Sleeping bag question, Camino Frances in April

[Nanumea]

Hello!

I will be walking the Camino Frances from 4th April to 13th May in 2016. I have trouble choosing the right sleeping bag to take with me to the Camino.

What kind of temperatures to expect during the spring at night? Will all of the albergues provide blankets?

I have one light sleeping bag that I used on my last Camino Frances in June and some nights were chilly in it, but some nights were rather hot. I also have a thicker sleeping bag that I use in spring/autumn here in Finland, but I'm wondering if it's too warm for the Camino. If I took the lighter one, I could travel with hand luggage only ad that would be a huge plus side.

So is it going to be too cold to sleep in the lighter sleeping bag? Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you,
Nanumea

 

[SYates]

Can you add a silk liner to your lighter sleeping bag? That might do the trick! And no, not all albergues provide blankets. Buen Camino, SY

 

[simply B]

I second @SYates suggestion.

Add a silk liner, which is small and light, to your kit. With the bag that you took last time, it will likely make it from "less chilly" to "warm". Depending upon make, you will get an extra 3 - 8 degrees C of warmth retention. From my experience in April thru early may in 2014, I think that should work for you.

B

 

[Urban Trekker]

Hello!

I will be walking the Camino Frances from 4th April to 13th May in 2016. I have trouble choosing the right sleeping bag to take with me to the Camino.

What kind of temperatures to expect during the spring at night? Will all of the albergues provide blankets?

I have one light sleeping bag that I used on my last Camino Frances in June and some nights were chilly in it, but some nights were rather hot. I also have a thicker sleeping bag that I use in spring/autumn here in Finland, but I'm wondering if it's too warm for the Camino. If I took the lighter one, I could travel with hand luggage only ad that would be a huge plus side.

So is it going to be too cold to sleep in the lighter sleeping bag? Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you,
Nanumea

I prefer something between me and the albergues blanket so I'm bring a Sea to Summit Traveller down travel blanket and my camino sleeping bag just incase of no blanket. Buen Camino

Happy Trails

 

[t2andreo]

If the silk or microfiber liner does not bring the light weight bag up to acceptable, try these two, field-expedient tips that LITERALLY do not weigh anything extra, as you likely already have these items with you:

1. Wear your hiking outfit for tomorrow to bed, and/or;

2. Use your poncho as a layer to prevent heat loss. Lay the open poncho on the bunk or mat, lay the sleeping bag on top. After you get in the bag, "wrap" the side of the poncho over you, as though you were making Chinese egg or spring rolls. I find I get the best coverage, plus added vents, if I lay the poncho on the diagonal. The "ends" are easier to wrap, and the opposite diagonal provides better coverage. A square poncho is longer on the diagonal corners...

Finally, wear a hat or Buff to bed. If you keep your head warm, you will radiate significantly less heat from your body, into the space you are in. If y0ur hands are outside the sleeping bag, wear gloves or an extra pair of clean outer socks as mittens.

I hope this helps.

 

[mspath]

Here are a few tips re choosing a bunk gleaned from more than 450 cumulative nights spent in pilgrim albergues over the past 10 years.

In cold weather never choose a bunk placed against an exterior wall since old walls are often uninsulated and thus frigid. All night heating is not the norm hence make a cozy 'sandwich' for sleeping by folding a blanket in half the long way, place your sleeping bag on top of the bottom half and pull the top half over all. If there are no blankets put your dry poncho beneath the bag to block the cold air from rising.

Of course wear warm clothes, loose socks and a wooly hat to bed. When it is really cold I end up looking like Goldilocks grand mama. By the way the coldest I have ever been at night in an interior space was in the old unheated but frigid albergue in Hornillos del Camino 2006; you could see your breath white in the air. Nevertheless I slept!

 

[Nanumea]

Thank you all for the replies!

I think I will try and take the lighter sleeping bag with me. I had already been thinking about buying a silk liner, so I guess I'll do that and see how it goes.

 

[Devon Mike]

If the silk or microfiber liner does not bring the light weight bag up to acceptable, try these two, field-expedient tips that LITERALLY do not weigh anything extra, as you likely already have these items with you:

1. Wear your hiking outfit for tomorrow to bed, and/or;

2. Use your poncho as a layer to prevent heat loss. Lay the open poncho on the bunk or mat, lay the sleeping bag on top. After you get in the bag, "wrap" the side of the poncho over you, as though you were making Chinese egg or spring rolls. I find I get the best coverage, plus added vents, if I lay the poncho on the diagonal. The "ends" are easier to wrap, and the opposite diagonal provides better coverage. A square poncho is longer on the diagonal corners...

Finally, wear a hat or Buff to bed. If you keep your head warm, you will radiate significantly less heat from your body, into the space you are in. If y0ur hands are outside the sleeping bag, wear gloves or an extra pair of clean outer socks as mittens.

