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Currently I have a synthetic bag which is rated to ~40*, although it is pretty much about as thick as a sheet.
Am looking to pick up something a little thicker to do some fall backpacking. Maybe recommend synthetic and down bags and I can investigate the pros/cons between them.
Your budget?
The Super, Ultra, Hyper Lamina bags lead the way among synthetics for low weight and small packing.
Down bags are all over the place price and quality wise.
Either way, you will need a 20 degree bag and warm PJs inside.
The Quilters will also chime in.
Buy quality once.
An honest 20 degree bag will have 5" of loft minimum.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
The Kelty Cosmic 20-F down bag gets good reviews for a reasonably priced down bag.
Like most backpackers I started with a synthetic bag due to scare stories about down bags getting wet and killing people. I've been using down bags since the mid 90s and haven't died yet :) Down is lighter, warmer, and compresses better, and if treated well will last for decades.
I have 2 Kelty Cosmic Downs, Zero and 20 (for my son), and have been very pleased with the price/quality/weight ratio. They are almost always available at a hot price from somewhere...Campmor, Backcountry, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigcranky
I love my montbells, I have 3 super spiral down 900 huggers a 15, 25 and 45. I just got a western mountaineering highlite which I havent tried out but I love the stretch fatcor of my montbells as I can sit indian style inside of it yet it hugs my when relaxed.
Thanks for providing the information. I like for my backpacking equipment to last, so I am not interested in those super hyper lite systems that feel as if they are about to rip at any moment. Used the same arcteryx backpack for 12+years.
If down the the better option then lets go with that. Ive always owned synthetic till this point.
So maybe recommend some lightweight cheap durable options! ha... Okay I am realistic, if its lightweight I assume it will be expensive.
Western Mountaineering Microfiber bags are durable. The 25 degree Sycamore would work from about Labor Day to Thanksgiving up high along the NC-TN border.
The same goes for the Feathered Friends 850 down bags. I really appreciate FF offering their bags in 3 internal sizes and two shell choices. I wish WM did the same.
I bought the lightest down bag in the REI catalog back in 1974 or 1975. Stuffed with 20 ounces of 550 fill goose down with more down (60%) in the top half. I liked that and the bag kept me warm well below freezing in the San Juan mountains of Colorado from Labor Day to early October. The shell was the lightest fabric available at the time: 1.5 ounces per square yard ripstop nylon. Current fabrics are just under an ounce per yard. Earlier this summer I passed the bag to my 16 year old grand daughter. She uses the bag in the Grayson Highlands in the summer. If she takes care of it, it should see her through several more summers.
Like I said in my first post: Buy quality once.
Wayne
Cheap and not too heavy: Kelty Cosmic Down 20, REI Radiant 20, EMS has something similar whose name I forget. I have family members with all of these, and they're roughly equivalent in performance. (I have the REI one myself, and it's kept me warm on a lot of fall and spring nights.)
Beyond those the price goes up rapidly as the weight goes down. For three seasons, you want an EN rating of -4 C (25 F) or lower. Don't trust any manufacturer that doesn't publish an EN rating. Then compare weights and prices. You get quickly to the point where you pay hundreds to save a few ounces.
If you want to stay with synthetic, I would suggest looking for sales on Mountain Hardware UltraLamina sleeping bags.
The 32º version weights less than 2lbs and stuffs down to only 6"x10". Full retail price is about $250, but I've been able to find them for season-end clearance (or last year's model clearance) for something closer to $150.
I've been able to use this bag at the lower elevations of GSMNP into November... but I use a 15º-20º at upper elevation in October.
There is a 15º version of the UltraLamina. It weights less than 3lbs and stuffs down to 7"x13". Full retail price is about $275, but again, I've been able to pick one up at clearance closer to $150.
Conversely, I don't like the way manufacturers manipulate the EN ratings. I am bag shopping. I tend the average the Lower Limit and Comfort numbers. The bag companies generally pick the Lower Limit as their bag rating.
The ancient REI bag I mentioned earlier came with weight of down and loft numbers. No temp. rating. From experience, I would say that it was a decent 20 degree bag. My Western Mountaineering Antelope Dryloft was rated for ZERO F when I bought it. I believe that number. Other folks must feel the same way or they would be listing the EN numbers. Same goes for Feathered Friends.
