And my wonderful down booties. Within half an hour I removed the down jacket and vapour rise pants because I was too warm, unzipped the bivy and stuck my head outside the bivy. I slept that way until about 2 a.m., when I zipped the bivy mostly shut, but didn't put any clothes back on. I stayed warm the entire evening, and even during breakfast as I kept the Raku on for that.

It's a great, albeit heavy/bulky, piece of kit!

[Author]

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