Author Topic: Transamerica trail temperatures  (Read 16716 times)

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Offline Soulboy#1

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2017, 04:52:39 pm »
Great thread Steve and great advice. So I'd be safe in assuming that a good spread of clothing hot n cold will suffice for the duration. I'm also doing the trans an trail leaving late April and was told that temps were less extreme. Fingers crossed...

Online John Nelson

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #16 on: February 27, 2017, 06:03:31 pm »
If you leave in July, the cold temperatures will probably be towards the end of the trip. If you leave in April, the cold temperatures will probably be towards the beginning. Some people try to game the system by having cold-weather clothing and gear sent to them or sent back from them in the middle of the trip. This doesn't always work out well, especially for people who send home all their cold weather gear on the assumption that the cold is over. I camped one night with a very cold cyclotourist who had already sent home his sleeping bag. Mistake.

Offline Stevekeating

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2017, 12:49:34 pm »
Well I wasn't expecting that ! Ha ha you have all been helpful so thanks .
I'm going to up the rating of my sleeping bag. And pack a couple of extra layers. Also start my trip slightly later as snow will be a killer on the bike.
Thanks for all the advise.

Offline canalligators

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2017, 09:43:21 am »
If you aren't already aware of it, most sleeping bag ratings are overly optimistic.  (Except for military equipment.)  My 45F bag is useless below 60.  Had to stop at a Wallymart and buy a fleece bag to put inside of it.  It's a good thing I did that, we had frost on the bags the next morning.

Offline staehpj1

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2017, 10:00:22 am »
If you aren't already aware of it, most sleeping bag ratings are overly optimistic.  (Except for military equipment.)  My 45F bag is useless below 60.  Had to stop at a Wallymart and buy a fleece bag to put inside of it.  It's a good thing I did that, we had frost on the bags the next morning.
That is widely variable buy individual person, by how optimistic the rating is, and by how much it is supplemented by being in tent or bivy and how much clothing you wear or pile on top of yourself.

If you go by the EN ratings they should at least be consistent.  FWIW, I find my Mountain Hardware Phantom 45 to work out fine for anything but real winter camping.  I sleep on top of it if it is hot and add more clothing as it gets colder.  It has worked out well for me from hot weather down to the teens F.  A cap and a really warm loose fitting pair of socks helps immensely.  So on top of a pass with my thermometer reading 18F I was still comfy enough.  The locals claimed it was actually colder.  I apparently put out heat like a furnace though so YMMV.

It helps to not bundle up too heavily too early and get sweaty, better to adjust to the temperatures as they drop during the night.  Adjustments can be made by whether you drape the bag over yourself, zip it up, put the hood on, and pull the hood drawstring tight leaving only a small breathing opening.  Don't breathe into the bag or you will get it all damp and be colder.

You really need to find what works for you.  Advice from me, or anyone else may be spot on for them and way off for you.

Oh, and let me say again that ratings other than EN ratings are not to be trusted or even given much consideration at all.  I have used nominal 32F and even 20F bags that were not as warm as my Phantom 45. 

Offline Stevekeating

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #20 on: March 01, 2017, 10:52:07 am »
Understood.  We are travelling with the minimum of weight so if temps get too low we will jump in a lodge or motel.
We are going light but technical so should have plenty of options

Offline etsisk

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2017, 01:07:44 pm »
I would just point out that, even though folks SAY "you won't camp at the higher elevations" sometimes circumstances dictate that you don't get to  choose. You get delayed by several flats in a row, you get a monster cramp that slows you down, you have to go back for something you forgot (heaven forbid - I despise retracing my steps! - any number of things could have you running out of daylight or steam 80% of the way up the mountain, and there you are. Just be aware that it isn't a given, especially if yer an old fat guy like me! There's a reason my trail name is Adagio... :/

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Offline walks.in2.trees

Re: Transamerica trail temperatures
« Reply #22 on: March 06, 2017, 02:20:01 pm »
If you aren't already aware of it, most sleeping bag ratings are overly optimistic.  (Except for military equipment.)  My 45F bag is useless below 60.  Had to stop at a Wallymart and buy a fleece bag to put inside of it.  It's a good thing I did that, we had frost on the bags the next morning.
I'd adjust this statement to say "most big-box store sleeping bags" I think they also go for a "survivable" rating as opposed to a "comfort" rating.

I likewise had a suposedly 0° degree rated bag that I had to supplement with a liner and clothes below 40°

However my 0° Goose-down UGQ quiltset has been adequate to -13F, and still hasn't hit bottom of it's performance yet... Also pretty expensive gear, but worth it


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