Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

I'm looking to walk the OLT over 8-9 days starting the 8th of Feb (Monday).

I've done the OLT before in winter about 10 years ago (late July), which was obviously cold and snowing, which slightly affects how i remember it.

While the weather gods have blessed us with the rain clearing out on Sunday the predicted temp is down around 3 ish on the 7 day forecast.

Due to an unfortunate gear failure the weekend gone, I don't have my preferred sleeping bag.

I have a Marmot Nano Wave 45 which is a 7 degree bag. But to be honest I haven't really used it much below 10 recently (it's my normal go to for most of the time and was my go to in most of Qld).
I also have an older down mummy bag (-5 to -10 ish) which I've used in alpine environments in NZ but have always found it a bit too warm for anywhere not proper cold.

Any bag will be on top of a well worn in neo air.

I'm now conflicted and second guessing myself on what bag to take, there is the obvious weight and size difference.

Thoughts ?

Take the LW bag and an extra down jacket?
Buy a summer synthetic quilt from TerraRosa gear and layer that over the top?
https://terrarosagear.com/collections/q ... t-1-season

Moondog55 wrote:Take the LW bag and an extra down jacket?
Buy a summer synthetic quilt from TerraRosa gear and layer that over the top?
https://terrarosagear.com/collections/q ... t-1-season

I am considering the extra layers at night.
I've got the standard set of thermals but historically I've tended to sweat in them when I've slept in them (with a 0 deg bag at low single digits) so i don't have a good feel for how much colder you can go with them. + apparently the EN ratings are with thermals.

I probably couldn't sleep in a down jacket (short of saving my self obviously) .

Neo Air's are mummy shaped i think you answered your own question.
I would take the warmest bag that i own, which by design is a down mummy.
Others may have different point of view, my view is that if you get injured and can't make a hut
you'll need a good bag to save your life. For that price i can undo a zip in a hut.

I'd take the warmer bag and make up for it being heavier/bulkier by not bringing thermals. Just sleep in boxers and your walking top/spare

If you do get stuck outside (assuming you have a tent/tarp or bivy), you can sleep in your clothes/jacket if you need a warmth boost.

In another post by Brekel they provided Tasi temp averages at 1000m over the last 20 years and for Feb it shows an average of 5 C lower temps with about 10 days in the month under 2 C so you are probably going to be OK if you are not a cold sleeper. A 100g silk bag liner could provide another 2 C warmth or a 400g polystretch liner around 4 C warmth.

However, looking at the bag specs https://www.marmot.com/equipment/sleepi ... 29149.html it’s a lower end 900g total weight bag using mixed hollow fill synthetic insulation in a mummy shape, claimed rating of 7 C but no proper reference that one could trust to whether that’s a comfort level (some words kinda sayin it?) or an extreme lower level. My guess is that it’s not a proper 7 C comfort level due to the lightish 900g total weight and review comments saying it is a good summer bag. So personally I wouldn’t be taking such a bag. If you do take it, get at least the polystretch or similar liner to add warmth and be prepared to sleep with layered clothing if needed.

The warmer bag is probably a safer option and you can use it like a blanket around the lower body if too warm. If the bag internal baffle design allows it (Horizontal baffles) you may be able to shake the down to the bottom (under your back) to regulate temperature.

A cheap solution [ also bulky and a little heavy] would be an army disposal tropical blanket; the American Woobie; to throw over the top, about $30- as the Marmot bag might be too skinny to layer up inside of. If you already own a bivvy bag I would think you'd have told us but those can add 5 degrees by trapping an extra bit of dead air around your bag and it's a bit late to order one if the trip is in 3 days time

@Brent-D
PM sent

To close out the loop, ended up going with the lighter bag and a Thermolite liner.

All but one night it was warm enough in the tent (with a second person) wearing thermals and a beanie.

Looking at the weather obs and what we recorded on site it got down to -3 in waterfall valley (maybe lower) with frost. That night I woke from being uncomfortably cold and had to put on socks, down jacket, gloves etc to get back to sleep.

Most other nights where around 4-8 outside with lower dips before dawn and 10+ in the tent.

The night I spent in Pelion (due to heavy rain overnight) I was a tad warm and ended up unzipping and removing the thermals.

If I didn’t have the thermorest R 4.2 mat or a partner I suspect I would have been cold but the large down bag would have been overkill.

If I was on my own, or the weather forecast wasn’t quite so nice I would strongly suggest anyone reading in the future go a slightly heavier bag for comfort sake.