Just weighed my Sleeping Bag!!

[FlyFishNut]

So, I have a mixture of new light gear and salty older gear. Some stuff is Titanium and some stuff is stainless steel, like my "USMC - 1966" canteen cup that belonged to my dad.

Overall, I have a strong back and look forward to the exercise - but for long hikes I tend to watch my weight a little more.

I've been using the same sleeping bag(s) alternately (same model) - my dad bought him and me LL BEAN cold weather bags back in the 1980's when I was ~16-18 yrs. old. The bags have have served me well and are still going strong (although as I've filled out in the shoulders I would be more comfy in a bag with more room).

Anyhoo - I was sitting on my arse surfing the web and started looking at bags. I am considering the Marmot "Never Summer" bag and saw the weight was 3lbs 4 oz. I thought... "Huh, wonder what my bag weighs"? It weighs 6lbs! I was a bit shocked that I've been carrying that bag around.

In this bags defense - it is super toasty. I did a -12F and windy/snowy hike recently and just as always, I was snug.

One reason I've clung to the bag is my father passed away when I was 21 and he was 56, and I cherish everything he ever gave me - even a sleeping bag, as silly as that seems.

So, I'm not saying I'm retiring the bag - but I might just use it on canoe trips, or shorter trips where weight isn't an issue.

6lbs (maybe more - the bathroom scales are not super accurate) is a bit heavy for these modern bags.

Oh - so my question: For a cold weather bag - for the money - should I consider any other bags comparable to this Marmot one?

http://www.rei.com/product/864080/marmot-never-summer-sleeping-bag#tab-specs

Cheers,
B

[saltysack]

Id prob look at a few quilts....with that said I still use a 15 deg marmot helium down bag during late sept-April...had it several years..bought on sale around $275...@ 2lbs


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[bigcranky]

The Never Summer is a good bag for the money. Note that Marmot bags are often on sale at the end of the season or online somewhere (20% coupon or Memorial Day sales and the like). It's 650 down which is fine and years ago was state of the art. I had a similar The North Face bag (Super Kazoo) that I just loved. Great bag and lots of good memories.

I guess the question is, do you want to buy just one bag for the rest of your life? The state of the art has moved on. There are good 0-F rated bags well under 3 pounds. The Western Mountaineering Versalite is rated to 10F but I would expect it to perform similarly to the Never Summer, and it weighs 2 pounds even. My personal winter bag, the WM Antelope, is 2 pounds 7 ounces and I can tell you from personal experience it's freaking warm down to 0F. Now these bags are a lot more expensive, but over a fifteen or twenty year life span it's not that much difference. (My WM Megalite is eleven years old and going strong.)

The other question is, do you really need a 0F bag? You appear to live in South Carolina - I only need my Antelope in the dead of winter here in NC, or anywhere in the Southern Appalachians. A 20-F or 30-F bag is fine for three-season use around here. Of course if you go to New England in November or out in the Rockies early in the season, then sure, you need the bag. A good 30F bag is well under two pounds these days, and some of the quilts are even lighter.

I do understand sentimental attachments to gear. :)

[garlic08]

I'm a fan of Marmot bags. They're good enough for the price. As mentioned, they often go on sale. Check out steepncheap.com.

[Old Hiker]

REI has a sale going on right now - 20% off any normal priced item.

[Venchka]

Bigcranky and I think alike. I just added a WM Alpinlite to my WM Antelope. I passed my '70s vintage REI down bag to my granddaughter to use at Grayson Highlands. Quality down bags last a long time.

Wayne


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[Siestita]

How often do actually sleep out in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit? And, are those winter trips ones that require you to load your pack with more than just two or three days worth of food? If your winter trips occur infrequently and/or tend to to be of short duration, why don't you continue to use the warm bag that your father gave you for that purpose while purchasing a lighter three season bag, rated to perhaps 20 degrees F?

