Comment on forecasts: They are virtually always for towns, in valleys. I look at them but like MontanaCreek Hunter I do not trust them to be accurate for the mountains where we usually go between towns. This Fall in Nov. the forecasts were laughably, dangerously way off from what actually happened. Forecast was for light snow for a half day turning to clear and cold for the rest of the week. It snowed a foot and a half then turned to rain and never stopped for the four days we toughed it out backpacking. It qualified as miserable.
When backpack hunting in early to mid Fall and carrying all my gear with intent to bivvy where night finds me, bulk bothers me more than the weight of a sleeping bag.
