Reddit reviews Sea to Summit - Reactor Extreme - Thermolite Mummy Liner, One Size, Red

+1 to bag liners too if you sleep colder than most for the same reason it traps heat. I've slept in 0C climate with a 4C bag using a liner and pad, no problems... except when the zipper broke.

They don't really add warmth, that's what the sleeping bag is for. You'll be warmer with one than without it, but you'd get the same amount of warmth by adding another layer. There are some that add more warmth than others like this S2S one. But using that money for the proper sleeping bag is a much better idea, especially since it weighs as much as some sleeping bags.

I would just look for the fabric you want if you want something comfortable between you and your bag to keep it clean. I find that they aren't necessary unless you're really getting dirty without access to any water or change of clothes, like desert camping/overlanding.

I was at Death Valley a few weeks ago backpacking the Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop.

We camped at about 1,000 ft. elevation the first night and had temperatures in the low 40s. The second day we ascended to a little over 2,000 ft elevation. We actually saw some snow/ice even during the day time. On this day, we camped at about 2,500ft and temperatures were in the mid to low 30s during the night. According to the ranger we spoke to at Stovepipe Wells, temperature lows were in the mid 20s at 3500-4000ft of elevation.

My gear included a 30 degree Marmot sleeping bag, with this sleeping bag liner. I slept wearing the following:

A body-hugging liner, t-shirt, sweater and a light hoodie and then slipped into my sleeping-bag liner and sleeping bag. With all of these layers, I was comfortable - but just barely. I slept well, but at one point, my hands were out of the sleeping bag and they got really cold in 20min. Had the temperature been lower by even 5 degrees, I don't think I'd have been able to sleep.

Having said that, with your planned gear, I think you are adequately prepared. December is pretty much the coldest month for DV, with Feb being warmer by about 10 degrees.

See: http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/weather.htm

Keep in mind that this is shaping up to be a colder than usual winter for CA, so those temperature averages are slightly on the higher side.
I'm going back to DV in January and expect to be more warmer than I was in December, even if just slightly. If you'd like, I can give you an update after my trip, but for a final source of truth, you should call DV and talk to a ranger a week before your trip.

EDIT:

> 6'x8' Arrowhead Equipment silnylon tarp pitched low over my poles and affixed via 6.5" titanium stakes (unsure if these'll work in the desert or if I'll have to look around for rocks to pile over them...)

Your luck with stakes depends a lot on the terrain which changes a lot (also depends heavily on where in DV you are - it's huge!). Out first night, the ground was too rocky to dig stakes in, so we used rocks. The second night, we were able to dig in stakes. Both days were fairly windy (I'd estimate 20-30mph winds in the night). The first night when we were unable to dig stakes in, the tent was blowing around quite a lot while we were eating food etc. and not in the tent.

Feel free to ask me any other questions I can help you with.

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Reactor-Extreme-Thermolite/dp/B003BIT004/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541914778&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sea+to+summit+thermolite+reactor+sleeping+bag+liner&dpPl=1&dpID=51O5p0gL2DL&ref=plSrch this is what you want friendo.

You mentioned silk sleeping bag liners, but I'd like to mention fleece liners: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIT004/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_arc1Db6GN3P1C they insulate you with even more trapped air in your bag.

And/or you could put a mylar emergency bivy over your bag to reflect the heat you radiate: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DW347RP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6uc1Db1JC0A7R

-Don't buy a tent or backpack right now. You're on the east cost so you should have REI, EMS, and maybe some other outfitters too. Not only because you can try out different kinds, but also because hardly anyone really needs a backpacking backpack and they tend to be 200$ spacefillers in your closet. Buying a tent will likely be useful down the road but being able to rent a backpacking one vs a car camping one will keep quality up and costs down and be way more convenient at this point. Also, borrowing gear for trips is very much accepted as part of the culture. Also, to your point of camping places you can fly to, if it's in Can/US/Europe, I'd recommend using the rental option even more strongly. (Though if you don't hike more than 5 miles or so a day, travel a lot, and don't have to have a backpacking backpack, the Osprey Farpoint 55 or 70 may be the last travel bag of any kind you'll ever buy. I LOVE this thing and have taken it on trips all over.)

