And there it is...once one gets beyond minimum safety considerations, it does, seemingly, all come down to comfort..as I think all lightweight backpacking considerations do. What TomD outlines above, substituting a medium weight jacket for the parka and adding insulated pants (topic of the OP), is my sleep system.

Here's what I think is key for me. I haven't added anything to my backpack and I took out the bulk of an approximate three pounds of sleeping bag. The result is I have integrated my shelter and clothing with what's left of the original sleep system, i.e., the pad. Ryan Jordan of BackpackingLight published a 2003 technical white paper on this very subject but darn if I can find it on the 'net.

I always sleep in 'thermals'...in a bag or out. There are several reasons I do this; extend temp range of sleep system (bag or not), keep the bag/quilt clean, the SmartWool feels so much nicer than the the feel of the bag on bare skin, etc. Effectively, all I've done is add a layer of insulated clothes (jacket and pants). Since I started using this sleep system coincident with my start with hammock hanging I can't address the individual comfort level...all I can say is that combination has been sweet! grin There's been minor, spinoff benefits too...not having to wrestle a bag in the hammock, not having to get dressed for a frigid nighttime Nature call, no need to dress until the Sun warms the morning up...

Comfort and individual perspective. Rather than feeling "wrapped up in clothes all night" I relish the feeling of not being restricted by a sleeping bag. smile And the three pounds I left at home is a major percentage of what is now my approximate 15lb base weight...

Everyone is different and they face different trail conditions. The key is to get everyone to think differently from what they have been locked into. A bag is just one of many options; a backpacker's 'big three' is not a Holy Trinity. laugh

FB
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