What's new

Campers and backpackers, what is your sleep system?

A few weekends ago my girlfriend and I went on a three night camping trip to a state park. We planned on camping in a different camp area each night so we had to hike the gear around all three days. It wasn't so bad Friday night or Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning either. But after we hiked around all day Saturday and Sunday. The hike in had significantly more suck. We don't have the best sleep system, I wouldn't even call it a "real" sleep system. Were running cheap Stansport sleeping bags with xl twin polyester blankets. Ive got a "30 degree rated" bag and she has a "40 degree rated" bag. She said she got a little cold when she wasn't layered up but I was fine with the blanket inside the bag sleeping in my boxers. It only got down to say 47ish if I remember correctly. She always cold. ALWAYS. Except hiking around Saturday and Sunday in the low 90s up and down steel rocky hills.:lol: The same hills that were responsible for the significant amount of added suck previously mentioned. So long story short, well, shortened, were looking to lighten our packs and invest in real gear. Im looking at the REI Helio Sack 55 with the Sea To Summit Reactor Thermolite Mummy Bag liner for me, and the Extreme version of the same liner for her. These sleeping bags with liners will weigh half of her current setup and 2/3s of my current setup. Thats a two pound shaved off for her, (see what I did there?:tongue_sm) and only one pound for me, but the real advantage for her is with the liner her system will be rated to 30 degrees. For me, my entire sleep system, Thermarest ProLite with Sea To Summit sheet, and Sea To Summit Aeros large pillow included, will fit in my pack. Last trip I tied the sleeping bag to the top of my pack. It wasn't so bad, but I couldn't wear my hat. And being in Texas, that adds more suck on top of the suck.

So what sleep systems are you running in your area. Any ideas on lighter, not stupid expensive, or maybe warmer gear? Im mainly looking for her. She's picky so if at all possible, recommendations for gear we can actually check out before we purchase would be awesome. But Im a gear junkie and I need a fix so Ill look into anything.
 
You can have it warm, compact or cheap, pick two ( maybe). These are my takaways after 5 years of monthly campouts and a 14 day trip to Philmont.
1. Always sleep in clean dry clothes if you want to be warm. This includes socks and a beanie when appropriate.
2. I like to given myself 15+ degree of cushion with my sleep system. i.e. forcast says low of 30 ( factoring in wind chill as well), I am probably going to take my 15 degree bag.

Broadly speaking
70+ Cotton sleeping bag liner with a Thermarest Prolite 78x25 pad
60-69 Snugpak 45 degree Jungle bag and the Prolight
45-59 Elightened Equipment 30 degree quilt ( I have both down and synthetic) and the Prolight
30-44 Big Agnes Lost Ranger 15 Degree down bag mated to BA 78 x 20 Primaloft insulated pad
0-29 Quilt inside BA Bag with BA pad

I am typically sleeping in a Tarptent "2 man tent"(Squall 2 2ish pounds all in)

I have found that Sierra Trading Post consistently sell gears that exceeds the intersection of quality and value. If you give them an email, they will send you weekly coupons of 20-30% additional off.
 
dojpros, you make good points. Ill have to talk to her about how much cushion she would be comfortable with. I sleep warm so that system would work for me and if it is forecast to get below 40 I'll bring thermals. I think somehow I haven't looked at Sierra Trading Post yet. Odd. You also make a good point in mentioning the tent. We are using a REI Half-Dome 2 Plus. Its pretty awesome, it blocks the wind so much better than I had originally thought. We camped by a pond, and you could definitely feel the wind when we opened the vestibules. We may just have to spend a bit more on her gear and I carry more. Im fine with that. Im looking to getting used to humping 60+ lbs regularly anyway, she just wants to carry her own weight. Her sleeping pad is the REI Trekker long and wide. Im trying to get her to look a different pad. I forget which one it is right now, somehow, but I liked it because it was lighter, same with at the hips, one inch thicker, and packed down small enough to fit in her pack. Right now it throws her off while hiking because its wider than her shoulder.:lol: Thanks for the advice though. A very much appreciated fresh prospective.
 
