Hi,
I am walking all of Hadrian's Wall (in the North of England) in February.
My question is which sleeping system should I take?
Option One: Ex-Army Arctic Bag - warm down to -30 C. Very heavy, very large. Barely fits in pack especially as will be carrying GF's sleeping bag which is also one of these.
Option Two: Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32 (good to 0 C) plus Snugpak thermalon liner plus lightweight tropical sleeping bag over the top. This system is very light. Not sure if it will be warm enough.
I will be taking my Snugpak bivi bag and tarp to keep out the rain.
I'm testing both out this weekend but any opinions/advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
|
 |
 Well it was about -5 in Newcastle last night....
|
|
Early February...Late February...whats the weather forecast? February is one of those months that can be cold...wet and cold...dry and cold...or surprisingly mild and warm, just on one day!
|
|
 It was over the river too. I was kipped in my new -1 rated bag on the patio dressed in base layer top & bottom & Montane Flux inside a Goretex bivvy bag. (testing the bag to see how far I can push it) Considering the thermarest I used had a punture which meant it's flat in minutes & I was lying on stone slabs I was reasonably warm (I wasn't aware of the puncture until I woke up wondering why ground felt so hard)
|
| Edited: 15/01/12 16:57 |
 Well... reading your 'option 1' and 'option 2', you've convinced me that 'option 1' isn't really an option at all. If those bags are so big that there's no room for anything else, then it will have to be 'option 2'. I have a bag that's too big to take anywhere, and as I result, I've never taken it anywhere. However, it makes great loft insulation!
|
|
Well it was about -5 in Newcastle last night.... I'll be passing through the city tomorrow. Hope it stays that cold!
|
|
I know GOF - that's going to be the problem. It might be quite mild and i can get away with the lighter option or it might be well below freezing, snow on the ground and I'd wished I'd taken the warm bag.
Don't want to spend any more but may buy a wool blanket to add to option one. The wool blanket can be rolled up and stuck in a dry bag and stuck on the outside of my pack.
Oh and I have a new-ish therm-a-rest self inflatable mat which should keep me off the cold ground.
Going in Mid-February. Aiming to do the walk in 4 days - raising money for the charity Shelterbox.
|
|
Paddy - the Arctic bag is great for car camping or when I'm out alone in winter for one day and living off the land but not much use when having to carry everything.
It is incredibly warm though. Is the extra warmth worth the weight?
I will have my Icebreaker merino thermals on too.
|
| Edited: 15/01/12 17:01 |
Think you have missed Paddy's point - if you cant carry/get your ex-mil bag plus gf's ex-mil bag in your pack..option 1 cant happen can it?
|
|
I can carry and get them both in my 80 litre pack it's just cumbersome and heavy, hence the question is the extra warmth worth the extra weight? Guess I'll find out this weekend.
|
|
IME being cold or even a tad chilly at night really add's up to how I do on multi-day overnight's - especially in winter (where I very seldom can manage more than two nights out before beginning to cry  ).
|
| Edited: 15/01/12 17:25 |
Just hit -5 in our part of NE39
|
|
Looks like it might have to be the heavier bag.
|
|
Well... I'd always go for the lightest option. In terms of walking Hadrian's Wall... doubly so. That's because I'd want to enjoy the walk and be able to have plenty of time to look at the remains along the way, without lugging a massive pack around. Some great remains lie off-route... sometimes more than an hour off-route. It always amazes me how many people just race along the wall without any thought other than clocking up the distance.
|
|
It's difficult though....We have 20 miles to do each day but I do want to visit the forts and museums along the way (I studied History at University).
|
|
You'd be better covering 10 miles per day, leaving three or more hours free for the sites along the way... though this should be varied according to how much 'must see' stuff there is along each stage of the route.
|
|
I'm with Paddy...20 miles a day over multiple days carrying a heavy pack seems ambitious - especially if you want to sight see along the way.
|
|
It is ambitious but then it is for charity and is supposed to be hard. It looks like we'll just have to skip the sightseeing.
|
|
.jpg) Take fleece trousers to wear on top of your thermals and wear a down jacket or gilet on top in your bag.Take a Sigg type bottle (pound shop ones are ok]fill with hot water and put it in a sock in your sleeping bag.
|
|
