Sleeping bag ratings

[wolfywolfy]

I am wanting to purchase a feathered friends sleeping bag for a potential thru hike and I am going back and forth between the 10 degree Petrel and the 20 degree egret. Can anyone chime in?
Thank you in advance

[greensleep]

I am wanting to purchase a feathered friends sleeping bag for a potential thru hike and I am going back and forth between the 10 degree Petrel and the 20 degree egret. Can anyone chime in?
Thank you in advance
Keep in mind that the "rating" of the bag is for the lowest temp at which the manufacturer states one will probably survive, not be comfortable.

[Tipi Walter]

You can't go wrong with a FF product. There's no mention of what month/s you'll be out. If it's strickly a winter bag I'd go with 0F rated or below. And as greensleep alludes to---if you expect 15F get a 0F bag. If you expect 0F get a -15F bag. It's the 15 Degree Rule.

[Slo-go'en]

If your planning a Feb start, you need at least a 0 bag. OTOH, if starting in April a 20 will suffice. This assumes you have proper base layers and are willing to suffer a few colder then comfortable nights once in a while. It starts to warm up quickly in mid May so if you start out with a 0 bag, eventually your going to want something a lot lighter, so now your talking buying two bags. Starting in April with a 20 bag will get you the whole distance.

HINT: Every time you find a drier, put your sleeping bag in it for a few minutes to fluff it up and dry it out.

[Kittyslayer]

Below is a link to a detailed discussion of ratings which you may find helpful. Not specific to your brand but I found it helpful in understanding terminology. E.E. was on my short list but went with a different brand. Also, don’t forget how your insulating pad plays into your total sleep system.

https://support.enlightenedequipment.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021022052-About-our-temperature-ratings

[colorado_rob]

FF bags are amazing, probably the best out there maybe even better than Western Mountaineering, if you are ever in Seattle, visit the store and drool....

Anyway, if you get a 20 degree bag and have a 0 degree night you won't die, despite that "15 degree rule". You might lose some sleep, is all.

I prefer to use the 95% rule, meaning if your bag is comfortable for 95% of the nights, that's the perfect trade off between warmth and weight.

It is of course all about your start date, but even for a late February start, if you get the 10 degree bag what are you going to use in June much further along the trail? It will be difficult to not melt most nights and you'll be carrying useless weight for 90% of the trail.

Bottom line, a good conservatively rated 20 degree bag, like that FF model is the perfect AT bag even for a fairly early start (late Feb or early March). Earlier than that, sure get the 10, but plan on swapping it out after a while.

[CalebJ]

I'll throw out that there a few brands where the temperature ratings have always seemed to be reasonable to me. Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends in particular. In both cases, I've been able to comfortably sleep at the rated temperatures. Not even close with some other brands.

[Average Hiker]

Hi

I'm female but use the 10 degree FF Lark since I'm tall. It's one of my favorite sleeping bags. I always get a bag that is ten degrees less than what I expect the coldest temps to be since I sleep cold. My winter bag is a zero degree sleeping bag, and my three-season sleeping bag is a 10-degree bag. If it is warm enough I just use it like a quilt. My summer bag is actually a quilt. In summary - you can't go wrong with Feathered Friends. I just sold my 10 year old Lark, and it was in great shape.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Just to throw some more info into the mix. Typically your bag will lose a little loft (warmth) during extended trail use due to being damp (the AT is a pretty moist place) and getting dirty. Air it out when you can. Also throw it in a laundromat dryer for a few minutes on low even though you're not washing it (helps dry it out and restores static/fluff). Typical daily temperature variance is +/- 10°F from average (if avg low is 30, plan on lots of 20's). Bag ratings already assume you are wearing base layer, socks, hat, etc. Error on the side of too warm. Your start date plays a big factor. March or later and the 20 is probably the consensus pick. WM and FF are great bags - good choice!

[Birthright]

I use a 20 degree. I am only summer hiking with it. You did not specify conditions of use.