I’m heading out on a 4 day trip to the Desolation Wilderness next week and I’m trying to figure out what sleep system I should use. I’ve been looking around the internet but haven’t found any recent data about nighttime temperatures there.
From what I’ve gathered from trip reports and such, I should expect temps in the 40’s-50’s at night, with possible drops into the 30’s. For sleep systems, I have a WM Ultralite, which I would pair with a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo and some extra insulation if necessary; and a JRB Shenandoah Summer Quilt, which I would pair with a bivy and a tarp, a puffy down jacket (Mtn. Hardwear phantom), and some long john bottoms. For both I have a closed cell foam pad that is 40″ of 3/8″ foam joined to 30″ of 1/8″ foam. I would like to get away with the quilt, but I haven’t hiked out in the western part of the country before (only the northeast, with the exception of Philmont) and I don’t want to get in trouble by not having enough insulation.
Is my assessment of the temperatures I can expect accurate? Have any of you not-so-hardcore hikers had success taking a 40 degree bag down into the 30’s with some extra clothing and a bivy? I haven’t had a chance to test out the JRB Summer quilt anywhere near its temp rating, so I’m not sure how warm it is for me – have any of you had experience using it down to around 40? Any help is very much appreciated!