I hope this helps.

I totally agree with these ideas as I have also used them when necessary.

They also fit with my principle that all stuff in my pack should have more than one use.

Mike

 

[MTtoCamino]

Yes with a liner you should be fine, I took a 19f bag not sure the Celsius rating I arrived on the 6th of April. It worked out ok, it was too warm the last 2 weeks. I used a blanket most alburgues, from Leon forward had them.

 

[Nanumea]

Thank you all for the advice! I now have three sleeping bags to choose from and I have problems choosing. I did some research and measuring and I found out the following.

• The "light" (synthetic) sleeping bag that I mentioned in the first post, comfort limit 15 C and weight 800 grams
• A down sleeping bag, comfort 11 C and weighs 600 grams
• A down sleeping bag, comfort +1 C and weighs 1,5 kg

I did a test and tried to sleep in 8 C room temperature in the synthetic sleeping bag with fleece clothes on. I was absolutely freezing. So now I've started to think whether the 11 C -comfort level down bag would be enough or should I take the massive 1,5 kg sleeping bag. I use the 1,5 kg one here in Finland in the summer. According to weather statistics from past years the temperatures in April in Spain are about the same as in Finland in June and I could never imagine going hiking in summer here with a 11 C comfort level sleeping bag.

How about taking both of the lighter bags, since they would together still weigh less than the 1,5 kg bag? I could sleep under both of them if the nights are cold. They would be easier to pack in my backpack, but I'm afraid I'd feel stupid for carrying two sleeping bags with me. Actually the synthetic bag is quite old and it was really cheap, so I could leave it behind on the Camino if I would notice that the 11 C down sleeping bag is enough..

Sorry for being this indecisive. Opinions are very much appreciated!

Nanumea

 

[SYates]

I would take the down sleeping bag, comfort 11 C and weighs 600 grams. You could also add a silk liner to it (~120g) which adds a few more degrees. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Devon Mike]

I agree with SY in taking your 600g. bag and a silk liner. If that is not enough you always have the options of sleeping fully dressed and using a blanket which most Albergues have available.

 

[BrienC]

If the silk or microfiber liner does not bring the light weight bag up to acceptable, try these two, field-expedient tips that LITERALLY do not weigh anything extra, as you likely already have these items with you:

1. Wear your hiking outfit for tomorrow to bed, and/or;

2. Use your poncho as a layer to prevent heat loss. Lay the open poncho on the bunk or mat, lay the sleeping bag on top. After you get in the bag, "wrap" the side of the poncho over you, as though you were making Chinese egg or spring rolls. I find I get the best coverage, plus added vents, if I lay the poncho on the diagonal. The "ends" are easier to wrap, and the opposite diagonal provides better coverage. A square poncho is longer on the diagonal corners...

Finally, wear a hat or Buff to bed. If you keep your head warm, you will radiate significantly less heat from your body, into the space you are in. If y0ur hands are outside the sleeping bag, wear gloves or an extra pair of clean outer socks as mittens.

I hope this helps.

Totally agree with this and others who suggest multi-use gear. Though, if you are like me and don't like wearing all your clothes to bed (unless desparate), then a silk liner is worth the extra weight.

Buen Camino

 

[Albertagirl]

I agree with those who suggest using the down bag rated to 11C. I used a synthetic bag rated to 10C for my walk on the Frances in October/November 2015. I was more than warm enough and found that wearing a warm shirt and tights I was too hot, so mostly wore a light shirt, even for cool nights, with the occasional blanket, although not really needed. If you want to try out a liner, you might try borrowing one. I had one for tramping in New Zealand in 2014 and I could not stand the tightness and how it always got uncomfortably twisted, so I could not use it. Good luck in finding out what works for you at a reasonable weight.

 

[Nanumea]

Thanks for the answers!

I made a test and slept in both the down sleeping bag (11 C rating) and the synthetic one (15 C rating). I slept in 15 C room temperature and was chilly even though I slept in both sleeping bags at the same time (both of them fully zipped). I think the synthetic one is actually warmer than the down one and the ratings are not that reliable.

I am so stressed about this! Maybe I should stop worrying about the packing list for a while.

 

[SYates]

If you were chilly sleeping with both bags at 15C room temperature, you certainly need to look into another, warmer sleeping bag. And perhaps even get a medical check, as it seems to me that your body has a problem to keep itself warm. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Aesklepius]

I'll be walking just a bit later than you and have tried a few bags. I've settled on a Marmot NanoWave 50 SR long (10C rating), with a silk liner and fleece top for sleeping. And socks. In this, I am comfortable in a 15C room. I'm of average height, but found that, with the long bag, I could snuggle in just a bit more to escape the chill. Buen camino!