Anhalter
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2019 CF, 2022 CF, 2024 Primitivo
Hey everyone,
i guess I'm not good at starting threads, but rather comment. I guess my last "own" thread is the one a couple of years ago where i talked about my 3,6kg loadout for the Camino Frances (see signature).
Today i felt like opening a new one, since 2 Caminos after my last thread i solved a problem that bugged my since Camino #1... the perfect sleep setup.
TL;DR: Bergstop Microstretch liner + something warm (blanket, sleeping bag...). Google it, it's great.
Disclaimer: Nobody paid me to write this. I bought every item with my own money. What i write is my personal opinion, your milage may vary. Also english is not my first language.
So, a little history:
My first camino was 2019. I had no idea how i could get below that magic 10% mark. A couple of weeks into my research, i stumbled across an ultralight forum. I set out on my first camino with a backpack of 4,6kg (which is pretty close to 5%...).
Not everything worked perfectly. I sent home stuff about 600g. My insulation system did not work as i had intended it to. But overall, it worked reaaallllly well. Like when we arrived into town, i was having so much energy left compared to the other guys carrying twice as much, it felt a little scary. I remember well, when i arrived in Santiago the first time, one, of many, of my thoughts was: "this was to easy".
But, aside from insulation, a big issue i had was my ultralight sleeping bag. I think its discontinued now, but it was the Sea2Summit Spark 0. Something along the lines of 250g, high class down, not meant to sleep outdoors. VERY narrow. 1/3 zipper.
My main issue was, that when i went to bed, my body continued to generate heat. No idea if this is normal, but it is for me after a long day. Then sometime in the night, it stops to do so. First on the upper body, then later the feet.
That meant, falling asleep, i was way to warm. I tried using my sleeping bag as a blanket. Due to the 1/3 zipper it did not work well. Sometime in the night i crawled into the bag. Was still to hot at the feet.
In Ponferrada, like 3/4 of my Camino finished, i bought a silk liner at Decathlon. That worked better. I fell asleep in the liner, later used the bag as a blanket. Still, felt cold the second half of the night. Still to warm on the feet. But it was an improvement.
However, the liner was far from comfortable. Coming in at around 100g, there was nothing on it. Very narrow. No flexibility. I remember ripping some seam a few nights in.
Fast forward, Camino #2 was in 2022. I had all of Covid to do research. I found the Cumulus Magic Zip sleeping bag. At 240g it featured a full zipper and can be opened like a blanket. Not very warm, but warmer than a liner. Having become a bit of a zealot regarding "ultralight" at the time (i set out wit 3,6kg in my pack), it seemed like the perfect item.
And it was. Almost.
If it was warm in the albergue, i used it like a blanket. If it was cold, i used it like a sleeping bag. I remember one night, in Tosantos, sleeping on the matress on the floor with single digits outside, where it could have been warmer. But it was not so bad and i could have put on more clothes...
But to the "almost" part.... while it provided me with a good variety of warmt, it was not comfortable. The fabric... i can't really describe it properly, was so thin that the slightest bit of sweat in the night made it stick to my skin. That it is also quite narrow did not help that...
Not to sound negative, i was not unhappy with it. But i also was not perfectly happy with it. Say, 90% happy. And I am a bit of an perfectionist with my gear.
Come Camino #3. Which was "only" the Primitivo. Someone on said ultralight forum recommended this "Bergstop Microstretch Liner" to me. First, i have to say, i was skeptical. It came in almost as heavy as my sleeping bag. Which i found ridiculous for a liner. But since it was only a short Camino i decided to give it a try. I set out with a pack of 4kg.
After night one i liked it. After night two i loved it. Again, i am not getting paid to say this. It is like a hybrid of Liner and PJs. It is stretchy. It has pockets. It has arms. It has this cord at the bottom where you can just pull it up to go to the bathroom in the night.
It does not provide a lot of warmth, but then, i had my down sleeping bag/blanket with me for that. It also folds into its own pocket, but i never used that. Oh, and also a hood. No idea if that has any functional benefit, but it made me feel more comfortable some nights.
So, to come to some form of end, i can fully recommend this product. I'll link a youtube vid at the bottom from the manufacturer that might better explain the item than i can (@mods: feel free to delete this if i am breaking some rule with it). If you mix it with a down sleeping bag or a down blanket (i read that's popular for the US folks) or just use the albergues blankets with it (which i dont like) ... up to you.
So, to sum things up, after three caminos, i found what i feel is the perfect sleep setup for me. And it is less than 500g. And i felt like sharing it. I am 180cm, around 82kg and use the S/M version that is 229g according to my scale.
i guess I'm not good at starting threads, but rather comment. I guess my last "own" thread is the one a couple of years ago where i talked about my 3,6kg loadout for the Camino Frances (see signature).
