Sleeping Bag temp for summer on South Island
I've ordered a new sleeping bag and won't pick it up until I'm ready to fly out, so I'm trusting the the temp rating and the reviews I've read for it that claim 7-9 C. We'll be using Hennessey hammocks down low when we're just moving around the country, so I doubt that'll be a problem there, and I'm hoping most of our tramps will be mid-week, but if there does seem to be a hut that will be busy and it's below treeline, would you think it would get colder than 7 degrees just below alpine? Like I said, I'm not planning on tramping too much with the hammock, but I'm pondering getting a bag liner for extra warmth and just wondering if it's really necessary. We'll only be trekking December to March
Also, I should add that I'm not too worried about the sleeping bag in the huts, since I imagine it will be at least a few degrees warmer inside, and no wind.
7 degrees sound light to me but I guess during summer you'll be ok. You shouldnt have many problems with full huts, you can always sleep on the floor, usually under the table in the comunal space.
A sleeping bag liner is always a good idea, especially in summer. Not only does it protect your bag from odour/sweat damage but it means you can unzip your bag and use it like a blanket while you lie in your liner. Great for those warm summer nights!
I usually go by down weight, I have used a 700gm down weight Fairydown Cobra sleeping bag for years,this gets a little hot during summer, so this year I got a Mountain Designs 400gm summer weight bag on special for $130, I'm vey happy with it, slept on a hut veranda and was warm, this was in February.
I usually sleep fairly warm, so I can always add socks and a touque (or whatever the rest of the world calls 'em). I believe this bag was all synthetic, but good to know about comparing the down weight.
I've got a silk rectangle bag liner somewhere, but the main use seemed to be so that I would keep my bag clean, but I always seem to wash up if possible, so it seemed best to just go light and leave the liner at home, since it usually gets all tangled up in the bag anyway.
In the Southern Alps in summer temperatures could get as low as freezing near the bushline, maybe colder?
Even in the valleys, you'll be at 500-700m. It can get pretty cold. If your camping, and even in some huts you'll need a bag with a temp-rating more like 0C, at least!
One thing you might find in NZ compared to Canada is that the weather is a lot more variable. You can get very cold conditions, even in summer. Personally I use the same sleeping bag all year round. If it is too hot I leave the zip open. Being huddled in a sleeping bag with a dusting of snow on the tops is not an unusual experience mid summer in the Southern Alps. My one experience with taking a lighter summer bag on a trip eneded up with me being cold... never again.
Yes it can get below freezing at the Bush line during the summer, but like others said it depends on the weather.
I remember one new years it was 30 plus days on the east coast of the South Island. But 100km inland at Lake Tennyson the temperature was around 4*, and it was snowing on the mountain slopes.
I often light the fire in mountain huts during the summer months.
It can get bloody cold in the hills, even if you are below the bush line and in summer. When I got my new bag I got told to get one that was rated to the lowest temp I was expecting to encoutner at anytime. I just take my normal bag, if I get too hot I just unzip it or use it as a blanket.
I also light the fire, nothing worse than waking up to a cold morning and not having a fire to warm up by.
I will definitely consider taking my 0 degree bag instead. Too bad though, as I was getting excited to have a sleeping bag the size of Nalgene bottle! I might consider bringing both though, since I think I would sweat under my heavy bag, even with it unzipped when we're close to sea level.
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| Forum | Gear talk |
|---|---|
| Started by | glacier_fed |
| On | 7 October 2010 |
| Replies | 9 |
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