Do i need a sleeping bag? Portugese route April 22

[Bridiepie]

Hi all,
The sleeping bag question.
I have gotten so many different views on this.
I start the Camino Portugese in April in Tomar and Walk to Santiago.
Should I bring a sleeping bag?
I plan to stay in Albergues.
Thanks in advance,
Brid

 

[Anniesantiago]

Yes!

 

[Vince Rollason]

Hi all,
The sleeping bag question.
I have gotten so many different views on this.
I start the Camino Portugese in April in Tomar and Walk to Santiago.
Should I bring a sleeping bag?
I plan to stay in Albergues.
Thanks in advance,
Brid

HI Brid
I walked Camino da Costa from Porto in March/April and have been on Frances in June, July. September and October. I have always managed with a sleeping bag liner but then I do not generally feel the cold too much.
Buen Camino
Vince

 

[alexwalker]

Yes.

 

[Vacajoe]

No.

I’ll throw in a “maybe” also so you have every possible answer!

See, only YOU can know if you sleep warm/cold, like to be loose/confined, want to carry more/less weight, etc. Just like in life, there are no easy answers.

 

[lt56ny]

If you feel like you need a sleeping bag for your camino get the lightest bag you can find that has a high temperature rating. I use a bag I bought in Decathlon for about 35Euros that is insulated to 15C. I have used it in December and have been fine. Just make sure it is long enough. I bought the longest size and i am 1.89 and I was really glad I did.

 

[Bridiepie]

No.

I’ll throw in a “maybe” also so you have every possible answer!

See, only YOU can know if you sleep warm/cold, like to be loose/confined, want to carry more/less weight, etc. Just like in life, there are no easy answers.

Thanks Vacajoe I think the lesson the camino is teaching me before I even start is to let go of perfectionism. I can't get this perfect. I've brought a sleeping bag, I'll find out if it was the right or wrong decision soon enough. Either way I will learn from it. That's how we find things out in life. Advice is great but ultimately I have to make the decision in the end!

 

[Tincatinker]

April in Northern Portugal / Spain is like May in Ireland. Now, imagine yourself settling to sleep in a scarcely heated stone building and take comfort from the decision you've made. I've carried a down sleeping bag on every camino and on nearly every hike in Spain since my teens that I have ever undertaken. Regrets? None.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Hi all,
The sleeping bag question.
I have gotten so many different views on this.
I start the Camino Portugese in April in Tomar and Walk to Santiago.
Should I bring a sleeping bag?
I plan to stay in Albergues.
Thanks in advance,
Brid

Yes

 

[Kathy F.]

Yes.

 

[peregrina2000]

I'll find out if it was the right or wrong decision soon enough.

Just as @Vacajoe said, no one but you can answer the question. It all depends on you and your comfort range. No two people are alike in this regard. That means that all of the answers — yes, no, and maybe — are the right answer for the person who posted it, but maybe not for you. You should have a pretty good idea by now whether you are a person who tends to “run cold” or “run hot” so I would let that be your guide.

I always carry a light sleeping bag, but I am a “friolera” — a Spanish word with no good translation into English that means “someone who is always cold.” If that’s you, bring a sleeping bag. If you are the one running around in your shirt sleeves in the winter, you might be happy with just a liner.

And to the veteran forum members, some of whose snarky posts have been deleted — I think we should have gotten to the point that we can all answer this frequent question simply by describing our own habits, recognizing that there is a HUGE range of tolerance and comfort with indoor temperatures, and then letting the OP decide where he/she falls on the body temperature question. Any minimally observant pilgrim who has slept in albergues will have noticed that on any given day, especially in swing seasons, there will be pilgrims huddled up inside their bags and others lying casually uncovered in their skivvies.

I know everyone has strong convictions on this topic, but can’t we all just accept the fact that what‘s necessary to keep you warm is likely to be totally different from what’s necessary to keep me warm?