UKC

wondering about minimal (money wise and weight) kit for early/late summer glacier camping/bivying in the alps.
what sleeping bag ?
sleeping pad ? (combo foam , air ?)
tent or bivi ?
assuming i dont want to completely freeze my ass off.

In reply to jondo:
depends why you are going to do it, if you plan to climb the next day and won't come past your bivi site or a kit dump, then going light but a little chilly at night is the usual trade off. You can of course bivi like a king, sleep like a baby, but then climb with an anvil on your back the next day. Nearly everything in the alps is a compromise, speed versus weight or comfort etc..

I've sleep with full thermarest, bivi bag, sleeping bag and been toasty all night, I've also 'tried' to sleep in a duvet jacket and my legs inside an empty rucksack. It's finding a mid point that's key.

In reply to summo:

Do not do this, its f*cking miserable.

In reply to summo:

was thinking something on the lines of 0c sleeping bag, foam pad (maybe also air pad), small tent.

In reply to ianstevens:


I agree, it's survivable though. We only had to cope until midnight-ish and then set off, if we planned to sleep until 3 or 4am, we'd have taken more kit.

In reply to jondo:


if you are using it as a base to climb from etc.. then go with an inflatable thermorest type mat, don't under estimate how much the cold will eat through a cheap thin foam mat.

In reply to jondo:
Altitude? Weather conditions including wind and cloud cover? This will affect a lot.

In reply to summo:
If they are using it as a base and not carrying all the stuff on the climb, I'd have a decent foam mat with an inflatable on top. Z/Ridge Rest and a NeoAir for example.

In reply to Misha:


probably around 3000-3300
weather , well chamonix in early/late summer..

In reply to galpinos:


yes good point. i was thinking of climbs where you leave stuff at the bottom and come back possibly for another night.
for long climbs i imagine a very light foam mat and some good down jacket + survival bag ?

In reply to jondo:

I've camped quite happily on the Argentierre glacier (ice) and Midi plateau (snow) with a tent, ultralight thermarest and a sleeping bag rated to about -7 comfort limit, in late August, early September. Flake out the rope under the mat for extra insulation.

In reply to jondo:
What I'm saying is it will make a big difference whether there is any wind. If there isn't and especially if it's overcast so not as cold overnight, you could get by fine without a tent, even sleeping on snow as long as you have a mat. Otherwise you may well want a tent. It depends on the conditions on the day.