We are heading in the end of July. The weather is forecasted to be high of 85 and a low of 58. Our current set up is 15 degree down mummy bags in hammocks. We live out west and frequently backpack up to 10,500 ft where it can freeze at night mid summer. I have limited experience packing in at lower elevation, with warmer and high humidity weather.
Do we pack in our bags and use them as quilts? I think we will roast if we do.

Get a cheap walmart synthetic 50 degree bag to use once? There big, don't pack small and weight slightly more than our current down bags.

Take light blankets?

I've spent time in Missouri so I know how humidity makes it feel warmer.
We don't go ultralight but try to save weight and bulk wherever we can.
Advice please.

It rarely gets cold in july. Sleeping in a hot humid tent with a scattered collection of mosquitoes and no see ums is a challenge. I have a fifty year old eddie bauer down bag for these conditions, also have a 50’ north face. A fleece blanket also works.

I'd just take what u have. Use as a blanket and u have more thermal retention if needed.

AmarilloJim: "I'd just take what u have. Use as a blanket and u have more thermal retention if needed."

Agree and I'll also point out a weather forecast for end of July is worthless at this point. This area of the country a forecast can change rapidly. So many trips the week before the weather report looked hot and dry only to turn into lows in 40's in July with sleet one day and rain every day while actually on the trip.

T

I suggest you take what you have and if you can buy a lightweight fleece liner for when conditions are too warm. What usually happens is it will be too warm when you first go to bed for the bag but as the night progresses you will need it as a blanket. I do this but use a 20° quilt with a silk liner.

Have a great trip.

I take a 40 degree down sleeping bag and a sheet, the sheet packs small and works on hot nights. The down bag covers most anything else during the month of July up there.

Your underquilt selection is more important than your top quilt/sleeping bag setup. What are you using to keep your butt warm?

I prefer pads so I was thinking of bringing my Thermarest Prolite, or a static v.
We have diy down blanket under quilts that my boys like to use so that's what they will bring.
I like the idea of a sheet, thanks. I did not think of that.

I take my lightest down bag during these hot spells. I either don't use it at all some nights or use it as a quilt if it cools down enough. Bringing your highly packable and light down bags is way better than buying and hauling some cheap bulky piece of junk in my opinion. I've brought a sheet in the past, but now I travel as light as possible.

We just added these top quilts this year for warm weather trips. This paired with a 40 degree underquilt was more than warm enough for our early June trip that got down into the upper 40's/low 50's. Not as cheap as a Walmart bag or a sheet but considering the weight and packability they're not too bad.

Those top quilts look perfect. At what temperature do you get cold using it?

Rocknrone: "

Get a cheap walmart synthetic 50 degree bag to use once? There big, don't pack small and weight slightly more than our current down bags.


I bought a Wally world special on sale for about $9.00. Could not get it back in the stuff sack, zipper jammed every few inches and then broke. My dog loves it.
I use a fleece bag liner in July and Aug., if it gets cold I put on sox and my light down jacket which I have anyway.

Take what you have. I tripped with a friend in July years ago. He had ordered an ultralight bag, which wasn't delivered in time. He thought he would go with no bag and just sleep in his clothes. It got really cold most nights and he froze. He even tried his Duluth pack on his lower half at night.

I am a sweaty hosebeast, so even though most of our trips are in the shoulder seasons, I switched to a 30 bag about 7 years ago, which has been much better for me. (I still have my 15, but rarely use it in the BWCA.) My husband has a 0 bag, but he is a freeze baby :D
Best thing I ever purchased though was my travel sheet. I have a cocoon cool max travel sheet. It's a bag for inside your bag...or you can pull it out and sleep in it on top of the bag. When it's warmer, it, um...abosorbs sweat :D and keeps my bag dry if I still need to be in the bag. And then I can also keep my bag unzipped or sleep on top of it and not have serial killers get me. (because there are two types of people...people who can sleep with no coverings at all, and people who know that you will be murdered if you aren't covered by at least a sheet over yoru torso)
Cocoon sheet

I have not yet been over your way yet, but here in the Vermont, or over in the Adirondacks, I've always gone with my 20 degree down bag, mostly with a light cotton liner or sheet. Kind of a layering system for those temps. I'm a big fan of a liner at any temperature, for comfort, and keeping the bag clean(er).

In summer sleeping I use an inflatable air mattress, lightweight down bag ( Summerlite ), and a cotton sheet.

Excellent advice. I appreciate all the replies

Rocknrone: "Those top quilts look perfect. At what temperature do you get cold using it?"

They’re rated for 55 degrees but our lowest overnight temp was 48 degrees and I was warm in just underwear paired with a 40 degree underquilt. With the addition of a wool base layer I’d probably be able to get close to 40 just fine with that setup but I’m generally a warm sleeper. The 55 degree rating is fairly conservative imo but I wouldn’t push it too much below 50.

Prevention the best cure for us. On hot days, we take a shower toward evening using filtered water, and then use a light weight sleeping bag. A dunk in the lake could work for you also. If it gets cold, I have enough layers to keep things comfortable. Coldest temps in July for us was a reported 32 degrees in town.

I bring a military poncho liner, which was my dad's in Vietnam. If it's hot but I want some coverage, I'll sleep with my bag open - or on top of my bag - with the poncho liner over me.

I bought a Western Mountaineering MityLite bag 5 years ago and I love it. It's rated to 40F, but more importantly, it unzips fully and I can use it as a quilt. It packs down to the size of a large grapefruit if you use a compression sack, otherwise, in its suppled stuff sack, it's like a fat 1L Nalgene bottle. It weighs 26 oz.

HowardSprague: "I bring a military poncho liner, which was my dad's in Vietnam. If it's hot but I want some coverage, I'll sleep with my bag open - or on top of my bag - with the poncho liner over me."

I have taken to carrying one these and find it very versatile in all seasons. It is a little bulky but lightweight. I carry mine in a small stuff sack. A nephew who retired from the army several years ago tells me they are known as woobies.

Rocknrone: "We are heading in the end of July. The weather is forecasted to be high of 85 and a low of 58. Our current set up is 15 degree down mummy bags in hammocks. We live out west and frequently backpack up to 10,500 ft where it can freeze at night mid summer. I have limited experience packing in at lower elevation, with warmer and high humidity weather.
Do we pack in our bags and use them as quilts? I think we will roast if we do.

Get a cheap walmart synthetic 50 degree bag to use once? There big, don't pack small and weight slightly more than our current down bags.

Take light blankets?

I've spent time in Missouri so I know how humidity makes it feel warmer.
We don't go ultralight but try to save weight and bulk wherever we can.
Advice please."

Expect the unexpected. I have been on a couple trips in the BW over the years during the summer months and it got quite cold at night. Bring a bag suitable for a range of temperatures, not assuming in will always be hot and humid in July or August.