My boyfriend and I will be traveling for 4 months through Central and South America, staying mostly in hostels and cheap hotels - does anyone have any recommendations as to whether or not we should bring our high temp sleeping bags or not? Thanks!

If you're not sleeping outside, and staying mostly in warm areas, leave it home. I used mine very little on all my time in Central America. Almost everyone has nice warm wool blankets. Course, if you have the space and its light, if you find the blankets itchy, your own sleeping bag makes a great replacement.

Most people don't bother with a sleeping bag. Mine is a Lafuma brand that packs down as small as a pair of shoes and I find it very handy and comfortable when the accomodations are iffy. I don't leave home without it.

Leave the sleeping bags at home.

Forget the sleeping bag. If you have issues with sleeping in a not very clean rack, buy one of them sleep sack deals.

While the nights are warm enough that you don't need a sleeping bag to stay warm, there's a real chance that if you're on a low-budget trip you will end up in beds where you really want something you know is fairly clean between you and the bedding. A super-light (and cheap) silk sleeping bag will do the job nicely.

Do bring the silk bag on any long-distance buses you may take too, especially overnight ones. It can get pretty chilly inside them, and then it's nice to wrap yourself into a warmer cocoon!

Happy trails,

Bjørn
http://bjornfree.com/

great, thanks for the advice! Looks like we'll leave the bulky sleeping bags at home and either get the silk bags or just bring a sheet.

Well, I'll post a bit of a minority opinion. For the most part everyone is right on, but it really depends where you are. I spent about 2 months in Guatemala studying Spanish in Xela and nearby areas, and let me tell you - it got COLD sometimes in the winter! Not what I had expected. I also have a very small sleeping bag that packs down really well, and I was SO glad I had that along. So it might be worth your while. Check your elevations!

I've also found that bedbugs are a healthy part of a budget traveler's diet, and a good way to obtain cheap protein on the road.

How cold will it be in Xela in late January?

Well, what the temperatures will be in January 2010 obviously remains unknown, but if it's a normal year, night-time temperature can dip just below 10 degrees Celsius, while during the day you are likely looking at something just above 20 degrees Celsius. (In colonial times units, that translates to 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit.) You're unlikely to experience much rain.

At least if you can trust the climate statistics found at
http://www.world66.com/centralamericath ... ib/climate

Most accommodation comes with a good supply of warm blankets and extra blankets, so as long as you bring the clothes you need to enjoy potential outside meals in the evenings, you'll be fine.

Happy trails,

Bjørn
http://bjornfree.com/