View Full Version : Almost ready to pull the trigger on Nemo Sonic 0...
Midwest Mike
08-22-2018, 23:16
I sleep pretty cold. I've got an EE 20 degree quilt which is great for me but only up until about freezing. So I'm looking for something comfy and fairly light which will take me down into the teens. Not heavy-duty winter backpacking. I'm 6'0" and about 165-70. I can get it in a Labor Day sale for about $350, and a $600 bag is out of my range. I rarely make a gear purchase this big, so I'm getting nervous. Any reason I shouldn't go ahead?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Rei is about to put their magma bag line on sale. Great weight, price, and warmth.....I also have a 20 EE and dont trust it at or below freezing because I sleep cold as well, so when it gets colder or i go to places with elevation I bring the magma along. They're going on sale Friday for about 260 bucks.
What are both of you using for a pad under the bag? R value?
Your bag is only one item in a complete sleep system.
Wayne
check out brooks range 15 degree bag
Just Tom
08-23-2018, 08:07
Always compare fill weight. Any company can make a bag cheap and light, but IMO fill weight is probably the easiest / simplest measure of how warm bag will be. (Yes there are other factors).
The Magma has a little less than 18 ounces of fill and the Sonic has 24 ounces. A bag like the Western Mountaineering Kodiak 0 or (shameless plug) the Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 has 30 ounces of fill.
Always compare fill weight. Any company can make a bag cheap and light, but IMO fill weight is probably the easiest / simplest measure of how warm bag will be. (Yes there are other factors).
The Magma has a little less than 18 ounces of fill and the Sonic has 24 ounces. A bag like the Western Mountaineering Kodiak 0 or (shameless plug) the Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 has 30 ounces of fill.
That only works if the bags are the same size and shape. A 6 foot bag will be warmer than a 6'6" bag with the same fill weight.
Just Tom
08-23-2018, 08:17
Of course. Luckily those figures are readily available on good bags to aid in the comparison.
Midwest Mike
08-23-2018, 08:31
Thanks for the input, everybody. Wayne, I've got a Neoair, and if it gets cold I bring a Z-lite too. Tom and Egilbe, I'm looking at the fill weight too -- and shape. As far as shape, the Sonic is definitely less thermally shaped, if that's a term, than a more mummy-shaped bag. I'm willing to take that weight penalty for the sake of a good night's sleep. I'm in the flat Midwest, and I tend to go on group trips, and some are shorter than others, and I can't always count on being tired enough that being cooped up in a mummy won't bother me.
Has anyone used this bag? The reviews are pretty clear that this isn't really a zero-degree bag. What I really want to know is that if I have enough padding under me and, if necessary, wear my puffy, will this bag keep me warm if it gets down to 15.
https://sectionhiker.com/nemo-sonic-0-down-sleeping-bag-review/
What are you sleeping on, now? My EE quilts are pretty close to temp rating, but I have pretty warm sleeping pads under me.
Always compare fill weight. Any company can make a bag cheap and light, but IMO fill weight is probably the easiest / simplest measure of how warm bag will be. (Yes there are other factors).
The Magma has a little less than 18 ounces of fill and the Sonic has 24 ounces. A bag like the Western Mountaineering Kodiak 0 or (shameless plug) the Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 has 30 ounces of fill.
Full disclosure, I use a womens long (im 5'11") and it fits well, it also has more fill in the womens and with the updated magma. Sonic and magma are both 850 FP and both have around 695g or 24 oz of fill. The rei bag is going on sale for 250 so value wise i think it's a better bet. I'll be springing for that glorious WM one day.....;)
nsherry61
08-23-2018, 09:04
. . . What I really want to know is that if I have enough padding under me and, if necessary, wear my puffy, will this bag keep me warm if it gets down to 15.
Yes, it probably will. For most people is will be comfortable down to 20F and if you are willing to add a puffy or sleep slightly cool, 10F is probably a fair, reasonably comfortable lower limit.
As the REI Magma 10 has been commented on earlier, I have one. It's a good bag. At 5-10F with a puffy on, it is not warm enough for me to sleep comfortably . . . sleep, yes, comfortably, no. I am probably an average sleeper as far as body temp goes. I sleep much warmer than my wife and rarely sleep comfortably at the temperature rating of the warmer bags I own.
orthofingers
08-23-2018, 09:22
Have you thought about using another quilt. I have an EE 20 degree quilt as well and was feeling cold anywhere below about 30. Since I use a hammock and did not have a summer quilt, I got a lightweight summer quilt from Just Bill here on WB. It works very well in the winter in combination with the EE and he included plenty of options to hook the two quilts together so there wasn't a fuss factor. The bonus is that now I've got a summer quilt.
Sleeping cold sucks but you kind of have to analyze why you're cold . . . not enough insulation under you? over you? too much wind? uninsulated areas around you?
Helps to wear a hat, socks, gloves and long underwear but you already know that.
Midwest Mike
08-23-2018, 09:30
What are you sleeping on, now? My EE quilts are pretty close to temp rating, but I have pretty warm sleeping pads under me.
When it’s cold, Neolair over a zlite. Together a little over a 5 R value I think.
What are both of you using for a pad under the bag? R value?
Your bag is only one item in a complete sleep system.
Wayne
Got a q-core slx for decentish weather (I'm a side sleeper) and an xtherm for cold....supplement both with a gossamer gear thin light pad...
Crushed Grapes
08-23-2018, 09:42
When it’s cold, Neolair over a zlite. Together a little over a 5 R value I think.
Never understood those that could use the zlite only, in cold conditions. I understand the weight saving, but I have to have some loft under me if I'm going to be even remotely comfortable. To each their own though, obviously!
When it’s cold, Neolair over a zlite. Together a little over a 5 R value I think.
According to several knowledgeable folks at WhiteBlaze, put the foam Z-Lite on TOP of the Neoair for the warmest combination.
Wayne
According to several knowledgeable folks at WhiteBlaze, put the foam Z-Lite on TOP of the Neoair for the warmest combination.
Wayne
You know what's funny? Anecdotal evidence and all, bit I prefer the air mattress on top. It's more comfortable. With my z-lite on top, I feel like I'm sleeping on a board. Part of the reason I switched to an air mattress was because it was softer to sleep on. Never noticed a difference in temp, but admittedly, it's a small sample size. I only tried it with the z-lite on top a couple times before I decided that the collective wisdom of Whiteblaze was not what it was cracked up to be -:)
Midwest Mike
08-23-2018, 18:34
Thank you all for your input! As I said, it’s a big purchase, so I appreciate the thoughts.
You know what's funny? Anecdotal evidence and all, bit I prefer the air mattress on top. It's more comfortable. With my z-lite on top, I feel like I'm sleeping on a board. Part of the reason I switched to an air mattress was because it was softer to sleep on. Never noticed a difference in temp, but admittedly, it's a small sample size. I only tried it with the z-lite on top a couple times before I decided that the collective wisdom of Whiteblaze was not what it was cracked up to be -:)
Aye! Air mattresses rule!
Foam on top is a last resort warmth thing.
Wayne
Ken Knutson
08-23-2018, 22:12
what are you wearing on your head? you lose a great amount of heat from your head You might get away with less sleeping bag if you get a down hat/hood. they sell one at Zpacks for $65.
Midwest Mike
08-23-2018, 22:26
Good question. When it gets cold I wear a fleece balaclava. That Zpacks hood does look nice...