sleeping bag help

[jackietreehorn]

I've bought sleeping bags. Sleeping bags that I could afford at the time. I have decided to buy a good one. I've read reviews, write ups, Blogs and am now more confused than ever. Maybe you can help. I want a 15-20f bag. I want it to be light, as close to two pounds as I can keep it, and highly compressable. I also like a semi rectangular bag, or at least a roomy mummy. I am leaning towards a Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends or a Marmot Plasma. But I am open to your ideas. What do you like?

[bigcranky]

You can add Montbell to that list, if that doesn't confuse things further All of these are well made bags that will last a very long time.

I'm partial to Western Mountaineering. I have a 5F Antelope for winter use, and a 30F Megalite with a 2oz overfill for spring and fall. These are wider across the chest, as I am a big guy -- you can choose other WM bags that are narrower, for lighter weight and better thermal efficiency if you are thin.

[Chubbs4U]

I also have a WM and love it. I would suggest a quilt, enlightenment, if your looking to save more weight.

[jackietreehorn]

I was jut looking at Enlightenments quilts. From a post here on Whiteblaze. I might e-mail Tim.

[4eyedbuzzard]

You might want to check out the WM Alpinlight (20 deg, 64" girth) or Badger (15 deg, 67" girth), especially the roomier Badger if you are large across the chest/shoulders. FF makes some fine products too. I don't have either bag I mentioned, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another WM bag sight unseen by just the ratings and measurements. I have a WM Caribou (35deg, 64" girth) and I can't really think of any negatives. It's a few ounces heavier than other offers due to the larger size, but saving weight by buying a bag that's too small is pretty pointless. I'm 6'0" 185 lbs and find that anything under a 64" girth is too small (can't operate the zipper in a 62" bag).

[fredmugs]

This is only rated to 28 degrees but it is highly versatile. You can open or close the foot box and it completely unzips into a quilt. I have the 36 degree model.

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/210

[LIhikers]

If you'd like a roomy mummy let me suggest the Montbell bags with the stretch feature.
I have one and love the thing to death. I move around a lot when I sleep and my Montbell lets do that with no problem.

[Dogwood]

What's nice about FF, MB, and WM bags is that they all make 20* models that are roomier cuts w/ the other requirements you're seeking.

[MuddyWaters]

The bag you probably are wishing for is the WM Alpinlight, Wider version of the Ultralite.

[Studlintsean]

The bag you probably are wishing for is the WM Alpinlight, Wider version of the Ultralite.

I will second the Alpinelite. I slept comfortably at just unde 20
deg two weeks ago inSW va. I also own a montbell and would recommend checking them out.

[HooKooDooKu]

If your goal is light weight, then one of the expensive down bags would seem to be the way to go.

But years ago, when looking for a bag is hike in GSMNP, I was advised not to get a down bag. The area is so humid that the down would absorbe moisture out of the air.

So I'm personally always looking for synthetic bags. Last year, I purchased a Mountain Hardware Ultralamina 32 degree bag and I've loved it. As synthetics go, the ultralamina is one of the lightest of bags (but not THE lightest). But what it does seem to be is the most compressible for synthetic bags.

So based on my experience with the 32 degree ultralamina, I would have to recommend the 15 degree version. It appears to be a popular bag because many places are sold out of it.

[Don H]

My favorite, the Montbell U.L. Super Spiral Down Hugger #1.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=1002&p_id=2321138

[Lucy Lulu]

All suggestions above are great. I used the brands above until I switched to a quilt. If I had to choose between my WM and FF bags, I would probably choose the FF. I sleep cold, and it was a definitely true to it's rating. My 0 degree bag is a Montbell. I LOVE this bag because of the room and it's ability to stretch. A mentioned, I use a Nunatak quilt for 20 degrees and above. Of the bags use have listed, all will make great choices!

[LuckyMan]

I have a Montbell U.L. Super Spiral Down Hugger, my most expensive piece of backpacking equipment, and unfortunately cannot recommend buying one. It is a great design, but sabotaged by shoddy workmanship. Montbell is charging steep made-in-America prices for a subpar made-in-China product. My bag tore at a seam the very first time I used it and leaked down; I had to repair it with tape. My less-expensive made-in-America backpack and TarpTent had no such problems and worked great. I will never buy a Montbell product again.

[Stinkbug]

If your goal is light weight, then one of the expensive down bags would seem to be the way to go.

But years ago, when looking for a bag is hike in GSMNP, I was advised not to get a down bag. The area is so humid that the down would absorbe moisture out of the air.

So I'm personally always looking for synthetic bags. Last year, I purchased a Mountain Hardware Ultralamina 32 degree bag and I've loved it. As synthetics go, the ultralamina is one of the lightest of bags (but not THE lightest). But what it does seem to be is the most compressible for synthetic bags.

So based on my experience with the 32 degree ultralamina, I would have to recommend the 15 degree version. It appears to be a popular bag because many places are sold out of it.

Very helpfull info for me as most of my hiking will be in the south east and during the Summer months.

[jdc5294]

I had a Marmot Cloudbreak 20 for my entire thru and wouldn't have changed it for anything. Don't know if they still make them but there's probably an equivalent, or you could find a nice used one.

[Chubbs4U]

Lots of places now offer treated down instead of going to synthetic.

[HooKooDooKu]

Lots of places now offer treated down instead of going to synthetic.

I'm also in the market for a 15-20f bag and I've been casually browsing around hoping to find a good clearance deal during this off season.

Can you name any specific treated down bags? The only ones I recall coming cross are the Sierra Design DriDown bags (like the Zissou line). But those seem to only be 600 fill-power with no better specs than the best synthetic bags I can find.

A Few example Specs (weight, stuff size, regular price):
North Face Cat's Meow 20 _______ = 2#12oz 6.5"x21" $190
Mountain Hardware UltraLamina 15 = 2#13oz 7.0"x13" $260
Sierra Designs Zissou 15 _______ = 2#11oz 8.0"x16" $340

[bigcranky]

I do all my hiking in the Southeast, year 'round, and use nothing but down sleeping bags and quilts. Two things to consider: it's really not that hard to keep a down bag dry, and a wet synthetic bag is plenty miserable too.

[Duramax22]

Im a big fan of western mountaineering. Have the versalite 10, it sits at exactly 2lbs and $500