Southern Europe sleeping bag

[ootini]

To those people who have been on trips in Southern Europe, Spain, Italy and the like, what kind of sleeping bags would you recommend? Is a bag even needed, or just a liner?

Thanks

[pistonbroke]

Depends on time of year, altitude that you're planning to sleep at, insulating properties of your mat, bivvy bag or tent, in fact most of the criteria that you would consider in the UK. For the trip I run in the spring, most nights are spent around 1,000m and I take a decent insulated mat and a light quilt with a Borah bivvy and tarp if it looks like rain. Last September I rode the Montañasvacias and took a non insulated mat and quilt and was fine as the ground had stayed heated from the summer. I also carry a silk liner for warm nights when a down quilt would be too warm.

[woodsmith]

I used a 3 degree bag ( Mountain equipment Helium 400) with a Thermarest Xlite in Turkey in September ( 30+ degree daytime temps) . Was often warm enough in just a silk liner but was glad of the bag on several nights at 2000meters. Was glad of having a tent too as I had wild boar around me on several nights.

[ootini]

Cheers

I don't think altitude will be a big factor as I'm thinking Sicily and Malta.

Im trying to keep weight as low as possible. Ill investigate quilts

Thanks

[Borderer]

I took a bag with 400g of down to Spain and Portugal and was ok most of the time - only cold one night when up high. On hot nights I just slept in the liner with the bag opened out to pull over me if I got cold. I am a very cold sleeper and I hate being cold so always prefer taking more rather than less. We ended up above the snow line a couple of times which I really hadn't been expecting.
One time we were up high when a blizzard came right towards us and we had to make a dash for it to lower ground. If we had been caught up high in a blizzard with those bags they wouldn't have been enough, but you can only pack for so many eventualities.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Cumulus 150 quilt worked well for me on the TNR. It was around 30 most days but the nights could cool down somewhat. I was only cold one night but we were somewhere around 3,000m.

That was just bivvy bag, no tarp, tent or additional shelter.

[BigdummySteve]

Depends on time of year, altitude that you're planning to sleep at, insulating properties of your mat, bivvy bag or tent, in fact most of the criteria that you would consider in the UK. For the trip I run in the spring, most nights are spent around 1,000m and I take a decent insulated mat and a light quilt with a Borah bivvy and tarp if it looks like rain. Last September I rode the Montañasvacias and took a non insulated mat and quilt and was fine as the ground had stayed heated from the summer. I also carry a silk liner for warm nights when a down quilt would be too warm.

On the C2C I took a thermarest Uber llight mat (R2.3) and a Rab Mythic 200 bag, at the highest Bivvys it was on the edge of being warm enough, the temperature drops off very rapidly when clear, I sleep warm and use the same bag in the UK through winter with the addition of a down gillet and socks, if your going high I wouldn’t underestimate how chilly it can get.

[Borderer]

I'm thinking Sicily and Malta.

Would love to hear how Malta goes.

[ootini]

I'm thinking Sicily and Malta.

Would love to hear how Malta goes.

Turns out that I may be returning to a former life and spending more time on the rock. So figured while I'm there, I might as well explore the place a little more.