Also, some mummy bags are much more constrictive than others. It's possible that your LL Bean warm weather bag has a relatively ample cut. That might partly explain why it is so heavy. Going to the other extreme, some of the very lightest bags, for any legitimate temperature rating, achieve that result by being very confining. Obviously, some people are wider than than others, and some move around more than while sleeping.

I don't know how ample (compared to other mummies) the Marmot Never Summer is. I personally am a hefty, rather active sleeper. I find a down bag that I inherited from my father to be somewhat uncomfortable to sleep in because it is very narrowly cut. I sleep much better in a more ample bag, a Marmot Sawtooth rated to 15 degrees that I've owned for about ten years.

"Low Price vs. Warmth vs. Low Weight vs. Ample Fit"--Purchasers of backpacking sleeping bags often need to make compromises between competing priorities.

[FlyFishNut]

Siestita and BigCranky - I don't like camping in hot weather and I don't care for crowds. So, I typically will not even consider sleeping outside unless you can see your breath. So, typically I camp in the NC mts in winter time.

I'm not going to rush into to anything - I can use my 20% off at REI and they have it in stock. So, I'm going to head over there and crawl in that bag and see how it fits. I can't see dropping that much Wonga on a WM bag as at this point in my life I can't get away for many longer hikes as it is. Maybe if I get more serious about it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTQCy37tiiM&feature=youtu.be

[daddytwosticks]

Like it's been said, you can't go wrong with Western Mountaineering. Once you find a WM bag that suits your needs, you will own it for life. I too have a WM Megalite and it's one of my favorite pieces of gear. :)

[rocketsocks]

One can always purchase some quality down and over stuff an existing bag. there are some inherent problems with this though. To much down in a smaller tube/baffel with be a waste, logistics of actually getting it in there and a half decent job so you don't loose your investment to the 4 winds.

[FlyFishNut]

Rocket - my bag is plenty warm, it is just heavy. I'm working towards a warm bag that is lighter. I like the looks of the Antelope, but don't think the frequency of my trips warrants spending that much.

[rocketsocks]

Rocket - my bag is plenty warm, it is just heavy. I'm working towards a warm bag that is lighter. I like the looks of the Antelope, but don't think the frequency of my trips warrants spending that much.Yup, I don't require the lightest, warmest bag either, but if I did I suppose one way would be to buy some quality plumage and over stuff an existing bag, if a budget was a concern.

[Venchka]

There is an alternative to a full on winter bag. Or even a near winter bag like the Antelope.
Using WM's catalog as examples because I am most familiar with those bags.
Get a 20-30-35 degree bag that fits you and fits your pack and fits your budget. Alpinlite, Ultralite, Megalite, Summerlite, Mightylite.
Get a 35-40 degree quilt for mid-summer use. Lots of cottage folks making good quilts. The Hammock Forums can give you good leads.
Now, when nearly or really winter rolls around, load both your sleeping bag & your quilt in your pack. You should be able to get both items in the 3 to 3+ pound neighborhood. Sleep in the bag & use the quilt over the sleeping bag. Presto! Winter sleeping system. Be sure to put an R-5 to R-6 pad under you.
Overbags were popular back in The Land Before Time.

Wayne

[FlyFishNut]

There is an alternative to a full on winter bag. Or even a near winter bag like the Antelope.
Using WM's catalog as examples because I am most familiar with those bags.
Get a 20-30-35 degree bag that fits you and fits your pack and fits your budget. Alpinlite, Ultralite, Megalite, Summerlite, Mightylite.
Get a 35-40 degree quilt for mid-summer use. Lots of cottage folks making good quilts. The Hammock Forums can give you good leads.
Now, when nearly or really winter rolls around, load both your sleeping bag & your quilt in your pack. You should be able to get both items in the 3 to 3+ pound neighborhood. Sleep in the bag & use the quilt over the sleeping bag. Presto! Winter sleeping system. Be sure to put an R-5 to R-6 pad under you.
Overbags were popular back in The Land Before Time.

Wayne

Great Idea - Thanks!

[Venchka]

You're welcome.

Wayne


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