Sierra Mid September

[obx hiker]

Best bag? 7500 to 10000 feet. 2 lbs or less? I'm thinking WM versalite. Is that too warm? too Heavy?

[Anonymous]

or conservative rated 30º bag w/ insulated clothing if you pack such.

[Anonymous]

"Best bag? 7500 to 10000 feet. 2 lbs or less? I'm thinking WM versalite. Is that too warm? too Heavy?"

Too warm, too heavy, AND too expensive. I use a WM Summerlite in combination with a Montbell UL Down Parka/Extremely Lite Down Sweater, plus my BMW Cocoon Pants if I'm expecting things to be on the chilly side. Late September-early October is another story. Then I may switch to a WM Ultralite, depending on the weather forecast.

This combination has worked for me up to 12,000' so far.

[obx hiker]

Thanks guys. So the experience is 30 or maybe 25 degrees low temp? It's ( or has been for me) really hard to find accurate historical temp records for any variety of altitudes above say the elev of Roads End.

[Buck Stolberg]

A quick estimation is a 3 degree F change per 1000 feet of elevation change. Checking online, then going up from the Central Valley and down for a few summers has made me trust it.

To use it, find the LOW for the night at somewhere near where you are going and adjust. 45 Farenheit at Roads End would be about 30 degrees at Granite Basin (I think Monarch Ranger Station) just up the hill to the North.

I wouldn't use it to estimate the high temperatures you would experience. Being out in the open with the sun beating down on you makes a big difference from a temperature measured in the shade.

Either way, it's just an estimate and can't account for weather. I always error on being too warm and have always been comfortable.

[obx hiker]

Good point Buck. 3 degrees for fairly dry air….. 5 degrees for saturated. $ a lot of times for our wetter eastern atmosphere around 4; but from my limited experience 3 is probably a good number for most south-western as opposed to northwestern locations.

So (and it figgers) It's back to what Tom K said with the ultra-lite if you want a margin of error (and this cold sleeping old man likes a margin of error! I worship Murphy.

[Robert Atwood]

We have a cabin at 8500 feet and I can't remember the last time it dropped below about 35 before Oct. It's happened, but it's rare. I'd feel more than comfortable with a 30 degree bag below 10000.

Personally I like the Montbell UL Super Spiral bags. I'm a big guy with broad shoulders and the design suits me well.

[Anonymous]

"So the experience is 30 or maybe 25 degrees low temp?"

That is pretty typical for mid September, Cola, even at 11-12,000', IME. However, it can get much colder on fairly rare occasions, occasionally down into the teens. The setup I described in my first post will keep me comfortable down into the low 20's, at least, and survivable down into the low teens, although I hope not to have to experience that; I would probably head for treeline and build a fire at that point. That happened to me about 6 years ago down in the Kern Canyon at Junction meadow. It was the first, maybe second, week of September and we got a cold snap that took the temperature down to 19 degrees at 8000'. I had a WM Highlite, rated at 35 degrees. I ended up with all my clothes on, including rain shell/pants, WM Flight Jacket, windshirt, a layer each of Cap 1 and Cap 2(stupid, I know), ID Hotsocks/Possum Down Socks, and a balaclava. It got pretty darn uncomfortable about 3 AM, and by 4 AM I was on the verge of getting up and building a fire, but decided it wasn't quite that bad and stayed in the sack. Long story short, it wasn't a fun night, but neither was it life threatening. If you go with a 32 degree bag and a set of clothing equivalent to what I mentioned, you should be fine. That said, pay attention to the weather forecast and, if something weird is happening, be prepared to adjust your kit accordingly.

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