OK - fitting an inexpensive large 30 deg bag in the sleeping bag compartment of the Kelty is moderately challenging... depending on your notion of "inexpensive". Nice pack; good value. I've been using a Kelty Slickrock of similar overall volume (no pockets) for several years and it's been hassle-free and very comfortable for trips of up to a week in the wintertime, but learning to use the sleeping back compartment wisely was a challenge at first. Just used it for a 4 day backpacking trip in HOT weather where time/distance between water meant toting more water than normal and it worked great - I usually use a favorite old external frame in hot weather, but other than the sweaty back, after this trip I am leaning more to the internal... takes me a while to change out gear and get used to it.

You're probably in the realistic ballpark for total pack weight with common equipment and food - depends on how much water you carry at any given time. You can prune the weight a bit with experience, and your pack can handle longer duration trips than you contmeplate, so I guess one of your challenges will be to NOT stuff it full of things you won't need.

You're for certain going to need a means of compressing a sleeping bag of that size in order to get it into the compartment. I've had great luck with using appropriately sized dry sacks to function as compression bags, plus they absolutely keep the bag dry. A little technique required, but it's not difficult. Otherwise, a two-axis compression sack will get the job done.

Um, I've got to hit the supply stores and get a ton of things done this weekend, but I'll post back later some suggestions to look into. This time of year, any old thing you can stuff into the compartment will be peachy.

It would narrow things down for me if you could toss out a budget number... how much can you get away with spending without too severe of a "beating"? This is pretty simple if you want to go with a high-end down bag... might require a trip to the hospital for you, though <grin>...

Regards,

Tom

I second a blanket. A couple of years ago I gave up on sleeping bags because I couldn’t stand the straight-jacket effect. I purchased some SmartWool blankets from Sierra Trading Post. Yes, SmartWool is expensive, but on close-out I paid $35 each (including shipping) for a 51”x71” blanket which weighs 31 ounces on my kitchen scale. I own six altogether, two each for myself, wife, and son.

I first used them when I went camping with my 7-year old son. The night time lows were mild (low 40s), and it was breezy, but not too windy. We slept together in a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight and used Thermarest ProLites for insulation from the ground (i.e., the blankets were only on top of us, not wrapped around). Since we were together, we could double up the two blankets we had. Turns out we didn’t need to. As the night wore on we kept shedding clothes, finally down to our underwear. After that, we kicked off the blankets we were so hot. In the early morning hours I pulled one blanket back on (my son slept oblivious).

Morals of my story: (1) I and my son both sleep hot, so a little insulation goes a long way; (2) a good tent traps heat; (3) if you’re with someone, the shared heat will make a big difference; (4) separate ground protection helps a lot (a sleeping bag compressed under the weight of a person doesn’t offer much insulation on the bottom); (5) the weather cooperated. In short, there’s a lot of individual variables that will probably affect your results.

I love the SmartWool blankets. I’m not straight-jacketed. They breathe. If they get wet, they still work. They don’t melt like synthetics. I especially like that they’re not limited to camping use—I try to buy gear that’s not too specialized to get maximum utils. If I expect really cold weather, I take two; otherwise I take one. In any case, I take an AMK bivvy as insurance in the day pack which rides at the top of my Kelty 50th Anniversary external frame pack. The bivvy’s job is the same as the tent’s: trap the heat. Yes, the bivvy would trap me like a sleeping bag, but then the bivvy is for emergency use, not casual use.