Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board sleeping bag

I dont have much experience with cold weather hiking but it seems to me that to save some pack weight i could sleep in a down jacket and fleece pants,which i plan on carrying anyway, and eliminate packing a sleeping bag. anyone have any thoughts on this?

best of luck --- i am a creature comforts kind of guy

I'd have to agree with Tomcat. While I was quite warm at Whitney Portal and did not zip up my bag, once at Trail Camp I would prefer the comfort of a real, although light-weight sleeping bag and needed it. As is, I had trouble sleeping at 12,000 feet and you really want to be peppy and rested (somewhat) when you add that next 2,500 feet of altitude to get to the top of Whitney.

Also, if you have inclement weather on the way there, you might want to put on that clothing and it might then be wet.

It also is only about 5.5 miles and you have all day. I also went slowly. About 4.5 hours up to Trail Camp from the Portal. Going it alone, I did have to deal with the tent (3.5 lbs Sierra Designs Flashlight) and stove, fuel and pot by myself. But I also took running shoes and a book for camp comfort.

But, there are people who go very light and as you suggest, do without the full comfort of a bag. Clearly, it is a matter of choice.

I left out the filter and dealt with iodine tasting water and also went with lighter foods. I also left out my wind mittens and wound up using a clean pair of socks and was very happy to have them on the west side of Trail Crest where the breeze and shadows really chilled the hands/fingers.

Have a great trip up.

If you are really worried about weight you may want to consider an ultralight half bag. These bags typically weigh a little more than a pound and go only up to your waist. They are meant to be used in conjunction with a very warm down parka. I've heard mixed reviews and would personally try to use one myself. The weight of a light down filled sleeping bag and foam pad should be around three pounds. I would consider dropping weight elsewhare before I would leave my sleeping bag at home.

If you want to go this route, suggest that you take a good bivvy sack (weighs 1 lb or less) in case it rains, since wet down has almost no insulating ability (I've always wondered how those ducks float for hours in freezing water).

SpankyBob has a good idea with the ultralight half-bag. If you'd like to read more about these, Backpacker magazine this month has a good section on them... But, it's definately a matter of personal choice. I enjoy the full-size sleeping bag..

Chris

mark, it's really worth the effort to take some creature comforts up. If you sleep good, it will greatly affect your performance the next day. I took a 2 1/2 lb 20 degree Marmot sleeping bag. It is so heavily padded with down you almost don't need an air mattress,but I took that too, plus a 5 oz. pillow. I slept surprisingly well at Trail Camp. Look at it this way: you'll be sleeping in that bag for longer than it took to haul it up.

My thought is that you will be cold and miserable. Jackets are made for at least minimal activity and will not keep you as warm as a nice down bag. The half-bag idea might be worth looking into to save a little weight.