I'm considering this bag, your opinion wanted?

[Peakhunter]

Ok, so i'm weight, size and cost conscious and because of that I am now considering this bag for my thru. I know, I know the critics on here will blast me but hey "hak yer own hak" right? But with that being all you experienced folks give me your opinion. Here is why I believe this might work for me. I will be starting about the first of May and should be ending sometime in August (yes I know most are skeptical of my start and end date but I have MY reasons and that's MY business) so there shouldn't be many -30F nights right? Due to starting "late" I expect to stay in shelters until I catch up with the crowds and then I will be using a hammock and so I believe this bag will work nicely for both due to warmer weather. I have read many of the reviews on this bag and others have used it on their AT thru with success, yes there are some poor reviews regarding the zipper but for the price i'm not real worried about it especially since I will be using it like a quilt half the time anyway. Sooooo.....have at it, tear this product apart or rave about it's bang for buck!

In short, if you were only planning on on the AT for 120 or less and in summer months why or why not would you use this bag? Thanks

http://www.amazon.com/Suisse-Sport-A...pr_product_top

[bigcranky]

It's fine for the summer. Might even be a little too warm. It does look like a pretty narrow mummy, so your comfort will depend on your size. It will work better in a hammock because you can open it up and use it as a quilt (which is much easier then to get in and out of the hammock.) Do bring a 3/4 length closed cell foam pad to use in the hammock to keep your torso from getting cold.

Shelters won't be crowded, but they won't be empty in May and June. I expect you'll quickly find that your hammock is far more comfortable than sleeping in shelters anyway. That's true for me, anyway.

[johnnybgood]

S ave your money and buy a good 30* bag .It can get below 40 at nights in May.
A nd I wouldn't even consider a bag that has a zipper that snags easily.
V isit www.sierratradingpost.com for better quality that's affordable.
E xplore other options first. Maybe a member here has an older bag to sell.

[rocketsocks]

In the description it says...

comes with a compression storage sack that can compact to 12 x 7 x 7

Not sure what this means really, if it's a cylinder, only 2 measurements are taken, likely just a typo.


Also what is the weight, the shipping weight is given as 3lbs. 2oz. that's all I can find...I think you could find lighter, but not necessarily at that price.

Sure why not, give it a shot and hope the temps don't drop, no one can give you any reliable advise as to if that will happen, but you already know this, so really it's a crap shoot at best.

[Peakhunter]

Bigcranky, I've got the pad covered using a Ridgerest Solit and johnny I think your right that for $50-$100 (still cheap) I could bet a more durable bag.

[DLP]

In short, if you were only planning on on the AT for 120 or less and in summer months why or why not would you use this bag?

I would not want to carry a 3.5 lb bag for 100, 1000 or 2000 miles. Especially, if I had to walk big miles every day.

[bigcranky]

Bigcranky, I've got the pad covered using a Ridgerest Solit

Perfect. Happy trails.

If you want to step up a bit, the Kelty Cosmic down bags get good reviews especially for the price. They offer a 20F and a 40F version, both are often on sale on the web somewhere. Down will last much longer and is lighter for the same warmth.

[Peakhunter]

I would not want to carry a 3.5 lb bag for 100, 1000 or 2000 miles. Especially, if I had to walk big miles every day.

yeah, I would really like that something like 20oz!!! I think I just need to pony up some more cash.

[Dogwood]

It might work for you on a AT thru-hike attempt during you anicipated hiking timeframe. However, although this may not exactly be the same situation, this bag looks suspicously similiar to a Wenger Swiss(Suiss) Army 25* synthetic bag I bought at a SEARS Dept store in the Ocean County Mall for an anticipated AT thru-hike in 2005. I bought into the marketing hype. I was much more naive about gear back then. That was before EN Temp ratings. The bag largely didn't perform as it was marketed including the unrealistic temp rating and the zipper construction was shoddy constantly catching on the zipper flap(and despite the bag being 25* rated had no draft tube which these days would have me questioning the manufacturer). I finally realized, after carefully considering advice from those who were much more gear knowlegable and long distance hiker experienced than me at the time, the bag would have been doable but questionable for that AT thru-hike. I wound up returning it.

[Peakhunter]

Thanks everyone, I'm now considering a nicer down bag or quilt or may even have a friend of mine who makes clothing sew me up a nice one of I can get a reliable pattern and the materials.

[Another Kevin]

Thanks everyone, I'm now considering a nicer down bag or quilt or may even have a friend of mine who makes clothing sew me up a nice one of I can get a reliable pattern and the materials.

Check out Jeremy Padgett's page. He sells kits of materials for both down and synthetic.

[DLP]

yeah, I would really like that something like 20oz!!!

Ha! Wouldn't we all!

Somebody used to say, "You want quality, lightweight and cheap? Pick 2".

I think my bag is at about 2ish pounds, but it is warm to about 25 degrees. I have an inexpensive one pound bag, but it is only good down to about 60 degrees and I seldom use it. It is supposed to be a 45 degree bag... but was made before the EN standards came to the US.

I was also thinking that we drag 4 lb sleeping bags and the most awful tents on overnight backpacking trips. You can carry anything for two days in good weather. 120 days in all kinds of weather... that is a different story. Not that everything has to cost $600 and be top of the line...

Just do the best you can with what you got. But don't waste $$$ on a $38 Amazon sleeping bag.

[swjohnsey]

The Western Mountaineering 35 degree High Light is 1 lb.

[hikeandbike5]

The Western Mountaineering 35 degree High Light is 1 lb.

and 10x the price.

[swjohnsey]

and 10x the price.

I think I paid about $270. You won't find much of a bag for $27. I had a Kelty Lightyear 40 down bag that about $100 and decent bag for the price.

[Peakhunter]

Well, I thank everyone for their input! I was gonna buy it until I read everything from you all. $37 isn't a ton of money loose but I would much rather apply it to a nicer bag now!

[shakey_snake]

That bag might not kill you.