-One extra thought re tents: KNOW HOW TO SET IT UP. 80% is self explanatory, but knowing where on the ground to set it up, and how to use the rain fly / guy lines can be the difference between you being dry in a surprise rain and being cold, wet, miserable, and you (or your s.o.) not wanting to camp again. Youtube and your outfitter store employees are actually excellent resources for this.

-Furthering that line of thought, rent this season, then troll craigslist and other local for sale apps (like Letgo, Offerup and Ebay) for what you know by then demonstrably works for you at the end of the season.

-Buying a sleeping bag is a good idea though. The rule of thumb is the degree rating is the temp at which you won't freeze to death, so add about 20-30 degrees for comfy sleeping. But you can save some money and add versatility if you also bring a packable down blanket or a sleeping bag liner (those are the ones I use). Because you're looking for value over total quality, you won't need something that extra 10-15% of size difference, and because rain will screw you up less, I'd probably recommend a polyester bag. (Down tends to me more expensive and you're SOL when it gets wet. People pay more because down bags tend to be warmer for the weight and space, and they're generally better for the environment.)

-I'd also recommend getting a sleeping pad, and generally rec air mattresses of at least 2.5" for side sleepers. (I got a couple Big Agnes Air Core Ultra Insulated ones on offerup for cheap and think they work great.) For car camping you can just get a Coleman air mattress from Target etc, but TRY IT OUT BEFORE YOU GO EVERY TIME because they tend not to last very long...I don't think I've ever had an air mattress last more than about 4 trips without starting the slow leak of death march.

-A 4 person tent is overkill and you would never want to bring that on a backpacking trip. If you do backpacking and want some room, a good two person tent (I use Big Agnes Copper Spur HV2 for backpacking, and an Alps Mountaineering 3 person for car camping, which is huge by comparison).

-Overgeneralization, but generally speaking budget tents and sleeping bags are garbage. I tend to buy used "bombproof" gear from people who realize they don't like camping after they buy the bombproof gear (or when they decide to upgrade). Again, reselling camp gear is very much a-ok with the camp culture. On VALUE vs Price, some companies have amazing guarantees and will repair / replace your gear at no cost forever. (Some brands are Patagonia, Osprey, Darn Tough socks, all of which are companies who make amazing products.)

-I'd also say you don't need a cast iron pan for camping except for the aesthetic. any pan will do, and a cast iron just adds weight and inconvenience (unless you're really handy with a cast iron). One thing I do recommend having though is a couple good sized dry bags. Not only because of their intended use, but because they also double as a scullery bin for washing dishes (turn it inside out though so you can later wash off the oils etc after you're done washing the dishes and pots and turn the bag right side out again).

Hope this helps. Good luck on your adventures!

PS and in re New England adventures, you cannot go wrong with spending 4 nights in Acadia NP / Bar Harbor ME.

If you don't mind, would you take a look at this bag:

Hyke & Byke Down Sleeping Bag for Backpacking – Quandary 15 Degree F Ultralight, Ultra Compact Down Filled 3 Season Men’s and Women’s Lightweight Mummy Bags https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078RF3KBH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4y1ZBbC1H2TPR

and this liner:

Sea to Summit - Reactor Extreme - Thermolite Mummy Liner, One Size, Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIT004/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2z1ZBbA0B6HFC

(Sorry for the formatting.) How can I tell if the liner will fit in the short bag? Do they seem an adequate weight for backpacking? Thanks!

Take warm sleep wear, and if you go for a bag that's not so great in the cold, consider getting an inner bag (eg. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Summit-Thermolite-Reactor-Sleeping/dp/B003BIT004/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540760794&sr=8-3-fkmr2&keywords=sea+to+summit+inner+bag) which just goes inside the sleeping bag and helps keep you warm and the bag cleaner inside.