summer sleep system and shelter sub 1 lb

Hunter,

At 40deg you won't freeze to death in that sleep system, but you might wish you would!!

Liner mftrs…how should I put this gently…slightly exagerate temp ratings. The liner won't even add 10*. I can't speak from experience on the bivy, but I would think 50* would be pushing it. Others, I'm sure, will give you their personal experience.

I assume, since you expect low of 40*, that you will have a hat and some type of puffy insulation. These will greatly help if worn with your system, and may get you close to your desired comfort level. More info on your other gear will help us give you more feedback.

Personally, in those temps, I would not buy either, and instead buy a light, used bag off gear swap or ebay, and an Equinox tarp from Campmor. Great deals can be had! If you ask, I'm sure you'll get offers from some folks here to sell you some gently used gear for a fair price.

Let us know how it all comes together!

Todd

To add to Todd's comments, the bivy is not breathable, so may be OK in an emergency, but not the most comfortable of arrangements for many days in a row of warm summer sleeping.

thanks for the quick reply
do you think wearing 2 shorts 2 shirts( 1 long sleeve )and hat(good hat) along with a few various items would help me stay warm?
any one else have ideas?

Dunno. The ratings for the bivy and the liner are very approximate, and how warm you sleep will also make a big difference. You may be fine, or you may freeze your b**t off. It also depends on your personality. I would prefer to carry a bit extra weight and be SURE that I'll be warm and dry. Other folks like to push boundaries and are willing to risk the odd night (or string of nights) when they will be uncomfortable (cold/wet/hungry/bug bitten etc…).

This guy says the Thermolite 2 worked for him into the high 50s, with caveats. Unless you have the metabolism of a hummingbird, 40 degrees would be pretty cold to attempt just the bivy.

I don’t know how much money you have to spend, but the Thermolite costs $30-$35, and most silk Liners I’ve seen are over $50. You’re also probably up to the 10-11 oz range in total weight. Why not get a BPL Pro 90 quilt for $130 at 14oz? It’s described as a summer quilt. Or the Pro 60 for a bit cheaper/lighter if you’re carrying other insulation. There are light, more expensive down quilt/bags, but for hitch-hiking, you might want the security of synthetic.

Edit: Adding, what about a Golite Poncho Tarp as a $50/10 oz shelter. That keeps you warm dry, relatively affordable, and a total system under 1.5 lbs.

Like Lynn says. If you're a happy soul, you'll be fine, but if you're a grouch, we expect to hear you moaning for the next month.

i like rods opinion, i am very content as long as im aive in the morning :)
can any one one think of any thing to put inside the bivy other than the silk liner?

Trapped air is what keeps you warm. Adding those layers to a bag that already has a insulation layer is where you get the additional rating.

Opps just read the thermolight bivy part which is what I have.

You might be better off with something like this.
I put this together as more of a test. I have yet to test it in cold weather but I think it should be good to 45-50.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z300/tammons3/vbbag.jpg

after reading this article.

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-sleepbag/index.html

If you could find some lighter fleece it would help.
Mine is sort of heavy. The adv med thermal bivy weighs
7 oz. I modified it so I can open it completely up and velcro it to the fleece bag.

I did just try the bivy alone one night after a few beers, about 70 degrees and came out of it burning up. That is the reason I added velcro so I could open it up.

You could also just make a WP bag like some of the people here and use some lightweight fiberfill.

Well, REI sells a whole range of liners, as does any other outdoor retailer.

One thing about the bivy. I bought one for winter camping. I tried sleeping in it last night. I slept next to an open window, with outside temps in the mid to high 40s. My bedroom was probably around 60 degrees, (guessing) with cool breezes directly on me. I wore silk long underwear and poly liner socks and an OR windstopper hat.

My experience: It kept me plenty warm, and I would see no problem dropping another 5 degrees or more (note that a bed in no way replicates sleeping on body heat-sucking ground). But I got out of it after two hours. It was too clammy. I would have lived, but as it was an experiment and I had to go to work in the morning I saw no point in continuing.

I had the footbox vent open, and even tried quilting it, as it opens down to about my waist via the velcro fasteners.

It warmed up pretty quickly, but as it is fairly baggy, any direct breeze did subtract heat, and any time I moved around, I'd find cold spots(tho they'd warm up quickly) .

You could definitely stick a light fleece liner in it and survive down to 45-50, I'd think, if you have a tolerance for discomfort.

In the end, if it's what you want to do, do it. But I think you're setting yourself up for a really inflexible sleep system. The non-breathable bivy is going to leave you damp above 40 degrees, while not keeping you that warm standalone below 55. Sure, you could just use your liner (silk or fleece) by itself in those temps, but any breeze will cut right through it and leave you chilled. Using them together to stay warm into the 40s would work, but again, you'll wake up damp, not a nice way to climb out of your bag in those temps in the morning. And your liner would be sweaty and necessitate drying. Pretty much rules out wearing any insulated clothing, as it would quickly damped and the insulation become less effective. Vapor Barriers are meant to be worn against the skin.

Vapor barrier type bivy like that are really only meant for emergency situations, or as a component of a subfreezing winter sleep system. I used mine with a 15 degree bag in sub 20 temps and still found it uncomfortably clammy.

At one point, I was thinking along the same lines as you are, but having used it, I think it's sort of useless as a summer bag, unless I was trying to make some SUL kit just to show that I can, regardless of enjoyment.

I've been thinking about the Lafuma Extreme 600 sleeping bag. It's synthetic, rated for 45F, weighs 20oz and is at the REI outlet website for about $45.

It's practically a useless lb though….it won't keep you warm down to 50, but if you're expecting hot nights where you probably won't want any cover anyway, could be okay. I used it once in 45 degree weather and froze my ___ off.

That's why I'm still thinking about it :)

I think you still have to expect to be using a wool hat, socks, fleece etc. to be comfortable at 40. The bag might just help to contain the warm air around you? I'm always hot in my down bag in those temps, even using as a quilt.

the down is sooo much more effective than their measly amount of low quality synthetic insulation. I use a 35 REI down bag down into the upper 20's successfully (with clothes on, and what not). I just don't think you can push this bag even with all the clothing on to much below 50. Others here have had the same experience. Just search it in the forums, you'll see! (And I'm a warm sleeper).

I used the lafuma 600 for 3 months with temps around 45 and was fine. I have been testing the down Lafuma 30 and love it. I got mine for 99 bucks at second ascent in Seattle. I will be using it all summer and as far as I can make it to winter. when it gets to cold and I have to switch back to my Western Mountianeering I will write a review. Thet are also highly water resistant. So far I have 30 nights in it and give it high ratings. If you are short the girls version has way more loft. Ali