summer bag for touring

I think you make like the EMS Velocity 35. It weights a pound and a half, and packs down to a tiny, tiny size. Also, it's a pretty good price. It's my 3-season bag when I don't use my quilt. The only problem I could see is that lack of a full-length zipper.

Charlie,

Welcome to the forum!

For a shelter, you might want to try a Henry Shire Rainbow Tarptent, which would be 2 lbs or less.

It does have an option for an interior liner to kinda create a double walled tent, it has a bathtub floor, and full bug netting. Another big plus is that it can be setup as a free standing tent and has an arching pole across the top which gives great headroom and additional stability in wind.

http://www.tarptent.com

The big issue that you might want to ask others about here is the condensation issues that can be a factor in a single wall tent….I am on the West coast, so I have not had to deal with your humidity issues.

If you are in a tent, maybe you can get away with a down bag.

They compress better and are lighter than a synthetic bag.

Again, I just don't know if humidity is going to be a problem with collapsing the loft of the sleeping bag.

Check out the Western Mountaineering line of sleeping bags.

They are light weight and well regarded by many people here.

If you are an active sleeper and move around lot, check out Montbell sleeping bags. They have sewn in elastic in them that allows you to move around while keeping warm.

While you are at it, their Thermawrap Synthetic Jacket is a 8.3 oz wonder that compresses well and offers a lot of warmth.

I use it as my camp jacket on cool nights, replacing my old bulky fleece pullover. Plus, you can lay it on your chest like a blanket inside your sleeping bag to increase the warmth of your sleeping system.

I happen to have the Marmot Atom 40F down bag at 1 lb, but a big negative is that it has sewn through baffles, which creates cold spots. Otherwise, it is a good bag.

Curious, what distances are you traveling, where to, and over how many days?

Good luck!

-Tony

I will check out the EMS bag. Seems like it might fit the bill. I just saw a sale at REI for a 1lb pound down bag for 60.00. WOW It is down but what a price Thanks again

I use to be a west coaster and truly miss the weather. I loathe heat and humidity. I will look into Marmot and Montbell. I have looked at WM and they have great looking bags. I also saw a tremendous sale at Rei, a 1lb down bag for $60!!! I might just buy it cuz it's cheap. The tarptent site looks awesome. A little pricey but seems to have just what is needed. I don't know how a tarp works w/ relation to bugs. We have skeeters and black flies, both a PIA. I have also looked at Integral Designs Sil Poncho/Tarp. It too is on sale at REI, $55.00. Any thoughts on this model?
My travels: This year I rode from Pittsburgh to DC along the Great Allegheny Trail and the C&O canal, 330 miles in 3 days. It was hot, buggy but I had a great time. I also rode from Quebec to Montreal along Route Verte. Beautiful trip , rainy weather but wonderful people in Canada. Last year I rode the C&O canal in 1 day(186 miles) and rode to the Atlantic ocean from Baltimore (156miles).
My trip in planning is to ride from Mexico to Canada through the Rockies. hope to do this ride in 2010. Thanks again, Charlie

rei has both a down bag, the kilo flash, and their synthetic, the nooksack, on sale right now. for humid uses, of course, the synthetic might be a better choice. if you like a lot of room in your bags, or are just bigger, these might be a bit snug for you. they are light and compressable. i've got the down version, its fine for me, but a lot of people don't like the size. and yeah, they're on super sale now, definitely a steal.

Charlie are you talking about riding the GDMBR in 2010 or something on the road?

Also check out bikepacking.net for other long distance bike racers and tour'ers.

Mike: Thanks, I ended up buying the down, couldn't pass it up. I finally figure if I use it with a tent(not tarp) for eastern condition I will be able to keep it dry. When I travel to the west it will be perfect with a tarp

Christopher: I am trying to decide if I go the GDMBR or the road rt. I really want to visit the most scenic areas possible on bike. Do a lot of hiking as well. If you have any thoughts, please send me info. Thanks for the bike site, I will visit.