Polarguard Delta and Silk Sleeping Bag

8 April 2007

Does it always rain on Easter? Yes, it seems to and this year it is cold for South Texas. My cats were all sitting at the door and when I let them in I looked at my outside thermometer. It was 34 degrees F with a slow rain. We could almost get a little snow. How about a bit of freezing rain?

I thought quick, time to check my new one layer Polarguard Delta and Silk Sleeping Bag. I got out my MCA Cat Tarp and hung it on my deck. I am about to get out my Bivy and new sleeping bag and try it out.

I am wearing my Patagonia #2 wool hoody and bottoms. Patagonia silk weight glove liners and Double Wright Socks. With my start-off AT gear list I would have an Ex Officio long sleeve hiking shirt and convertible pants, an insulated vest, a second pair of socks, a Marmont Ion or something like it and VB socks. This then is what I have to play with to see if I can stay warm enough to make me happy. Note that I will not try and sleep if I am cold.

I am using my new sleeping bag inside my Pertex Quantum and Cuben Bivy laying on a GG Polycryo Ground Cloth.

After about 30 minutes I decided that my lower body needed more pad under it for insulation. I was only using a 1/4" GG pad cut to fit inside my sleeping bag. I had another short piece of GG 3/8" pad and that did the trick. My upper body was now nice and warm but the tops of my legs are still a little cool. Not cold but not warm enough to make me happy. It was now about 38 degrees and a slight breeze and a little rain. I moved onto my side and got warmer. After about an hour I went back inside.

I think I have a way to add another layer of Polarguard Delta to my legs without adding any additional weight or at best only a very small amount of extra weight.

Back to the workshop.

See,
I always knew Bill had Alien Powers.
Here is posting tomorrow’s post today.

Either that or Bill has made a time machine that we don't know anything about yet. I don't think he's all that happy with the weight of it yet.

So is this going to be your warm weather bag for your hike?
I'm sure it would work great for layering with another bag as well.
Nice work!

Bill,

I'm thinking that from a bottom warmth point of view sleeping on a deck would be more like hammock sleeping than ground sleeping. Your ground might have been warmer than the air (I'm not sure though, it's been years since I was in TX in April).

Hi Aaron,

How do I get out of this one. Maybe I really am in Japan. What I should have said was "weekend", I hope.

Wait till you see the Polarguard Delta Vest (sort of) that I am making. About 2.5 or so ounces. I expect only a little over 2 ounces and it should be finished tonight. All light silk and one layer of Polaguard Delta. It will replace a conventional weight vest at around 6 ounces. I decided the Cocoon Vest was not going to be ready before my first hike segment so this is its replacement.

I am working to stay within a specific weight range (SUL). My current for planning pack weigh today is about 51.30 ounces. I really don't have anything big that I can drop much weigh anymore. Now I am remaking a few things to shave a few grams here and there as I would like to get well below 48 ounces. I have created a few really weird things trying to drop a couple of ounces. My camera at 5.5 ounces was one of a few things I just can't do anything about. I will not leave my camera home.

Think "Rite in the Rain" notebook but using sheets and cover made out of scrap Cuben Fiber.

I am wearing out my old brain trying to find more ways to drop a few more ounce so I can get under 48 ounces for my pack weight. But at the same time I want to plan for possible low of 32 degrees through the month of May. I don't expect it to be very cold into May but will be prepared for 32 degrees just in case. This would be wearing everything I am carrying. Southern end of the AT starting at Springer Mt about 1 May if I don't get any more hike stoppers. I need to be back in San Antonio for several medical checkup on 26 June so I only have about 50 days to hike in this segment.

I might put my gear list up Sunday and see if anyone has any ideas where I might save a few more ounces.

===

Jim,

My Cuben Hammock is hanging in my backyard and I was in it also. Trying different pads to see what it takes for todays temperature. I use my pads inside my Hammock and cut them more or less to a canoe shape. My fall back in my Hammock is my Down Air Mattress. That will take me to below 20 degrees.

I agree that the ground should be warmer than my deck. It is 32 degrees and raining now.

> I might put my gear list up Sunday and
> see if anyone has any ideas where I might
> save a few more ounces.

Please do, Bill. I think there would be interest as you tend to push the envelope as far or farther than anyone else who speaks publicly.

> I might put my gear list up Sunday and see if anyone has any > ideas where I might save a few more ounces.

You're probably already working on this, but if the 2007 Marmot Ion is in your gear list then you might be able to save 1.5 to 2 oz by making your own. You mentioned elsewhere that the 2007 weighs 5.5 oz (size XL). For comparison my 2005 pertex quantum Ion weighs 3.5 oz (size L) . Mine has a #45c zipper, so a #3 zipper might drop the weight to 3.0 oz.

Question: Why use Polarguard Delta for the bag and vest?
Climashield Combat is the same weight/yd and has a higher clo (0.79 versus 0.68). Am I missing something?

Chris,

Thanks for the comments. I will post my gear list when things settle down a bit. With the pre-ordering of the new cocoon line frenzy started I expect all attention and traffic would bury a mere gear list in a hurry. Don't ask why I am up so early this morning. I am a basic "black color" kind of guy so I had to pass on most all of the new cocoon line.

I do plan to make a replacement for the the 2007 Ion. I will use Pertex Quantum for something like a jacket and a pair of pants. They will be a very simple design to keep the weight as low as possible and the sewing easy.

As to why Polarguard Delta – It has some very special qualities that are proven in use and while Climashield Combat is really good it is "not yet tested or proven" to have these same special qualities. I also believe that Polarguard Delta has those special qualities designed into it by chance or design. I don't know yet if Climashield Combat or XP has these same qualities designed into them. Those kind of answers are hard to get.

The weight of the 5 yard sample of Climashield Combat I had was 2.21 to 2.29 ounce per sq yard. The Polarguard Delta I am using is from 2.11 to 2.16 ounce per sq yard. The clo value between these two insulations are close enough that for me it is not a factor of pure numbers alone.

When you add Pertex Quantum and Polarguard Delta together in a product you get magic.

I want to see if by using very light silk with Polarguard Delta sandwiched between it to keep weight as low as possible, and then covering it with a Pertex Quantum jacket and pants or a Pertex Quantum top on a bivy I can get the same results but with a lighter total weight.