Sleeping bag for Gray Knob cabin?

[Bushwacked]

I've never stayed there in winter (or summer for that matter), usually pitch over at the Perch. Taking a friend new to winter overnights in the mountains and he's not interested in snowy tent thing. If we stay at the Knob, is my minus 20* winter bag overkill?

 

[summit1]

I don't think it is overkill. It is no where near warm in Grey Knob. Last time I was there it got down to 5 degrees during the night. There is a wood stove, but it barely ever runs. The care taker will run it in the evening, but only if it is < freezing inside. Once everyon is in bed the fire will go out and it will get cold.

 

[mookie]

i only have one bag and its a minus 20.
never been too hot or too cold in the cabin.
havent camped out in winter ,,, yet.

 

[giggy]

I probably would take the -20 just to be sure. with all the people - grey knob gets warm in the winter - the stove will be going most likely and with all the body heat - upstairs gets pretty warm as well.

I think a zero bag would be fine in grey knob 9.9 times out of 10.

but....

if you get shifted over to crag then I would want the minus 20 as that place is colder than a tent.

 

[SABERG]

Bag for Grey Knob

I tend toward the warm side and agree with a 0 rated bag at Grey Knob.
Maybe a warmer bag at Crag
Last year it was too warm for my blood on a January weekend with a 0 bag, outdoor temp 5 to minus 5 and indoor 10 degrees.

Enjoy the trip

 

[SherpaKroto]

I go 2 ways:
1) when I am 100% certain that I can stay at Grey Knob, I bring my 20F
2) if I think it might be full, I bring my 0F.

I can sleep comfortably in my 20F down to 5F when I put my parka and insulated pants on in my bag, so in the off chance that I make it only as far as the Log Cabin, I won't have to be concerned.

With this, I have always slept soundly at Grey Knob in my 20F, and been a tad hot in my 0F. YMMV.

 

[Jay H]

Of course Giggy, when we stayed at Gray Knob back in December, I remember somebody saying it was 60deg upstairs in the morning after the caretaker stopped feeding the fire the night before. Then again, Chris did mention it was a good year for wood at the cabin.... YMMV, of course. I had a 5deg down bag then and a silk liner with me.

Jay

 

[MadRiver]

I have stayed at both Gray & Crag with a 0 bag in the winter and was quite warm.

 

[sapblatt]

Log Cabin

I can sleep comfortably in my 20F down to 5F when I put my parka and insulated pants on in my bag, so in the off chance that I make it only as far as the Log Cabin, I won't have to be concerned.

Not much chance of that ever happening!

 

[Bushwacked]

Thanks all for the input.

So it would seem my 20* is too cold, and the minus 20* is too hot. Kind of like Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears.

 

[giggy]

the 20 should be fine if you get a spot in grey knob - lets put it this way - you won't die with a 20F bag in that cabin. -

- if you plan right - you should have no problem getting spot. - if going on a sat - get there early. IMO - no time is too early - get up there and get your spot. if you head on friday night - you should be fine. weekdays - not even an issue.

the problem will be - if its full and they ship you to crag - then I would want the minus 20 just to be sure. its not weather proof and it gets cold!!

have fun - I love those cabins and meeting different folks there at night to share strories

 

[blownaway]

I would just take the -20 and unzip it some if I get too warm...easy remedy and I wouldn't give it an extra thought...

My -15---- is down, only 4 oz heavier, and compresses smaller than my +20 synthetic. I wouldn't sweat it though even if it was heavier and less compact.

You can always take alittle off...but you can't.......as the saying goes...

 

[the starchild]

take the warmer bag

take the -20!!!

i was there sunday night, it was in the 20's inside when we arrived late afternoon (about 5 outside) and in the 30's or 40's with the stove on later and 5-10 below outside. it got to atleast -11 outside that night and was 15 inside the cabin in the morning. i was very happy with my -15 bag

make sure your friend has down booties too and something really warm to lounge in at night incase its super cold again. great spot though.

the night before we had to stay at the log cabin and it got down below 0 sat night after a day of rain. we were really glad we were prepared to sleep there as well as the heated cabin. can't hurt to bring the warmer bag just incase your plans change for some reason.

also sometimes grey nob can fill up and you could be sent to crag camp which is not heated.

 

[bcskier]

Stove at Gray Knob

Last winter over President's Week two friends and I spent one night at Gray Knob. The caretaker that season was acestic to the point of refusing to light the stove even when one of my friends offered to pay him $20.00 to do it. Admittedly it was only just below freezing inside the building but he did boast about letting it get cold enough to blow the corks out of wine bottles at one point that winter. A temperature he pegged at about -18 F.

 

[Mad Townie]

I brought my -40 (probably an optimistic rating), then unzipped it when the cabin got warm. I was fine.

Had we been shifted to Crag I would still have been fine. That, for me, was the key.