Sleeping bag - anyone NOT use one?

[Teamfour]

All of my bikepacking is during the summer months where the night temps are around 60 to 80 degrees F. Does anyone just use a blanket and a pad? Some of the warm weather bags I have seen pack down to a size that most blankets do, but the cost is ridiculous. Any comments?

[Teamfour]

I should have used the search feature first. It looks like bag liners will do the trick.

[AZTtripper]

I have a cheep $30 Kelty bag for summer use. Its basically a fleece blanket on top thin nylon cover and a thin sheet for a bottom.

Haven't used it much as most of my trips have been in the spring when temps are still cold at night.

Did a trip this summer when we were pretty sure it would rain. So the all synthetic summer bag finally got some use.

[JReeves]

I haven't used it for bikepacking yet, but I picked up a Lafuma Extreme 600 a while back for $40 and it sounds like it would fit the part of what you're looking for.  Its a little over 1lb and packs down to about a nalgene size...  It's rated to 45, but that's at it's complete lower limit.  I bet it'd be comfy in the mid 50's and up... 
$50 here.
http://nextadventure.net/lafuma-extreme-600-sleeping-bag-45-degree.html
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/lafuma/extreme-600/

[cavscout]

I've not actually done this with bike packing, I plan to use a hammock, tarp, under quilt, and poncho liner.  I believe this should all fit pretty well into a handle bar bag.

[Area54]

I've been using a Thermolite Reactor, with my Synmat 7 inside the reactor, for summer trips - add clothing layers for extra warmth if needed.

Planning on cutting up a spare down bag and making it into a bottomless bag sleep system - same premise of having the mat inside the bag, just with lw fabric under the mat.

[12wheels]

Surplus military poncho liners are light, inexpensive, and work well in those temperatures.   It's also pretty easy to add a zipper to one if you want to turn it into a rectangular sleeping bag.

[djlarroc]

i bought this bag on amazon for $26 in early Jan.. price has gone up tho..
http://www.amazon.com/Suisse-Sport-Adventurer-Ultra-Compactable-Sleeping/dp/B001TR7QZA

[ekloco]

The main idea for ulralite-ing is multipurposing everything possible.....thus I sleep in my MontBell UL down Jacket & down vest along with DOWN PANTS along with my lycra tights and long sleeve capelene etc. etc. This setup is also my around camp wear.

The layering system also allows for fine tuning according to temperature , both around camp & while sleeping.
 
My "sleeping bag" is a Adventure Medical Kits SOL bivy...8 oz. They just came out with a breathable version which I ordered and has been delivered but not tested yet...it looks great!
 
The only thing to remember is down camp booties or some other way to keep your feet warm while sleeping  (a warm hat)....Thermarest NeoAir and I am good for most summer time adventures up to about 10,000 ft elevation in New Mexico. 

[jbphilly]

I use a home-made Insultex quilt (made by someone else). It's made for hammocks but works fine anywhere, weighs about 8 oz, and although I haven't had a chance to try it out in warm-weather conditions, is supposed to be warm down into the 50s or even 40s.

The main drawback I know of right now is that it is hard to compress, but I think a compression sack of the right size would help with that in exchange for a few ounces.

[Blammo]

The main idea for ulralite-ing is multipurposing everything possible.....thus I sleep in my MontBell UL down Jacket & down vest along with DOWN PANTS along with my lycra tights and long sleeve capelene etc. etc. This setup is also my around camp wear.

The layering system also allows for fine tuning according to temperature , both around camp & while sleeping.
 
My "sleeping bag" is a Adventure Medical Kits SOL bivy...8 oz. They just came out with a breathable version which I ordered and has been delivered but not tested yet...it looks great!
 
The only thing to remember is down camp booties or some other way to keep your feet warm while sleeping  (a warm hat)....Thermarest NeoAir and I am good for most summer time adventures up to about 10,000 ft elevation in New Mexico. 

