View Full Version : Thanks!
SillyGirl
11-26-2006, 21:21
After the advice that I got on my last post Im going to return the sleeping bag I received as a gift. I am now looking at two different mountain hardwear sleeping bags. One is the womens 2nd dimension 15 degree sleeping bag which is 3 lbs 1 ounce for 122.50 at ems. The other is the womens lamina 15 degree bag which ways 2 lbs 14 ounces and cost 140.00. Does anyone have opinions on either of these bags? Or do you have a better suggestion. I REALLY want to keep weight down :(.
To review my situation again, I am hiking from CT-ME starting in mid may and ending in mid july. THANK YOU ALL!! I really do appreciate the advice.
Blissful
11-26-2006, 21:43
I'm going synthetic to start my hike in March but may switch to down for the summer part until I get to the Whites. You might look at down bags as well if you want to keep the weight down.
BTW - FYI Campmor has 2nd dimension for $109 and Lamina bags for under a hundred.
SillyGirl
11-26-2006, 22:23
Thanks for the advice and for the info on campmor
Thanks for the advice and for the info on campmor
A lot of people swear by the Campmor brand down bags for the price and accuracy on the temp ratings. They are heavier than the more expensive Western Mountaineering, Marmot, etc... bags but if money is an issue you might want to look at those.
tarbender
11-27-2006, 14:55
You are doing better than you were. Dumping that piece of EMS crap is the right thing to do. Looking at mountain hardware sacks is definitely a good idea. You might want to check out Marmot sacks as well. If you will be hiking from mid May until Mid July from CT to ME you probably won't need a bag rated to 15F. I tend to sleep a little on the cold side and I would probably shop for a quality bag rated to about 35F. Even the 35F bag would be overkill most of the time and would probably end up in blanket mode. If you are a little bit of a freeze baby and a gram weenie and a cheep skate who likes to get lots of use from a single sack over a broad range
of conditions I would personally suggest that you check out the Marmot Women's Pounder Plus sack. This synthetic is rated to 25F and weighs in at 1lb 15oz in reg size. The velocity seems to be on sale but if you bump up to the full price of the velocity @ $189 you can grab a marmot pounder plus. The pounder plus would be a high quality and long lasting product for you to purchase. Of course you need to make your own decision though.
tarbender
11-27-2006, 15:01
Whatever you purchase always store it fully lofted at home. In the field I better never catch you stuffing that thing in a compression stuff bag either. Don't kill your bag. Let it die slowly over many years.
SillyGirl
11-27-2006, 16:19
You are doing better than you were. Dumping that piece of EMS crap is the right thing to do. Looking at mountain hardware sacks is definitely a good idea. You might want to check out Marmot sacks as well. If you will be hiking from mid May until Mid July from CT to ME you probably won't need a bag rated to 15F. I tend to sleep a little on the cold side and I would probably shop for a quality bag rated to about 35F. Even the 35F bag would be overkill most of the time and would probably end up in blanket mode. If you are a little bit of a freeze baby and a gram weenie and a cheep skate who likes to get lots of use from a single sack over a broad range
of conditions I would personally suggest that you check out the Marmot Women's Pounder Plus sack. This synthetic is rated to 25F and weighs in at 1lb 15oz in reg size. The velocity seems to be on sale but if you bump up to the full price of the velocity @ $189 you can grab a marmot pounder plus. The pounder plus would be a high quality and long lasting product for you to purchase. Of course you need to make your own decision though.
Thanks this advice was great and I have to say it made me laugh at myself. I've looked at the Womens pounder plus, i think thats probably what I'll go with :)
Whatever you purchase always store it fully lofted at home. In the field I better never catch you stuffing that thing in a compression stuff bag either. Don't kill your bag. Let it die slowly over many years.
Why wouldn't you use a compression sack in the field?
Spirit Walker
12-23-2006, 18:27
Stuffing that is compressed doesn't hold air - and it's the air that keeps you warm.
I would get a 20 degree bag, not 15. You are hiking in early summer, and aren't likely to get many nights below freezing, if any. I used a 20 degree bag on both AT thruhikes and was fine.
Don't get a Marmot bag. We bought a couple last year and one was a really bad one that was rated at 20 but was cold below 40. The other was okay, but I just don't trust their products any more. WE had bad luck with the rain jackets too. Utterly worthless.
I guess I don't understand, but then again I could be missing something, it wouldn't be the first time.
You have to compress or squish your sleeping bag when you are hiking so you can fit it in the pack.
I do understand about storing it fully lofted while at home
Don't get a Marmot bag. We bought a couple last year and one was a really bad one that was rated at 20 but was cold below 40. The other was okay, but I just don't trust their products any more. WE had bad luck with the rain jackets too. Utterly worthless.
Ginny:
I purchased a Marmot 40 degree Atom bag, and have been quite pleased with it. I used it on the CT and hiked the JMT with it this summer.
I can't speak for their rain jackets.
Appalachian Tater
12-23-2006, 19:01
The Marmot Helium 15 degree bag is great, too warm if anything, was never cold in it. If I had to buy another one, I would make sure it had a full length zipper so it could be used more like a quilt. The Marmot Precip rain coat served me well and made it all the way in one piece, no holes at all.
Don't get a Marmot bag. We bought a couple last year and one was a really bad one that was rated at 20 but was cold below 40. The other was okay, but I just don't trust their products any more. WE had bad luck with the rain jackets too. Utterly worthless.
I've gotten a lot of good use out of my Marmot PreCip rain jacket. I've also gotten a lot of good use out of my Marmot DriClim windshirt. As far as I am concerned, both are good pieces of gear.
Spirit Walker
12-23-2006, 23:10
My problem is that they haven't been consistent. Of three Marmot rain jackets that we own, only one was at all waterproof. Of two sleeping bags, one had so little down in one of the baffles you can see light through it and it was utterly inadequate for temps below 40. As I said, the other was fine. But one out of two is not good. And we did worse than that with the jackets. Mine wetted out in 10 minutes of light rain the first time I wore it. Water didn't bead off, it soaked in. My husband's was okay for about a month, before it started soaking through - in light rains. We sprayed them with waterproofing and the second time we sprayed them they kept us a little dryer, but they still leaked at the seams - badly. Another jacket that we bought several years ago was fine - so one out of three of those were good. For me that's not consistent quality - and if I'm spending that kind of money, I want consistent quality.
Marmot For Life! I'd be sending them back if I wasn't completely satisfied.
Spirit Walker
12-24-2006, 01:53
We bought them on sale -
We bought them on sale -
It doesn't matter, you could have bought them used. You wont get your money back, but they should exchange them.
Marmot for Life. (It's one reason you pay a premium price) I sent back a well used, expensive Gore-Tex rain jacket that stopped holding water and they sent me a new one. Bear Bag sent back a Precip that wasn't preforming (at my urging) and they replaced it.
Hammock Hanger
12-24-2006, 10:03
I guess I don't understand, but then again I could be missing something, it wouldn't be the first time.
You have to compress or squish your sleeping bag when you are hiking so you can fit it in the pack.
I do understand about storing it fully lofted while at home
Continually compressing the loft will diminish the bags capability of re-lofting, and the loft is what keeps you warm.
You have to do it to get it in your pack (although I throw mine in loosely in my pack and just pack around it, as not to compress it as much as a stuff sack.)
First thing I do at camp is shake it out and let it re-loft.
Usually when you buy a sleeping bag you get a small stuff sack for on the trail and a large bag for storing at home. This way the bag will stay fluffy while not in use and the loft will last longer.