looking at those ridge rest mats in another tab, those look pretty nice, and not as expensive as I thought they might be.

When you attach a sleeping bag to the outside of your pack, is it a good idea to put it in a compression sack first? I tried attaching one without it, and it was awkward and uncomfortable, and the sleeping bag kept sliding apart and coming unrolled. I am assuming a compression sack or some other stuff sack would solve this problem.

Blue foam pads are fine for young folks for summer insulation. Two for winter.

Bag examples

Higher end 0 F synth north face $169
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___58751?cm_vc=PDPZ1
4lbs 2 oz

Low end 0 F synth slumberjack $59
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___47321
4lb 15 oz.

Cheap down 0 F Kelty $189
http://www.amazon.com/Kelty-Cosmic-Degree-Down-Sleeping/dp/B004O706O0
3lb 12 oz

I'm doing my best to enjoy it, and yes your dad was right, I am already wondering where the last 12 years have gone.

Both those look like great options, but a bit pricy for me right now (just had to drop almost 500 bucks for a new hot water heater). I'll keep drooling and dreaming.

Blog Post I made on using stuffsacks.

It shows first packing it in a tan stuffsack for attaching to outside of pack, but no pics on the frame.
We use two web straps with fastex buckles. The stuffsack has web loops on the side for the web straps to pass through so sack won't slide out.

The second batch shows a blue stuffsack for an internal frame pack with the bag inside.

In both cases the sleeping bags are down ones however they take up less than half the stuffsack and clothing and extra gear are included inside. In fact the foam pad, sleeping bag and clothing fit in the external frame stuffsack. So a synthetic bag should fit excluding some of the other stuff.

For outward bound courses, the students could fit a 20d synth bag, long underwear and socks, climbing harness and helmet in their stuffsacks and then put at the bottom of the internal frame packs.

http://blog.owareusa.com/2013/01/10/stuffsack-use/

AFLM,

From the Manufacturers Web Site (http://wiggys.com/category.cfm?Category=41) for the civilian sale of the two bags together, no Bivi (Wiggy's states that it does not increase the temp rating). It may be an improved version of the mil spec one, but I suspect that these might be overruns from a govt contract, even though some of the military is changing to a center zipper version:

********************************************
Super Light Camo - SALE
Product #: 6.11.1-camo

Temperature Rating:
0 Degrees F
FTRSS: -40 Degrees F

Style: Mummy
includes standard stuff sack.
NO pillow included

Sizes: Click on (More Info) for Details...

Colors: DIGITAL CAMO, MARPAT

Weight: 4 pounds (Regular-Regular Size)

ON SALE FOR $130.00

Free Shipping NOT Applicable with this item
*************************************************

This is the same bag, except for color, that I have and I can tell you that the temp rating on the bags independently (I have never had them in -40 yet so I don't know about the combo) are cozy for me. I sleep warm in most bags though.

Mark,

This sale might be a good possibility. It is only the liner/3 season bag, looks like they made too many for the govt. Sometimes you can get the pair (overbag rated to 35F and Superlite rated to 0F) new surplus or on ebay for only a little more. Gives you a summer bag, a fall/spring bag and a winter bag all in one.

Ebay has some used surplus ones for $27.95, Buy it Now from a well rated source. I don't know the vintage but they look like the ones from the web site AFLM quoted above. Might not be quite the same as the ones now at Wiggy's.

Respectfully,

Jerry

The tents are solid sided so no worries there

the closed cell pad combined with the self inflating air pad seems like it would be a good idea

I'm all for keeping warm, I do not like being cold, I am overly sensitive to cold, especially in my extremities, which could be why winter camping never really appealed to me

Absolutely, putting the bag in a compression sack will help reduce the volume as much as possible for putting it in a pack and should not only keep the bag together but provide a little bit of protection if you are strapping it outside your pack (I use something like this ... the product video shows how the compression works). As mentioned earlier, people don't typically roll sleeping bags anymore, they just stuff them into sacks.

I'll also second clearwater's comment ... go with 2 pads for winter even if they are both the blue foam pads.

awesome, thanks jerry, those look promising

awesome denis, thanks for the great info, will definitely have to invest in a stuff sack too.

one thing with having two foam pads, my pack just has straps for one pad at the bottom of the pack, the straps aren't long enough to roll two pads together so I'd either have to piggy-back it, or find somewhere else to attach it. any suggestions? Later, I may try to attach some pics of the setup we have so far and the (admittedly crappy but usable for now) packs we are using.

at any rate, if we can figure out how to attach 2 pads, we'll be closer to being set for winter camping, and as for spring/summer/fall camping a little extra padding to sleep on would be welcome as well

added: I should also note we are using internal frame packs that have straps and other attachment/lashing points on the outside of the pack

You will learn a lot with experiences to come in scouts.

Here is a link to lots of good stuff about lightweight backpacking with scouts.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/display_forum.html?forum=54