I need another option besides my current sleeping bag, it's a 20 degree bag and I know it's overkill for the summer. I do have a army poncho liner that weighs right at 24oz but I'm just not sure it would be adequate. I also have a coleman fleece summer bag/bag liner but I have not used it before. It also weights right at 24oz.

What do you guys think about this:

http://www.rei.com/product/798715/alps-mountaineering-razor-sleeping-bag-cover-special-buy

It looks ok to me, but I don't know light gear like you guys do. Also I am a hot sleeper, most nights at home I kick off most covers and may only use a sheet.

Budget minded suggestions I guess up to $100 would be my price range....give or take.

My summer solution needs to get me to 20f. Maybe we need to know what summer conditions are for you.

If you're camping in NC then it's not much different than here in the Ozarks in the Summer. The Coleman Fleece bag will be good for nights with the lows in the low 60ºs. I have one and and I use it a lot, but it will collect debris like a lint brush

For cooler nights in the low 50ºs I'd say go for a lightweight 40º bag.

One thing you don't want is a bag that is way to hot. You can always bring some fleece to wear to bed and toss a jacket over the Coleman bag if you get cold, but having only one heavy layer only to cover with can be pretty miserable when the nights are warm.

I guess for temp ratings in the 50 degree range...what I hoped to find was a light bag (~32oz or less) that was inexpensive, around $100 give or take. My Kelty 20 degree bag is great but doesn't pack down small and weighs 3lbs 2oz, and is too warm for summer.

I think the link in my earlier post looks good, except I'm not convinced it's long enough. I'm 6'2 and the Kelty bag is a long, and I can't stand for my feet to be cramped. I wonder, if I ordered it online from REI, could I return it to a local store if it was too small?

I got my niece an ALPS bag for a summer trip (her first), and it seemed to do OK. Of course, ignoring my advice on an 80 degree cloudless night, she zipped herself up in it, inside a tent with the rainfly buttoned up tight - next morning, she asked me if it had rained. When I told her it hadn't, she said,"But there's water all over the inside of the fly." I explained that rain would put water on the outside of the fly - and then explained condensation.

If you're purchasing it from REI, you can check it out in your living room and send it back if you need to.

Cranman,

For whatever it's worth, I thru-hiked a good bit of the AT with a fleece "bag liner" from REI and was plenty warm (with clothes on when it got chilly). Also had a substantial bivy bag I used when I was "cowboy camping" in bad (or really buggy) weather. But the two of them together must have weighed close to three pounds -- just about what you would get with the razor over your fleece (which is what I was going to suggest, until I thought about the weight.

Suspect either one would do you (with clothes) for most summer nights if not up too high. Two problems: You'll sometimes need something to wrap around the fleece if you get into a chill wind or rain in the open (poncho?), and the Razor alone may be subject to a lot of condensation.

The poncho liner, with a poncho around it, will also work, again with some condensation. If it gets too warm, you can kick the poncho off if it's not raining. It's a system that has had an unusually large number of testers right in your area (not all of whom said nice things,however). Just bring a bug net.

Except for the bug net, I had reasonably good experience with it, and still keep one around (they work ok even if they're soaked). The thing was that my employer at that time very strongly encouraged that style of camping. We did have a decent foam ground pad, which I found bulky and clumsy to carry on my but pack, but I'm not sure how well it would have worked without it.

Hope some of this is useful, best, jcp

If you purchase from REI you can even use it in the field for a few trips and take it back if you need to.
Both them and Backcountry.com are famous (or infamous) for lifetime, no questions asked, 100% guarantee return policies.

And, yes you can order from REI.com and return in-store. Any purchase, any store, anywhere.

If you're an REI member you don't even need a receipt. It'll be saved in the database.

I assume this works for non-members, but I don't know about the receipt part. I've been a member for almost 20 years.

I own that bag. I would not recommend it for exclusive use as a warm weather bag for one simple reason: It does not have a full zipper. A half zipper on uber lightweight bags can save an ounce or two but on a bag like this it really doesn't make a lot of sense. The end result is that you cannot fully open it up to vent or use it in quilt mode.

It's too small to be an effective overbag. It compresses the loft and makes it ineffective. It's OK as a liner and the price is right.

I use a poncho liner in the summer (usually with a long sleeve t-shirt or fleece pullover), and the climate here is basically the same as NC. I've never used a fleece bag, but I imagine it would be just as adequate save the wind resistance.

Thanks for all the input guys....I should have mentioned I use a tent, so wind and bugs are not a issue. I think I will try the poncho liner out, and if it's not warm enough I can leave my clothes as a last resort.

One last thing, I had thought about asking my mom to sew a sheet or cover of some sort over the fleece bag, which should make it a bit warmer and help with the problem of any/all debris getting in the fleece. Hmmm I wonder how much weight that would add though

Cranman,

Inside a tent, I think you'll have no trouble with either the fleece or the poncho liner. Assuming the tent has a floor, you shouldn't need a cover for the fleece. You may find the liner is just a bit more wind resistant, but again, inside a tent, shouldn't be an issue.

best, jcp

You can buy one, Google "travel sheet" and you'll find lots of options.