Wayne
There is a Hyper Lamina on the way according to report from the recent Outdoor Gear Show.
Wayne
News StoryQuote:
Originally Posted by Venchka
It doesn't really seem all that great.
The existing Ultralamina is 1lb 11oz for a 32º rated bag @ $240
The above story seems to claim the new bag will be 1lb 10oz for a 35º rated bat @$220.
Is under 2lbs light for a 32* bag?
Not to hijack the thread but, I have noticed this as well.
If you want a bag that will keep you warm at 20 degrees you need a 15 degree bag.
I have been shopping as well, very good point.
For a synthetic bag, I would say yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dholmblad
By comparison, the typical 30-32* down bag would weight about 1.5lbs and cost $100-$300 more.
And keep in mind, if you're using the EN scale... these numbers are the "survivable" temperatures, not the "comfortable" temperatures. To get comfortable, you have to add 10* to 15* to these numbers.
But the other factor is compressibility. I don't understand it, but the 32* ultralamina stuffs down smaller than specs for many down bags costing $$$ more. As an example, the Marmot Hydrogen 30* bag that retails $340 and weights 1lb 9oz specs out at 6x12 compared to the ultralamina's 6x10.
Not too impressive is it? Sorry. I just saw the bags mentioned in a Backpacker email. 3/4 center zipper? Not my idea of comfort or versatility.Quote:
Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu
Things they don't tell you anymore...
Back in the day, down sleeping bag information included:
Weight of fill
Fill power of down
Inches of loft
Internal dimensions - very important for a comfortable night's rest
Differential cut - inner lining is cut smaller than the outer bag to allow the insulation to loft and do it's job.
Inches of loft is important. There were published tables that equated inches of loft to temperature. That information seems to have been lost by some manufacturers.
Working from memory, and using the Western Mountaineering catalog as a reference, the following is an approximate guide. Loft is the total loft. The top loft is what really keeps you warm. Divide total loft by 2 for the top loft. Unless the top of the bag is filled with more down and has a side block baffle to keep it in place like my old REI bag. Current construction omits the side block baffle in many cases allowing down to be shifted from the bottom to the top or the reverse to accommodate changing temperatures. Having used such a bag, I can say that the system works pretty well. You won't actually change the rating of the bag, but you will sleep well knowing that the majority of the down is where it belongs.
32° - 4" Loft
20° - 5" loft
10° - 6" Loft
0° - 7" Loft
If a manufacturer doesn't list this information, be skeptical of anything else they claim.
Feathered Friends offer their 3 season bags in 3 internal sizes for each temperature rating. This makes it easy to match body size and temperature rating for just about anyone. I wish Western Mountaineering did the same. The WM Antelope-Vistalite bags have the perfect internal dimensions for me at 5'-8" and 150 pounds. I wish they offered the same size bags in 20° and 30° versions. I really don't need the 10° Vistalite for 3 season use in the Rockies, but I may buy it because I know it fits me well. I also know that from the end of August to early October 20° (+ or -) nights are possible and the extra loft and warmth are nice to have.
When shopping for a sleeping bag, you need to look at the whole picture. The lightest, warmest, smallest packing bag in the world won't work for you if it is too tight or too loose.
Snagging zippers are to be avoided too.
Good luck!
Wayne
Check out this: http://www.hammockgear.com/burrow-20/
Or this: http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-elite/
Pair them with your choice or hat, I like this one: http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/me...d-pro-hat.html
And a pad like this: http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-...xtherm/product
An EN rating is just a guideline. Being arrived at through very specific means, the number value is meaningless unless you know how you and the rest of your gear relate to the "average". It can vary widely from one person to the next.
Everybody's different. I run so hot while sleeping that, with the prerequisite pad and baselayers, I can subtract 15F from the lower limit, and am usually good a few degrees below that. Means nothing to a cool sleeper, though. It's one of those things you have to discover on your own.
Don't forget the pad. An adequate pad makes a huge difference. I've gotten up at 3am, packed up and started hiking by headlamp rather than keep shivering in my 40F bag when it unexpectedly went to 38F in May-with an uninsulated pad(Big Agnes Air Core). Also been fine in the same bag with light baselayers at 25F using the *Insulated* Air Core. Having switched to quilts even for cold weather, I now use a pad with even higher r-value.