Originally Posted by
gauvins
Interesting. We've settled on down largely because it results in much
smaller stuffed volume (smaller than a loaf of bread). Yes it is a little more trouble to wash, I suppose. And not fun if you get rained on (no horror stories yet). But the absolutely decisive advantage is that one front pannier is more than enough to store pad+bag+liner+tent+chair.
wrt compressibility -- I imagine that it might be more effective to wear more clothes (the plan is to wear thermal underwear and primaloft vest) rather than adding layers on top of the bag. But frankly I do not know. So I guess that I have a few cold nights ahead of me, trying different strategies.
I've also read about the importance of eating caloric food, that you burn during your sleep. So maybe drinking a glass of olive oil before going to bag is the way to go
I mostly agree with you on down. I prefer synthetics for canoe or kayak trips if I will be in a tent close to shore night after night. But otherwise prefer down. My recollection of Bryce area is that you do not have to worry much about excess moisture, so down should work great.
Olive oil, just don't change your diet so much that you get indigestion during the night.
Bryce, make sure you bring enough camera battery and memory card. The white stuff in the photos is snow, I took the photos Apr 9 and 10, 2014. We car camped there, rode the bikes instead of driving for sightseeing on the roads in the park. (We left Moab the day before where we biked the White Rim.) If my memory is correct, it was below freezing when we got up in the morning at Bryce. I think I wore insulated gloves on my bike and stocking cap under the helmet. The campsite next to us had a couple from The Netherlands that had a pair of Santos Travelmasters (one with Rohloff) and a Hillberg tent.