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View Full Version : Western Mountaineering vs. Montbell



JWren
08-19-2008, 01:00
It seems to me that a good number of whiteblaze like either Western Mountaineering bags or Montbell bags, i personally bought a WM summerlite rating 32F, it packs up small and is warm and very light, i love it but the only thing is the hood does not have a draft collar (which you could just buy a megalite), i just wanted you to put which one you have: brand and individual product, and your thoughts on it. And if you've had both, which one did you perfer and why

My reasoning is that i somewhat want a Montbell superstreach but i just wanted to get you guys thoughts

PS: i perfer down

rcli4
08-19-2008, 01:46
The montbell is large enough for this fatman.

Clyde

fehchet
08-19-2008, 05:14
The MontBell’s Super Stretch long is what I use in the winter so I can stuff stuff inside with me such as canister fuel and clothing and water. But I like the Western Mountaineering too and their long would work just as well. So my vote is: likes them both.

NICKTHEGREEK
08-19-2008, 06:17
Buy American

Monkeywrench
08-19-2008, 07:19
A few months ago I bought a Western Mountaineering Summerlite Long. What a gorgeous piece of gear it is!

Hooch
08-19-2008, 07:41
Buy AmericanAmen! That's why my insulation consists of two items made right here in North Carolina, about 90 minutes away from me: The Speer Snugfit Underquilt (http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SnugFit.htm) and the Speer Top Blanket III (http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/TopBlanket.htm). Excellent quality, customer service that's second to none and Ed's just a plain old nice guy. :D

Quoddy
08-19-2008, 08:23
I have owned and really like WM bags, but can't seem to find a bag that fits me quite right in the temperature ranges I want. They seem to either squeeze me excessively or are so big that there's heat loss. I now own 3 Montbell Super Stretch UL down bags and love the SS feature... so comfortable for someone who moves around a lot at night.

buz
08-19-2008, 09:09
I have the SS #2 800 fill, long MB. Bought it on supersale going out of business sale at outfitter that I just randomly stopped in at. I had been previously shopping and tried the WM bags. Like Quoddy, the slimmer bags in the WM line were too confining for a restless side sleeper. The larger ones worked fine, and no doubt are nice.

I originally bought the #3 at the outfitter above. But it didn't keep me warm enough at 30 degrees, so I swapped with Montbell for the 25 degree #2. This bag is way more than 5 degrees warmer than the #3, IMO. Draft collar and a lot more down.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either bag. But IMO, fit is crucial, however your fit criteria is for YOU. Very difficult to do over the internet. That is how my choice was made, partially, I simply liked the fit of the MB better. $$ came into play also, as the MB was over $100 cheaper than the WM. So if they are the same in your evaluation, I will go with Nick and say BUY AMERICAN.

guyd78
08-19-2008, 09:22
Feathered Friends makes very good bags, and are made in Seattle.

Pepper_
08-19-2008, 09:44
I'm a big guy, 6'4", and like to roll on my stomach with a leg kicked out a bit to one side. I've never been able to sleep that way in a mummy bag, without unzipping the bag, 'til I got a Montbell Super Stretch. It'd be hard to go back to anything else now...

bigcranky
08-19-2008, 10:15
We own both brands. Good bags.

QuebecRun
08-19-2008, 10:21
I have the Western Mountaineering Summerlite. The full zip allows me to use it in top quilt mode when using my hammock. No regrets with this bag.

Cuffs
08-19-2008, 10:43
I have to have the stretch of the Montbell bag (recently, Sierra Designs came out with something similar). I just get too clautraphobic in a regular mummy bag.

Roots
08-19-2008, 10:47
My husband and I both have the Montbell UltraLight Super Stretch #2, 25 degree bag. We LOVE these bags. I have been in upper tens using this bag and was plenty warm. We opted for the Montbell over WM because of the stretch factor. We both move a lot when sleeping. When we tried the WM bag, we both felt a little too constricted. Not to say WM bags are bad, they are not. WM bags are our second choice.

Kerosene
08-19-2008, 11:01
Most WM bags get the nod from me given their better weight-for-warmth ratio, while the stretch Montbell bags might be preferred by people who roll around a lot.

NitroSteel
10-16-2009, 22:35
I was torn between WM and FF. Marmot and Mont-bell were number 3 and number 4. Valandre was just TOO expensive...

Ended up with Western Mountaineering - 2 of them, but both were DRAMATICALLY on sale - a rare find...

Dogwood
10-16-2009, 22:52
My WM 35* Highlite doesn't have a draft color either, but with such a low wt. of 17 oz for the long version and taking into account it is an accurately rated 35* sleeping bag intended for warmish weather I feel it's acceptable for its intended use. It's basically a summer bag that under some circumstances can be used in spring and fall. I believe the same thing holgs true for your 32* WM Summerlite.

