Author Topic: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route  (Read 13635 times)

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Offline lembeh

Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« on: April 12, 2010, 01:31:22 pm »
I will be touring NYC - Seattle this summer using the Northen Tier + Lake Erie Connector route.

Im looking for a good sleeping bag to keep me warm on those cold and not to cold nights. Im not looking to spend more than $150 for this. What temperature rating should i look for since I will be encountering some varied temps thru that route? Would a 40 deg rated bag do or should I go lower to 20 degree?

Here is what is available at my local camping stores, let me know if any of these look good.

http://www.ems.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3705267

http://www.paragonsports.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?catalogId=10051&ip_inputEncoding=UTF-8&langId=-1&ip_locale=en_US&storeId=10551&ip_text=&ip_searchWithin=&ip_constrain=&ip_relax=&ip_sortBy=&ip_page=-1&ip_perPage=55&ip_viewBy=&ip_autoSummarize=&ip_summarizeBy=&ip_expandDrillDown=&ip_collapsDrillDown=&ip_logNrow=&ip_logFeatureId=&ip_logHref=&ip_textRemoveTerm=&ip_mode=0&ip_action=-1&ip_state=c0%3Ds%253A9%253Biphrase%2BWCSAttr_172da7738096966943082b63e9f3a1ecc2faf5d8%253B%253Aeq%253BCamping%26c1%3De%253A1%252F%252Fiphrase%2BWCSAttr_9d3e2d73e5932bf07888de110b421479e6cff003%252F%252F%253Aeq%252F%252FSleeping%2BBags%26q%3D36%26a0%3Diphrase%2Bbundle%2Btaxonomy%252F%252Fv%253A0%26cln%3D%26i%3Dsitemap%2Bid%26qt%3D1271092813%26qid%3DqgI0dZSVCx7cK%26vid%3DvUsAMP1Sd9xxF%26ioe%3DUTF-8%26qtid%3DngI0dZSVCx7cK%26s1%3Dsitemap%2Bid%252F%252F1%26rid%3Drcg1M9zXt40iB%26s0%3Diphrase%2BWCSAttr_574793574e70d12fae7c9d5d36057aaa6e33b923%252F%252F1%26t%3D0%26m0%3Diphrase%2Bbundle%2Bid%26mcmode%3Dtest&ip_datauiCommand=&ip_tid=&categoryId=28740&ip_wcsCompareItems=


Much thanks!

Offline rvklassen

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2010, 03:37:06 pm »
I will be touring NYC - Seattle this summer using the Northen Tier + Lake Erie Connector route.
I'm looking for a good sleeping bag to keep me warm on those cold and not to cold nights. Im not looking to spend more than $150 for this. What temperature rating should i look for since I will be encountering some varied temps thru that route? Would a 40 deg rated bag do or should I go lower to 20 degree?
We're currently looking into bags for a trip that whose more extreme cold will be about the same as yours.  You might be able to get away with a 40 degree bag, if you're prepared to add a liner or some other compensation for when you cross the Rockies.  We're planning to go with something rated in the -1C  to 35F range (some are rated metric, and others in Fahrenheit; but I'm looking at freezing plus or minus a few degrees).   There are serious advantages to avoiding the 20 degree bags, including cost, weight, bulk, and surviving the hot nights.   If you go with the 40 degree version, you can either mail yourself a liner or buy one when you are closer to where you'll need it.  But I really wouldn't want a 20 degree bag for the Lake Erie connector or the midwest and prairie portions of the Northern Tier.

An additional source is backcountry.com.   They have a large selection, and reasonably easy navigation.  The four sites I've searched are mec.ca, rei.com, ems.com and backcountry.com.  The latter seems the most comprehensive.  Once you narrow down your choice to a single bag, you can see whether it's locally available, or use google shopping.

Unless you are sure you can keep the bag dry at all times, I recommend synthetic, not down.  Weight should not be significantly higher than 1 kg.  Packed volume not significantly higher than 10l. 

indyfabz

  • Guest
Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2010, 10:51:42 am »
I did the NT with a 35 degree bag and was a little chilly a few nights early on, but I went west to east and was in the WA mountains, where I got snowed on, before June.  I agree that you don't need a 20 and that a 40 would work, but with a liner to be on the safe side.  And synthetic, not down.

Offline dombrosk

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2010, 06:42:46 pm »
When I rode the Western Northern Tier in June a few years ago I traveled with a 20 degree bag that was handy up in the Cascades but overkill in some situations. 

In reaction I got a Marmot sleep sack that is great for summer in the Great Plains, but gets chilly below 50. 
http://marmot.com/products/trestles_trails?p=183,117

Like Goldilocks in the three bears house, I've been looking for something in between and just picked up a Mountain Hardwear 45 degree bag.  It feels warmer than the rating, and comes with a full hood built in. 
http://www.paragonsports.com/product/Mountain-Hardwear-Lamina-45-Sleeping-Bag_10551_10051_5244217_-1.htm

Mountain Hardwear also makes a  35 degree version of the same basic design.
http://www.paragonsports.com/product/Mountain-Hardwear-Lamina-35-Regular-Sleeping-Bag_10551_10051_5244211_-1.htm

Happy Riding!

Offline rvklassen

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2010, 09:38:33 am »
Well if we're getting into specific bags, we're also considering:

http://www.eurekatent.com/p-41-silver-city-long.aspx

http://www.lafumausa.com/catalog/t-30-to-50/428-x1000.html

and

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=798&p_id=2321119

in addition to the Mountain Hardwear Lamina 35 degree.

If anyone has thoughts, experience, it would be appreciated.  From what I'm able to readily discern from the web, these four are pretty close to equivalent, but run over a factor of two in list price.   I'd love to know what, if anything, sets them apart.

Offline lembeh

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2010, 10:18:32 pm »
I ended up purchasing the EMS Ramble Down 20 deg. I just liked that the down bag was a bit lighter compared to another synthetic bag I was considering plus Im not much of a camper so the chances of this down bag getting wet during bicycle camping are kinda low.

Thanks for your responses they definitely aided in making my decision.


http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3655642&lmdn=Insulation%20Type&cp=3677338.3737362.3705267

Offline vanvalks

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2010, 10:55:07 pm »
If you want to try down, go to online REI Outlet and look at their Downtime 20 degree bag.  Less than $120, free shipping to REI members.  I have one, and it seems well made.  I wouldn't really class it as a 20 bag; more like a 30-35.  It compresses very nicely to about half the size of my synthetic 30 degree bag, and is smaller and lighter than my 40 synthetic.  It is asymmetric--60% of the down is on top, 40% on the bottom, and it has a zipper that extends down essentially all of the left side of the bag.  The regular size is listed as fitting people to 6'--I'm 6' and got the long because the regular was just too short.  This is not a $500 bag, but has great bang for the buck.

Bob

Offline hpscott

Re: Sleeping Bag for Northern Tier + Lake Erie Connector route
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2010, 09:17:18 am »
Weird: I specifically sought this forum out so I could see what kind of bag folks recommend for the Northern Tier.

I'll be starting early July and going from west to east.  I decided to get a warm-weather bag: the 40F-rated Big Agnes Yampa to go with my Big Agnes Air Core inflatable sleeping pad.  I'll couple that with a Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite liner (it claims to add 15 F to a bag's rating), and at least for the high country I'll carry warm long underwear, warm socks and a hat.  I'll be using a tent as well.

I'm hoping that this system will give me a nice balance of compactness, low weight and versatility for comfortable sleeping under most conditions I'm likely to encounter.  That said, I think there's a decent chance I'll have a few cold nights, but I'll have enough clothing that I could bundle up if necessary.