Help with sleep system for the wet and windy Pacific Northwest

[stickhunter]

Hi all,

To be honest, I'm very new to backpacking and camping in general, but I've been slowly building up my kit and now feel that I want to start spending some nights in the woods to learn the skills and prepare for the 2017 blacktail season.

For shelter, I have a megatarp and medium ti stove, but I'd like a sleep system that will work well when I'm stoveless. For actual sleeping, I have a Jimmy Tarps Summit bivy and a Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated inflatable pad. I'm now looking for a sleeping bag or quilt to go in the bivy.

I'll be spending most of my time in the timber with a few higher elevation alpine hikes, but for the most part, rain and wind are my companions and not snow. I'd guess that temps would normally be in the 0*C to 10*C range through the fall and winter.

I'm trying to keep my gear light for mobility, but also balancing it with "good value for money" --- I don't mind spending money on equipment that works well, but I don't mind saving my money either. However, I definitely fall into the category of "buy once, cry once" rather than buying something and not being fully satisfied with it.

I believe I'm a warmish sleeper, and I generally sleep soundly in adverse conditions, so I'm thinking I can get away with a lighter bag. I also have some good wool undergarments that I can sleep in for added warmth. Down looks tempting from the weight and packability, but I've seen recommendation for synthetic insulation for damp conditions.

So given that I have the following gear, what should I add for fall/winter sleeping comfort in the the Pacific Northwest (Victoria, BC to be exact, right near northern Washington State):

- Kifaru Megatarp
- Jimmy Tarps silpoly/momentum 90 bivy
- Sea-to-Summit Ultralight insulated pad

Thanks!

 

[jtw]

I live in Washington near south puget sound. I've spent most my life in the olympics and a down bag has never been a problem. I use a 20 degree f mummy and do fine in the ranges you're talking about. I can't speak to quilts as I've never used one.

 

[ianpadron]

I also live in WA and run floorless. I've weathered some gnarly storms in my Jimmy Tarps Alpine Basin. I switched to a 0° quilt this year and it rocks. Haven't had a problem with it getting wet. Get a 10° treated down quilt from EE and you're set, especially with that insulated pad.

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[mlob1one]

Having grown up in and around Portland and spent countless nights from the coast to the Cascades, I know exactly how wet, cold, & miserable the weather can get I have a couple down bags and love them. I now live and hunt in Utah where moisture is not at all what it is in the Sound.

If you're looking at down I'd suggest you look at the montbell spiral downhugger lines. I have both the downhugger #1 (15 degree) & #3 (30 degree) in 800 fill down long. Light, stretchy, & completely comfortable.

That said for blacktail in the PNW, I'd go with a synthetic bag. If you get doused hunting a synthetic bag will not only keep you warm but it will also dry you out as you sleep. The apex insulation used by Kifaru is the real McCoy. I don't know of many things worse than a poor nights sleep. Look hard at the Kifaru slickbag.

Neither are inexpensive but you definitely get what you pay for from both these companies.

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[jtw]

Having grown up in and around Portland and spent countless nights from the coast to the Cascades, I know exactly how wet, cold, & miserable the weather can get I have a couple down bags and love them. I now live and hunt in Utah where moisture is not at all what it is in the Sound.

If you're looking at down I'd suggest you look at the montbell spiral downhugger lines. I have both the downhugger #1 (15 degree) & #3 (30 degree) in 800 fill down long. Light, stretchy, & completely comfortable.

That said for blacktail in the PNW, I'd go with a synthetic bag. If you get doused hunting a synthetic bag will not only keep you warm but it will also dry you out as you sleep. The apex insulation used by Kifaru is the real McCoy. I don't know of many things worse than a poor nights sleep. Look hard at the Kifaru slickbag.

Neither are inexpensive but you definitely get what you pay for from both these companies.

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As a blackmail hunter I disagree. Down will dry you out just fine. I've done it hundreds of times and have yet to wake up wet.

 

[tttoadman]

Hunting PNW is usually an overnighter type of thing. One night never does anybody in. for short trips I take the Klymit inertia sleeping pad. I have a couple of options from NW supplier Six moons. I am really happy with everything from them. I have the gatewood cape and the Solo LE tent. I have the the serenity net that i use under my gatewood cape as well as under the cimarron tarp during late season. multipurpose gear is the key to success.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I'm in Western Wa. and after flirting with synthetic gags for a couple of years I'm back to a down bag and see no reason to change

 

[stickhunter]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll put down back on the list of possibilities and check out the recommendation on the Montbell.