I use a down mummy bag rated to 20 degrees. I carry a silk liner for colder nights. Pad is a Thermarest Neoair full length. Blows up to 2.5" thick, but compacts to the size of a Nalgene. Whole shebang weighs in at about 5 pounds and packs very small.

Over 100 nights of backpacking and this has served me well.
 
Thats a nice rig BSAGuy, Thermarest pads are awesome. Thats about the weight of the system I'm looking at. Do you attach it to the pack or pack it in?
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
The stuff I did not skimp on, moneywise, were my boots, my tent, my pack, and my sack. I know there's not much left after that, but those are the areas where you get your best bang for your buck. I don't mean to get the most expensive gear out there, but know that some more dollars can get you amazing value in the form of performance and durability.

My sack sounds a lot like BSAGuy's, except that it's synthetic fiber. Down is less expensive and lighter, but I'm allergic to it. My pad also is a Thermarest Neoair regular length, and I think it's a Nemo Astro--worth every penny (and bought on sale). I have a blowup pillow that cost something like $10, but it folds up to the size of my fist, fits my head and neck perfectly, and does not lose air during the night. I did go for a silk liner. It works amazingly, could last forever, and pretty much packs up to nothing. As for cost, it wasn't much more than other liners in terms of actual dollars.

I got a lot of it on sale from REI or other outlets. Now is not a terrible time to get cold weather stuff, but also be aware that many places have great sales around Memorial Day.
 
My recommendations are similar to BSAGuy's.

Get a good 15-degree mummy sleeping bag with synthetic fill from a reputable manufacturer. You should be able to find a bag that weighs around 3 to 3.5 pounds. A good hood and good draw-string closures are often overlooked but they play large roles in keeping the bag warm. A 15-degree bag will cover you for most any trip where there isn't snow on the ground, and even for some milder snowy trips.

If your systems are totally dialed then a down bag is great, but if you aren't a seasoned backpacker with many miles under your feet and storms on your tent, down insulation can be more of a liability than a benefit.

If you get a good bag and stop there, you will likely still feel cold. You want to reduce conductive heat loss to the ground. Get a good, lightweight sleeping pad that's highly insulative. I think Thermarest makes the best of these. If you want to reduce weight you can get a 3/4 length pad and use your backpack's padding under your legs though this isn't as comfortable as a full length pad. In really cold conditions or for expedition use, I like to have a two-pad system. In these situations I use an inflatable Thermarest on top of a non-inflatable closed-cell foam pad like a Zrest.

I use all of the clothes that I'm not wearing for extra ground insulation.

One more tip... if your feet are cold, you won't sleep well. Bring along an extra pair of thick wool socks for bed time. Wearing cold, wet socks to bed isn't fun.
 
Last edited:
I'm with BSAGuy on the NeoAir, but I use it in a Hennessy Hammock. It gets me off the ground and adds the insulation back under me. I put the pad on a space blanket or Poncho liner and use a larger tarp to cut the wind under the hammock to reduce losses to convection. Getting off the ground was good for me because I was having increasingly difficult times getting up, plus, because I am a very loud snorer I am able to place myself a bit apart from the boys.
 
... if your feet are cold, you won't sleep well.

Oh I know it! Friday night we though its warm so well just take the blankets and leave the bags. :blink: yea, it was only a couple hours before we woke up and completely regretted that decision. And realized we probably couldn't make it on Naked And Afraid. I didn't bother to change my socks either, I thought about it but was too lazy, I changed them when I woke up but it was far too late. I brought both bags for sure the next two nights. Saturday night she was warm but she had on leggings, pants, a tank top, long sleeve shirt, a sweater, and wool socks. Sunday night she ditched some of the layers to shed weight and not have to pack up as much before we left in the morning and claimed she was mildly cold that night.
 
Majorrich, Ive thought about getting into the hammock game, whats a ball park price to get playing? I mean after all is said and done with all the cordage and hooks and whatnots for adjustments, the tarps and all. I watched some of Syntax77s videos on youtube and he makes it seem simple, but it just looked confusing to me.
 
When I set myself up for backpacking 20 years ago, a trip to REI was all it took. You can get great advice and see a lot of great equipment together. You can get into the bags and take a nap if you want. Great place if you have one anywhere close at all.
 
