Sleeping Bag or Sleep Sack?

[el-pe]

Walking the Via de la Plata in late March into April and am going back and forth about whether I should take a lightweight down sleeping bag or a silk sleep sack and hope for/count on blankets being available in the albergues. Thoughts and suggestions. Thanks

 

[Bradypus]

A number of albergues no longer provide blankets. You might be lucky and always find them when needed. Or not. I would not gamble with my own comfort by walking without an adequate sleeping bag.

 

[Caroline de Wit]

I would take a lightweight down sleeping bag and a liner, to keep the sleeping bag clean. In april it can still get cold at night.

 

[UUKatherine]

I’m splitting the difference for April-May on CF with a silk liner and down blanket to clip inside it - plus a variety of warm clothes in a pinch. (Remains to be seen if this will be a good strategy but it was taken from others)

 

[gregrobinson]

Since Covid you can no longer count on there being blankets. The Cocoon Silk Mummy liner weighs about 2 oz but you won't be warm in the spring. Summer is best for just the silk liner. Sea to Summit has the Spark down sleeping bag, one of which only weighs 9oz. I have the 14 oz Spark bag that is too warm even for early summer, but since it weighs less than a fleece bag, I bring it. At the time I bought it they didn't have the 9 oz bag...otherwise I would have bought that one. Here's a couple of links:

https://amzn.to/3YDqJDX

https://amzn.to/3ZEjX27

 

[Former member 92300]

I bring both. In June/July one year it was cold every night on the Frances. The following late May/June on the Norte/Primitivo there were still quite a few cold nights - but not as bad as the previous year (and then got really hot right after I finished - and my daughter had the horrible heat wave).

The deciding factor for you should be asking yourself how will you sleep if you are cold at night? For me - I won't get any sleep if I am too cold. I need a blanket/sleeping bag when I am cold or I will be miserable. My husband sleeps warm and would be fine without.

And yes - not all places have blankets. Those that do - they aren't washed frequently.

I get a silk liner that weighs about 100g. My down summer temperature sleeping bag weighs about 400g.

 

[Swift3]

A lightweight quilt is a third option to the sleeping bag or liner question, or combination of both, that has been popular among through hikers over the past few years. There are several outdoor gear design & manufacturing companies whose products keep being positively mentioned by thru hikers.

Here are 3 reviews of quilts for 2023.

Bear in mind these articles are targeted for long distance thru hikers on the AT, CPT, or CDC and others, who are sleeping in tents or under lightweight tarps or other shelters, not warm, toasty and out of the wind albergues, so they all discuss a sort of common "type" quilt that could be used from beginning to end of these long treks, usually with a 20 F comfort rating.

For the Camino, and depending on when you'll be walking, you probably won't need one that warm. So find a manufacturer you like and look into a lighter quilt, like a 40 F or 50 F one. I think you're looking for something with a low weight of Sea to Summit Spark series bag, but versatility of a quilt.

The Best Backpacking Quilts of 2024 - The Trek

Ultralight hikers everywhere agree: quilts over sleeping bags. We've highlighted our picks for the best backpacking quilts of 2024.

thetrek.co

Affordable Comfort: 7+ Best Budget Backpacking Quilts for Thru-Hikers

Finding the best budget backpacking quilt for your trek can be challenging as you must consider things like "warmth", "length", "packability", and then more little parts like straps, footbox and more.

thruhiker.co

10 Best Thru-Hiking Sleeping Bags and Quilts of 2024 - SectionHiker.com

When choosing the best sleeping bag or quilt for your thru-hike, you want it to be warm enough for t

sectionhiker.com

 

[SeñorJacques]

I’m splitting the difference for April-May on CF with a silk liner and down blanket to clip inside it - plus a variety of warm clothes in a pinch. (Remains to be seen if this will be a good strategy but it was taken from others)

This is exactly what I did on my early May CF last year and it worked out perfectly. I even ended up donating the blanket to a pilgrim in need when I got to Logroño, as I hadn't used it after Roncesvalles and figured I could always put on an extra layer before bed if things got chilly again later in my walk, which it did not.

 

[David Tallan]

I split the difference with a sleep sack that has a lighweight quilt attached on the inside on one side. On hot nights the quilt side is down and on cold nights it is up.