The Woobie that was on the exchange a couple of a days ago also got me curious --- would a Woobie or Doobie make a reasonable loose-type quilt in a bivy, or is that fool-hardy?

 

[Beendare]

You won't have an issue with down or a floorless shelter for one or two days in the conditions you mentioned. ...its on extended trips in rain/wet/100% moisture conditions like you mentioned that its a roll of the dice, IMO.

As you know, its when you are camped for 3-4 days or longer and the moisture builds up due to not being able to dry it out that there is an issue. I've had moisture problems with gear on those types of foggy damp hunts in the PNW and Southern Ak Islands where it rained and was foggy for many days in a row. Nothing dries out. Sliding into a damp bag sucks no matter the insulation. I've seen my buddies down bag lose loft over many days of that damp stuff...but he never complained. Wearing merino longjohns in your bag/quilt helps when its damp.
I've always used a syn bag with good success for those conditions....the new treated down might work for you but I haven't tried it.

I wouldn't use a floorless shelter in those conditions unless I had a stove. You just add to the moisture problem with a floorless shelter in those extended wet conditions. If you are backpacking, those HS Tarptents are a good option for UL complete shelters.

As you know, staying completely dry on those extended hunts in wet weather is next to impossible.

 

[stickhunter]

I wouldn't use a floorless shelter in those conditions unless I had a stove. You just add to the moisture problem with a floorless shelter in those extended wet conditions. If you are backpacking, those HS Tarptents are a good option for UL complete shelters.

As you know, staying completely dry on those extended hunts in wet weather is next to impossible.

Oh yes, I know that well enough! Some of last year's day hunts left me soaked to the bone and the goretex shell/bibs didn't do much, if anything, to help. I've switched over to HH Impertech rain gear at the expense of weight and breathability (not that goretex with a soaked outer shell breaths any better).

I should clarify my original post that most of these backpack/camping trips will be 1 or 2 nights. I don't have any longer trips planned, but the stove would come along with me if I did. I mainly got the stove for when camping and hiking with the kids --- they're so much more likely to get hypothermic in the wet conditions than me with my outer layer of bear/beer fat

 

[Beendare]

...

I should clarify my original post that most of these backpack/camping trips will be 1 or 2 nights. I don't have any longer trips planned, but the stove would come along with me if I did. I mainly got the stove for when camping and hiking with the kids --- they're so much more likely to get hypothermic in the wet conditions than me with my outer layer of bear/beer fat

Ok ,well then the lighter the better...but I stick with my original comments. I know there are many floorless tipi fans here and that fine....but something like those only adds to the moisture where you are. I don't know that there is a perfect solution for those constant wet areas...if you find one be sure to let me know!

 

[stickhunter]

Ok ,well then the lighter the better...but I stick with my original comments. I know there are many floorless tipi fans here and that fine....but something like those only adds to the moisture where you are. I don't know that there is a perfect solution for those constant wet areas...if you find one be sure to let me know!

Fortunately, I have an MSR Hubba Hubba NX that would work well, too... so I may very well end up using that. I'll still need to solve the sleeping bag issue, though. It is pretty amazing how soaked you get just walking through the salal and ferns, even after the rain has stopped. I figure the abrasion from the wet leaves just pushes the water right past any DWR coatings... I find it pretty miserable... not to mention the wet spongy feet.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

A stove in a mega tarp should keep moisture in your bag under control.It helps to dry clothes out at well if you try to keep clothes to relatively thin layers.Things like Folsom heavy wool pants and coats probably won't dry very well

 

[BrentC]

I live in SE AK and I am also looking into a better bag a Slick bag in particular. I'm not risking it with down never got my bag wet directly but don't want to chance it. I skiff, truck camp also backpack. I can also end up stuck somewhere waiting on weather to clear. My needs may be a little different.


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[dog812]

I am in the same boat, bc resident. looking for a general tent for hiking in wet weather.
I bought a tipi style floorless tent, but haven't really had the balls to use it.

 

[bcimport]

Glad to see all the BC guys on rokslide. I use a floorless shelter exclusively now (8 man tipi or bt2) along with a down quilt. I used to run hillebergs and synthetic bags but really don't miss them. The treated down in my quilt has been great and quite frankly is better not in a bivy for breathability and keeping the moisture moving rather than recondensing on the inside of the bivy and being held against the quilt. I feel like I have more than trips and lousy weather scenarios to say that once you're over the hurdle of running floorless and just taking a small amount of caution with your down bag you won't look back. Enjoy weighing the options and opinions but with a little common sense you can save a lot of weight and bulk and still be safe and comfy in any situation.