You don't NEED a sleeping bag. A blanket works.

Not uncommonly in real summertime weather in New York's Catskills and various similar environs, I've dispensed with the sleeping bag all together, in favor of long underwear,, comfy warm socks a hat & maybe some light gloves.

Obvious advantage is you can walk around in this set-up, and much of it you'll want to carry anyway.

First time I tried it, many years ago, was with a bed sheet and bare summer clothing. I was cold and uncomfortable.

More recent iterations have been with a bivvy sack and a tiny fleece blanket of the sort designed to cover one's legs while reading on living room couch.

I've been all over the map with this. You can do what you like.

But with adequate clothing ("adequate" being here THE operative and very loaded word), in theory you don't NEED a sleeping bag in ANY weather at all.

Trick is knowing how much clothing you need.
Clothing, by definition, is more versatile than a sleeping bag. In real summer weather in most of eastern U.S., keeping cool is more difficult than staying warm. Hence the "need" to carry sleeping bags rated at 20F with full-length zippers, when the temperature bottoms out at 60F.

In cooler, or colder, or bitter weather, of course bring a sleeping bag, but put the clothing you carry into the mix and obviously, if you are cold, USE the clothing you've lugged along to stay warm, whether sleeping or not.

That's purpose for which clothing was invented.

I've never used one or even seen one, but quilts get a lot of talk here. Check out Ray Jardine's site- www.ray-way.com for quilt kits. Maybe some quilt users will pitch in here with firsthand info for you.

I did a summer hike of the Northville Placid trail using a poncho liner as my only insulation layer. I cut a head hole in it to make it into a wearable quilt. That, and a cheap lightweight nylon shell made a great puffy layer for any chilly mornings. (only one on that trip). One note, I use hammock so the poncho liner as a quilt gets bunched up in the confined space maximizing its efficiency. In my opinion, the poncho liner will be warmer than a fleece liner.

I now use a lighter down quilt the same way. In other season i switch to warmer quilts and only use my bag when the temp drops below zero.

From the advice I've seen so far the thing that sounds the most efficient to me would be a quilt. While I love the poncho liner I'm afraid it's too thin, and itweights right at 24oz. I have got to think there are quilts that would be warmer for maybe even less weight.

I also like the input about dressing properly and maybe not using any sleeping bag, but I am the type that always strips down to sleep comfortably.

My down quilt weighs 24 oz. It's comfy down to 25F, or 40F, or 50F.

I was looking at this

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___42252

for kid #3, in same conditions. Not sure yet, and she doesn't need it until next summer.

Lot of other stuff over on the Campmor site. Interested in your opinion.

That Marmot 45 degree bag looks pretty good, if I didn't need a long size bag that would probably be perfect for me. I originally was looking for something like that and I do always check Campmor for gear. In fact when I bought my current Kelty bag I ordered three different ones from Campmor and picked my favorite and returned the others. Well worth the $10 return shipping to have 3 to choose from.

Cranman,

For a quilt you might want to check Jsck R Better.

best, jcp

http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index.htm

My down quilt is the same as Lori's, it is a JRB. I also have one of their lighter ones (the stealth) for warmer temps. I can use the stealth down to freezing. Every once in a while they will have a sale and you can save a few bucks.

Lots of cool stuff to look at on the JRB site, thanks!

For $100 down is out the question, which means that what most on here consider light is also out of the question, and I still don't know what temps you need to cover. 20 deg for 100 means a discount marmot trestles 15 on sale, but is about 4 lbs. Move up to about 150 and you can drop down to 2.75 lbs and a North face cats meow on sale. Move up to 200 and you can get a closer to 2 lbs or move up to 30-35 deg at $200 and you are in 750 power down or better territory on sale which means you weight can come way down. I have a montbell super stretch down 30 bag and got it on sale at 210. It is 1.5 lbs and stretches to near semi rectangular bag measurements. At $100 dollars if you want anything for a 35 deg setting, you will have to buy the rayway book and make it yourself, which isn't a bad option.

I like your suggestion dtape. Nice stuff can be expensive which is a barrier for some of us penny pinchers, but think about it this way, if you have a specific reason for it, know you will use it and be able to appreciate the added utility you are paying the extra money for, wait and save the extra money up little by little and get what you really want. When you pay extra for quality, you usually win out in the long run. Hand made by experts and recommended up the wazoo on forums like this means jrb are great quality.

I have an ALPS Summer Lake I like for warm weather. It's a little heavier so it might be out of the question anyway. like it because when you use the "thin" side you have the "thick" side as extra padding, or if it turns colder you have a little extra insulation.

Are you going to have another hundred bucks in a few years when the synthetic stops being warm, because you've restuffed it bunches of times and broken down the insulation?

Some things are only cheap if you don't have to buy them repeatedly. If you plan to backpack often for a few decades, a $240 down quilt is a steal.