[at-l] Trip report - a cold walk in Harriman Park

[Dwight at schneideroptics.com (Dwight Lindsey)]

Gypsy:
 
Thanks for the tip on Western Engineering. I think you often get what
you pay for . . . so cheapest is not always best.
 
I'll look at their bags.
 
Dwight

>>> <gypsy97@bellsouth.net> 1/27/04 3:06:49 PM >>>
Dwight, I'd recommend looking into a small company from CA called
Western
Engineering. They make a down sleeping bag that not only becomes
toasty
within seconds of getting into it, but it has such loft that it is
truly
comfortable with a good thermarest. It was expensive - I think I paid
somewhere in the neighborhood of $250-$350 back in '97, but it was
worth
every penny of it. I got it just before my attempted thru hike, and
was
very thankful to Felix for insisting (actually, commanding) that I get
a
down 0 degree bag. On one very cold night, a fellow hiker buried both
our
water bottles in a huge pile of leaves. We were the only ones at the
shelter whose water didn't freeze overnight.

Gypsy

> From: "Dwight Lindsey" < Dwight@schneideroptics.com >
> Subject: > So . . . what did I learn?
>
> 1) I can hike and overnight in the cold
> 2) I need a zero degree down bag
> 3) I need the most comfortable sleeping pad I can find, I'll carry
the
> weight
> 4) It makes no sense to use that hydration bag when it's that cold
> 5) I carried a filter and a collapsible water jug, but melted snow
> instead . . .
> 6) Don't get into the bag damp, if it can be helped
> 7) Did I mention that I need a warmer sleeping bag?
>
> I'd tested the two bag combo in the back yard at 10 degrees, and it
> worked fine. I think the differences were:
>
> 1) It was colder, likely 5 degrees
> 2) The bags in the backyard were warm when I got in them
> 3) I was warm and dry when I got in them
>
> So, short overnight hike, nice country, two beautiful white tailed
> deer, and a few lessons learned.
>
> Did I mention that my wife thinks I'm crazy?
>
> Saturday night I flew off to Germany on business and I'm seriously
> jetlagged and writing this from bed in a German hotel.
>
> Dwight

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