Today i felt like opening a new one, since 2 Caminos after my last thread i solved a problem that bugged my since Camino #1... the perfect sleep setup.
TL;DR: Bergstop Microstretch liner + something warm (blanket, sleeping bag...). Google it, it's great.
Disclaimer: Nobody paid me to write this. I bought every item with my own money. What i write is my personal opinion, your milage may vary. Also english is not my first language.
So, a little history:
My first camino was 2019. I had no idea how i could get below that magic 10% mark. A couple of weeks into my research, i stumbled across an ultralight forum. I set out on my first camino with a backpack of 4,6kg (which is pretty close to 5%...).
Not everything worked perfectly. I sent home stuff about 600g. My insulation system did not work as i had intended it to. But overall, it worked reaaallllly well. Like when we arrived into town, i was having so much energy left compared to the other guys carrying twice as much, it felt a little scary. I remember well, when i arrived in Santiago the first time, one, of many, of my thoughts was: "this was to easy".
But, aside from insulation, a big issue i had was my ultralight sleeping bag. I think its discontinued now, but it was the Sea2Summit Spark 0. Something along the lines of 250g, high class down, not meant to sleep outdoors. VERY narrow. 1/3 zipper.
My main issue was, that when i went to bed, my body continued to generate heat. No idea if this is normal, but it is for me after a long day. Then sometime in the night, it stops to do so. First on the upper body, then later the feet.
That meant, falling asleep, i was way to warm. I tried using my sleeping bag as a blanket. Due to the 1/3 zipper it did not work well. Sometime in the night i crawled into the bag. Was still to hot at the feet.
In Ponferrada, like 3/4 of my Camino finished, i bought a silk liner at Decathlon. That worked better. I fell asleep in the liner, later used the bag as a blanket. Still, felt cold the second half of the night. Still to warm on the feet. But it was an improvement.
However, the liner was far from comfortable. Coming in at around 100g, there was nothing on it. Very narrow. No flexibility. I remember ripping some seam a few nights in.
Fast forward, Camino #2 was in 2022. I had all of Covid to do research. I found the Cumulus Magic Zip sleeping bag. At 240g it featured a full zipper and can be opened like a blanket. Not very warm, but warmer than a liner. Having become a bit of a zealot regarding "ultralight" at the time (i set out wit 3,6kg in my pack), it seemed like the perfect item.
And it was. Almost.
If it was warm in the albergue, i used it like a blanket. If it was cold, i used it like a sleeping bag. I remember one night, in Tosantos, sleeping on the matress on the floor with single digits outside, where it could have been warmer. But it was not so bad and i could have put on more clothes...
But to the "almost" part.... while it provided me with a good variety of warmt, it was not comfortable. The fabric... i can't really describe it properly, was so thin that the slightest bit of sweat in the night made it stick to my skin. That it is also quite narrow did not help that...
Not to sound negative, i was not unhappy with it. But i also was not perfectly happy with it. Say, 90% happy. And I am a bit of an perfectionist with my gear.
Come Camino #3. Which was "only" the Primitivo. Someone on said ultralight forum recommended this "Bergstop Microstretch Liner" to me. First, i have to say, i was skeptical. It came in almost as heavy as my sleeping bag. Which i found ridiculous for a liner. But since it was only a short Camino i decided to give it a try. I set out with a pack of 4kg.
After night one i liked it. After night two i loved it. Again, i am not getting paid to say this. It is like a hybrid of Liner and PJs. It is stretchy. It has pockets. It has arms. It has this cord at the bottom where you can just pull it up to go to the bathroom in the night.
It does not provide a lot of warmth, but then, i had my down sleeping bag/blanket with me for that. It also folds into its own pocket, but i never used that. Oh, and also a hood. No idea if that has any functional benefit, but it made me feel more comfortable some nights.
So, to come to some form of end, i can fully recommend this product. I'll link a youtube vid at the bottom from the manufacturer that might better explain the item than i can (@mods: feel free to delete this if i am breaking some rule with it). If you mix it with a down sleeping bag or a down blanket (i read that's popular for the US folks) or just use the albergues blankets with it (which i dont like) ... up to you.
So, to sum things up, after three caminos, i found what i feel is the perfect sleep setup for me. And it is less than 500g. And i felt like sharing it. I am 180cm, around 82kg and use the S/M version that is 229g according to my scale.
, or walking to the bathroom stall to get dressed in the morning for some privacy. Comes in several colors.
