Originally Posted by staehpj1

The sleeping bag is a goose down Mountain Hardware Phantom 45+ but it is EN lower limit rated at 32 F. It is surprisingly warm for a 17 ounce bag. I found it quite comfortable to a bit below freezing without need for supplementing it with clothing especially when in a bivy. With my tights, two pairs of socks, a silk liner, and a warm shirt I was fine at what my thermometer showed as 18 F (the locals said it was colder than that). I had a down vest that I used as a pillow and figured it was my insurance against being cold, but I never needed to wear it.

On that trip I took lightweight rain gear (pants and jacket combined weighed 15 ounces) that I figured could also be used as a vapor barrier for sleeping in the extreme case, but again never used it that way.

We had only one cold and rainy day and I managed fine with my warm shirt, tights, and rain gear.

It probably helps that I am pretty tolerant of cold weather and put out heat like a furnace when sleeping. I know that I am often comfy when folks around me with a lot heavier duty gear say they are freezing, so what works for me probably wouldn't for everyone.

It was kind of funny because much of the way I was riding with a guy who grew up in Southern Florida and recently called San Diego home. He was cold a lot of the time and even wore a face mask in what I considered ideal riding temperatures (probably in the 50s F). I guess that to some extent it is what you are used to. On the last day, and first hot day of the trip, I commented that the heat was oppressive. He said he was just thinking that it was the first nice day of the trip. He went on to mention that it was the first time he heard me complain about the weather the whole trip.