I have never been dissappointed with any WM bag and that's what I hear from the many others I talk to who also own at least one.

Reid
10-17-2009, 00:58
I'm not even convinced yet that WM is better than Marmot

Reid
10-17-2009, 00:59
You should have had more options

Lucy Lulu
10-17-2009, 08:00
I've had all three, and prefer them in this order...

FF
Montbell
WM

Montbell is almost tied with FF since I move around a lot, and it is definitely true to it's rating.

They are all good bags.

NitroSteel
10-17-2009, 11:22
Why FF over the other 2 EllieT?

Lyle
10-17-2009, 11:31
I own and like both. Would recommend either.

Dogwood
10-17-2009, 13:05
If you are looking for which sleeping bag/company is better/best/preferable I hesitate because I tend to think in terms of different bags for different uses. Even if I could tell someone what was better/best/preferable that is only for me and how I use it, not necessarily about how someone else might use it. I can't stress this enough. This may not be what the OP wants to hear, but it needs to be undertsood if the OP wants to get a sleeping bag that is right for them.

Sometimes I get the idea that so many are considering gear, but they want someone else to make the choice for them or don't want to do the research themselves or simply feel so overwhemed they don't know how to decide or they place too much emphasis on other's reviews or begin making their gear choices by first considering reviews/opinions.

So if this helps I'll post how I decide on gear. Whenever I compare gear, including sleeping bags, particularly from two companies that IMO make great bags, I make my comparison by first knowing my priortized needs and second by meeting those needs as closely as I can. To do that I always EXAMINE THE SPECS FIRST and ONLY THEN start to read reviewer's opinions. With every piece of gear there are always at least four priorities that take precedence over others 1) performance - the gear has to adequately address the conditions that I'm most likely to encounter, this priority takes into considerations such as how, where, and when I'm backpacking, my kit set-up, my hiking style, how often I resupply, etc, this is where I decide what features I must have and which are really optional, FOR ME this is my # 1 priority, it overrides everything else 2) weight - wt. is an issue for me 3) durability - I buy $1000's worth of gear gear every yr. but I still expect this to gear to be reasonably durable, having a pair of $100 hiking shoes that are ready for the trash after only 200 trail miles or a backpack that disintegrates after only 300 miles are examples of gear not being reasonably durable, again I buy, and use, lots of gear on a reg basis so I don't purchase many pieces of specific gear, like a tee shirt for example and expect it to last 3 yrs. 4 ) price - although I commit considerable resources to gear purchases I haven't hit the lottery yet.

Now, the juicy stuff. Before I became accustomed to being able to sleep comfortably in a tighter mummy cut bag I more often used MB Super Stretch bags. I think MB makes a bag with a great combination of features: accurate temp rating(this is very important for me, when I compare sleeping bags I want to be able to compare oranges to oranges, the EN13537 standardized testing helps in this area, I'm also using this spec to meet my performance prority), low wt., OK price( at least for me when I consider what I'm getting), good durabity, and well constructed bag with quality materials. As the bag is designed for those who toss and turn or who like to stretch out or sleep on their sides take that into consideration when comparing this bag. Although, not quite as stretchy, I want to test the MB Spiral Down bags as they are bit lower wt. and price though. On the con side the one issue that I've had with MB SS bags is that they can develop cold spots because the down has a greater tendency to shift around. This may be a result more caused by the way I used to sleep than specifically the bag itself. I already gave my opinion on WM bags in an above post. Also, understand that both MB and WM make UL bags and bags for other uses, like alpining, for example. If one gets the lightest wt. down bags they sell the buyer should understand they might need to treat the UL bags with some extra TLC.

Lucy Lulu
10-17-2009, 15:39
I liked my FF better b/c of small, and maybe more personalized, reasons. The draft collar had more down, and the zipper was sturdier and did not stick. Most importantly for me, the bag's fabric was more water resistant than the other two (without having to upgrade to gore or something like it), which was important for me under my silnylon tarp. It also seemed the down did not compress as quickly as it did in my other bags.

The FF was also a little better fit for me than the WM. The Montbell was at the top of the fit category though, since it was the super stretch, and I toss and turn a lot.

The differences were not big differences. They are all great sleeping bags.

Reid
10-17-2009, 15:44
I liked my FF better b/c of small, and maybe more personalized, reasons. The draft collar had more down, and the zipper was sturdier and did not stick. Most importantly for me, the bag's fabric was more water resistant than the other two (without having to upgrade to gore or something like it), which was important for me under my silnylon tarp. It also seemed the down did not compress as quickly as it did in my other bags.

The FF was also a little better fit for me than the WM. The Montbell was at the top of the fit category though, since it was the super stretch, and I toss and turn a lot.

The differences were not big differences. They are all great sleeping bags.

Yea, I'm positive that FF is one of the best bags out there. I don't think there's anything special about WM really besides that it's standard is overstuffed.