Thermarest pads, I have many.
I used a Thermarest cot with a Neo Air pad on top last year for two weeks in Alaska. Both pack down really small.
For car camping with the wife we use Thermarest Dreamtimes.
 
Last edited:
For our week-long backpacking trip last summer, my wife and took the following:

Ground sheet - Space Blanket. This didn't hold up too well to punctures, so for a later short trip I got a sheet of lightweight Tyvek. This seemed to work well, but does weigh more. Probably this is what I'll take this summer. You can use house wrap or get some lighter material at Amazon.

Tent - a really light cheap tent. Cheaper can be better because it often means lighter. We took this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JUJL14G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Pad - I got a full length Therm-a-Rest NeoAir and my wife took her older Therm-a-Rest. For our next trip this summer she'll probably get a NeoAir or an REI Flash inflatable. As a bit of a downside, the NeoAir is more slippery than the older models. I'm not that comfortable without a pillow, so for the later short trip I got a Klymit Cush pillow.

Bag - Our bags are really old and heavy synthetic. Actually, for our last week-long trip I borrowed my daughter's cheap and just a little bit lighter bag, but I was cold. For this summer we're looking at the REI Igneo and Joule bags.
 
Majorrich, Ive thought about getting into the hammock game, whats a ball park price to get playing? I mean after all is said and done with all the cordage and hooks and whatnots for adjustments, the tarps and all. I watched some of Syntax77s videos on youtube and he makes it seem simple, but it just looked confusing to me.

Look to spend around $200 to get set up stem to stern with a Hennessy. But, If you are a Scout and Call to the different manufacturers, some will cut you a significant discount. And, If you are gifted with the tongue of gold sometimes they will comp you a hammock. I retrofitted my lines with Amsteel to kind of simplify and strengthen the cordage. Once you've done it a time of two, it's really simple. Essentially, select the right trees, put the hanging straps around the trees making sure your feet are a little higher than your head. Hang the hammock. Tarp and go. I have also converted some el-cheapo grande parachute hammocks and have had no problems. If you are a DIY kind of guy, you can get out there for less than $100 very easily.
 
An Eagle's Nest Outfitters hammock system will also run about $200 for all the bells and whistles. I like being able to leave off or add the bug net as desired, which I don't think you can do with a Hennessy, otherwise they look pretty comparable. If it's cold out, having a pad in the hammock helps keep you warm, and keeps your back straighter. I can sleep longer with an air pad in mine.

The only down side to a hammock is if you don't have trees or tie offs to hang one.
 
There has been a couple of times I've been unable to find any suitable trees to hang from. That's when I use the fly and my trekking poles for a very low fly tent, using the space blanket as a ground cloth. It's cramped, but It's only happened a couple of times for me.
 
I've used an old military modular that was a "gift" from the guys in Supply at 1st LAR when I checked out of the command, but it's looking pretty ragged. I need to replace it soon.
 
I don't have an old lady, so all I have to worry about is me. That said, I don't go cheap - but neither do I go over the top - when it comes to outdoor gear. When I do camp nowadays, it's usually in conjunction with a long-distance motorcycle road trip, so weight and space are concerns. Most of my stuff comes from REI, and most of it is the house brand.

I have two bags: a down bag and a synthetic. The down bag is lighter and packs smaller, but the synthetic will insulate when wet. Which one I take depends on the weather I expect to encounter. My ground pad is a combination closed cell foam with an air valve. A little more comfortable than foam alone, and packs up nearly as small. My shelter is a two-person, three-season REI tent with footprint.
 
This is a great thread, with some really informative discussion!

Personally though, it bugs me when people mention how awesome REI is... but only because there's not one near me! I'm stuck with Dicks and Academy, unless I'm up to driving to Gonzales for Cabella's or the Denham Springs for Bass Pro, both stores around 45 minutes to an hour away from me!
 
This is a great thread, with some really informative discussion!

Personally though, it bugs me when people mention how awesome REI is... but only because there's not one near me!

You can shop REI online, but I hear you; having one local is nice. Now that I'm in south Florida, the nearest one is about six hours north of me.
 
Top Bottom