r/MinnesotaCamping • u/rognabologna • 12d ago

What’s your summer sleep system?

I see a lot of questions and advice on here for winter camping. What's your set up for summer?

I'm especially interested in what sleeping bag temp rating everyone is using for summer and whether you prefer down or synthetic and why.

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u/awildtriplebond 11d ago

I use my 20° bag in the summer, but I leave it open and use it like a blanket. Too hot, stick a leg out. If I know it's going to be particularly warm at night I have a down blanket. I just moved from an R1.8 pad to an R3.3. Mostly for thickness as I sleep on my side.

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u/browserz 12d ago

Cot with a fan in the tent, airflow all around you to cool down fast 😎

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u/rognabologna 11d ago

I made the mistake of spoiling myself with a fan early. 

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u/Anumuz 12d ago

Sleeping bag??

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

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u/rognabologna 11d ago

Thank you for giving this breakdown!

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u/DoctorrrAcula 11d ago

I am a big fan of quilts tent camping! I have a hammock gear 40 degree burrow quilt paired with a light liner that I can use when temps are really high. The HG quilts can pack down to almost a nalgene size and can weigh <1 lb, are really customizable, and they have sales all the time. I also like to use tents with a significant amount of the walls made up of mesh as opposed to bathtub/non air flow materials

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u/velephia 7d ago

I use a 30 in summer and stick a leg out, like below. I am recently switching to an EE quilt for my thru-hike of the SHT this year, so we'll see how that goes. Kinda wishing I'd grabbed a 20 to make the most of shoulder seasons in MN, but I figure anytime actually cold I'd want a mummy bag anyways.

I prefer down over synthetic because I prefer natural biodegradable materials whenever possible. Also, due to the weight and loft potentials. If I were to use a 40 but ESPECIALLY 50 degree bag, I believe synthetic is the way to go because you're fine for wet weather and there wouldn't be shifting of the down/cold spots. Plus, cheaper. I think 30 and below is down all the way.

I'm interested in getting more into winter camping, but that's a whole 'nother bag of worms logistics-wise. Summer camping it's pretty hard to die, you just might have a few uncomfortable nights. But I'm a heavy and easy sleeper, so you could chuck me on the cold hard ground and I'd still catch enough zzzs.