Summertime sleeping bag advice

Where will you be backpacking? What kind of low temperatures do you expect to encounter?

There's a lot of difference between nights in July or August in Illinois or at 10,500 feet in Wyoming!

Well synthetic fills are almost always going to be less expensive, but less warm for their weight. Again, it all depends on where you'll go, how much clothing you bring, and how you tend to sleep (hot or cold sleeper). I like to go with a higher temp bag like a 35 or 40 and supplement that with a silk liner and the clothes I wear to sleep (and if need be, a nalgene with hot water in my bag). Check EMS or REI and see what their store brand bags cost, I know EMS generally makes a good product for a decent price.

Once you tell us the expected minimum temperature and you get some advice on that, put a wanted ad in the gear swap section.
I recently sold (not here…) a used but very clean WM bag and purchased another one here that was new with tags on…

Franco

Alright let's go with 45 or 50 for low temp. The only trip I have in mind so far is the river to river trail in southern Illinois and most of my other trips would probably be in southern Illinois or missouri for now. I'll look into posting a WTb on gearswap, however, I've found a bag on STp that looks good. That is, unless someone tells me otherwise since I'm not necessarily sure if it's what I should be looking for. I'm told that down isn't what you want for summer, but I would think they wouldn't make many warm down bags then.

Again, thanks all.

here is the bag i found on STp:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/319,3239J_Kelty-40-F-Light-Year-Sleeping-Bag-650-Fill-Power-Down-Mummy.html

I'm using a GoLite RS 1+ Season Quilt(97$), it's so comfortable that I am now converted to quilts, feels true to 40F rating.

For true summertime temps… get either a quilt or a bag with full zip that can be opened up like a quilt — for maximum venting options. Don't try to save a lousy ounce by omitting or shortening the zipper and be stuck with a bag that's either "full engulfment or nothing" in summertime.

Hey Nicholas, I've done most of the River to River Trail (skipped some of the road sections). I think the quilt Alexandru just posted is a better option. I generally slept with my full zip bag open. It will be hot and humid there in the summer with rain potential. The high summer humidity levels make for very slow gear drying.

Not sure what you'll do for shelter, but bug protection is a must. Lots of horsies around there so filter your water.

At those temps I would def go with a quilt….you simply dont need the warmth of a full hooded bag. For a really good deal, use the 40% off golite coupon (look in gear deals on this site) and pick up one of their lightweight 800 fill quilts (the 1-season version will be perfect for this)

+1 on the quilt.

A quilt gives more flexibilty for summertime use, but a full zip summer sleeping bag can be cheaper as they are more common.

I used a 45 degree F down summer bag once in a situation where the temperatures hit almost freezing. Supplemented with all my clothing, I was comfy.

I also used this same bag, combined with a 30 degree bag on a night that was down somewhere well below 20 deg F. I did get a little cold around 4AM, but putting on extra clothing took care of that.

So a summer bag can be useful other times of the year.

I use a Kelty Lightyear 40 degree bag for my warm weather backpacking because it was so cheap. It's a synthetic bag and true to the cost. It weights about two pounds, but it is comfortable and can be had for around $90 if you get it on sale.

I would get a bag rated to about 30F that has the full zip like Ben said so you can quilt it out and the comfort level will hit about 45-50F with it then. If it is warmer you can just quilt it really poorly over you until it is comfortable. I had a bag I did this with for years around here in Illinois. Much more versatile and you only need one.

As for that whole synth/down thing, just go with what you feel more comfortable as wet is wet and you are not going to dry out either overnight.

STP has some Marmot bags on sale and Marmot has great customer service and warranty.

If you're interested, campsaver has golite 40 deg down quilts on sale for 165 w/ free shipping. I just picked one up to give it a go for the summer. I'm also an Illinoisan, planning on a few trips to Mo/In/Ky/Tn this summer. The quilt in question is not obscenely light at 19 oz, but for the price, compressibility and durability of 800 fill down, figured it was worth it. Sort of an impulse buy, but if I don't like it, it will go on gear swap.

One bag that was mentioned on the forums recently is the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 45 800 fill down bag. ~17oz for a regular size, full zip, 3" loft, small stuff size, and the neat part: EN comfort tested to 41*F, limit of 32*F. Nice bag when on sale or at discount, challenges the WM Summerlite as a decent warmer weather bag at a much lower cost.

These can be found for pretty cheap and they are close to the lightest sleeping bag for those temps.

Or the MB Thermal Sheet – a couple ounces lighter than the #5, with no hood and it unzips flat so it's pretty versatile as a quilt. Unfortunately it doesn't meet the OP's requirement of starving student cheap.