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A Five-ounce Sleeping Bag
By Steve Gillman, Thu Dec 8th
Okay, it wasn't quite a sleeping bag. However, it was only fiveounces, and it kept me warm as the temperature dropped to thelow forties on the bank of the Manistee River in Michigan. Thesecret was the fifteen minutes we spent gathering dead, drybracken ferns to build a two-foot thick mattress. We set thetent on that. Then, with all my clothes on, I was fine. In fact, I've rarely slept as well camping as I did that night.As I said, it wasn't a sleeping bag, but actually a sleeping bagliner. I bought it from Campmor, but I've since sewn a simpleone of bargain-bin nylon material ($1/yard) obtained at Walmart.If it's possible to stay warm with a light sleeping bag liner inautumn, at a few degrees above freezing, this strategy shouldwork well for summer nights in the sixties. How To Use A Liner As A Sleeping Bag Be careful, of course, with just a liner for asleeping bag. It could be dangerous, or at least uncomfortableenough to ruin your trip. Experiment near home, and knowyourself and your enviroment. Learn a few tricks. If it isn't too humid you can breath in yourbag, and you will be much warmer. Most backpackers will tell younot to do this, because you'll be damp in the morning,
but in adry enviroment you'll be fine once you hit the trail. Just drythe liner out during a break.Another trick is to use a mattress of dried plants. Try deadleaves, palm fronds, grass, cattail leaves, some tree barks,etc. A mattress of this sort insulates you from the ground,which normally takes away much of your body heat. Scatter theleaves in the morning so they won't smother the plantsunderneath. Some other tricks to try: Hot tea before going to sleep...Exercise a bit... Cover yourself with extra clothes... Elevateyour feet slightly... Go to sleep earlier or later. Experimentto see what works best for you. Also, go to bed warm. If you're warm when you get into yoursleeping bag, you're more likely to stay warm through the night.It's difficult to warm up, especially in a thin bag, if youstart out shivering.
I'm not recommending with only a sleeping bag liner,but it is an option. I've gone out with nothing more than a bivysack in my jacket pocket, but I'm not recommending that either.This is just to present all the possible options for theultralight backpacker.
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