Did you ever get to try out the new SOL "escape" bivy?  I'm thinking about combining that with a wool base layer for summer camping.  Wool to wick sweat and because it's comfortable and, of course, can be used in camp or even while out if it's cold enough.

[Blammo]

Did you ever get to try out the new SOL "escape" bivy?  I'm thinking about combining that with a wool base layer for summer camping.  Wool to wick sweat and because it's comfortable and, of course, can be used in camp or even while out if it's cold enough.

I picked up the new SOL Escape bivy for a backpacking trip with my son's Boy Scout patrol.  The expected temperatures were not lower than mid 60's but we wound up in the mid 50's.  Due to the high probability of rain, I opted for synthetic long johns rather than the wool.

55 degrees with light weight long johns and I was never cold.

However: Western Mountaineering HighLight is 455 grams and SOL + Long Johns is 539.

[connolm]

I can second the use of Sol Bivvies. Mine only weighs 109 grams. It has a zipper and a nice cloth-like lining on the inside that feels like cotton. The material has some thickness to it. This is definitely NOT one of the aluminum foil space blankets!

I also have a fleece blanket I got at Dick's Sporting Goods. It weighs 511 grams - so just over a pound. It too has a zipper and unrolls like a sleeping bag. There are two elastic bands at the bottom to keep it rolled up.

I slept in the fleece with temperatures into the 60s. I carry the Sol Bivvy in case they go lower. I'd think they two piece system could accomodate you down to the low 50s for 620 grams - 1.36 pounds.

The bivvy is about the size of a pop can. The fleece is about the size of a 1 liter soda bottle.

The fleece sleeping bag here: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1419296

[dobovedo]

I can second the use of Sol Bivvies...
I also have a fleece blanket I got at Dick's Sporting Goods...
The bivvy is about the size of a pop can. The fleece is about the size of a 1 liter soda bottle.

Thanks so much for this post! I've been researching bikepacking gear and was about to plunk down big bucks for an ultralight down filled sleeping bag. I'm new to bikepacking and won't be doing much at first except for warm weather trips. This sounds like a perfect combination to start out with for a LOT less money. I can experiment for a while and invest in something higher end/warmer down the road (trail).

[dobovedo]

The fleece is about the size of a 1 liter soda bottle.

So... I got my fleece sleeping bag delivered today, along with the Sol Bivvy and my sleeping pad. I was quite dismayed when I saw the size of the sleeping bag. As it comes, it's not the size of a 1 liter soda bottle. It's not even the size of a 2 liter soda bottle. It's quite a bit bigger than that. I was on the way out the door when UPS arrived and didn't have time to experiment, but I'm sure it will compress down smaller than it came packaged. Even so, I don't see how it will compress small enough to fit with other gear.

Hopefully I can manage the following:
1 - wrap the fleece and Prolite pad together in a dry bag and fit on front of my road bike bars.
2 - stuff the Sol Bivvy and tent (I ordered a NEMO Moto) into a Revelate Viscacha and still have room for other gear and clothing.

Won't be able to find out until the Moto gets delivered.

Edit 8/1/12: Now I'm not sure I got the same thing. The description on the Amazon item I ordered is identical to the one on Dicks website, but I see from the description by connolm that his only weighs 511 grams. The one I received weighs in at 932 grams, or 2.05 pounds. Nearly double. That would explain the difference in size, but I don't understand how I ended up with something so different. Unless they redesigned the product? I'm gonna head over to Dick's and REI and see what I can find that is comparable.

Edit #2 8/1/12: Went to the local Dick's and found a box with 2 of these fleece sleepin' bags in it. It did indeed look smaller and felt lighter, so I bought one. Got it home and it's 588 grams and does roll up about 1/2 the size of the other one, or maybe 2/3. Either way, it's much more packable. One additional thing I may do for warmer weather trips is cut the first one in half and use it as a blanket instead of a bag.