Sleeping Bag Limits

[happycowinca]

My WM HighLite recently came in the mail, and I've been excitedly trying it out the last couple nights in the (unusually) cold SoCal nights. When I was doing research online I saw the Highlite was a 35* bag, but when I picked it up I was told it was a 40* bag, so I picked up a liner to go along. My question is, how far could i get this bag down to?

I was thinking that I would be using: the WM Highlite, silk liner, balaclava, wool cap, socks, closed cell foam pad, light shirt and shorts, and a tent. I might also get a bivy just to keep the down from getting wet from condensation. Adding all these things up, how far could I get?

[Blissful]

Depends if you are a cold sleeper or not. Some can do fine. :) Best bet is to try it and see how it is in the 20's, but I hear it's a good bag. Be sure you have a good insulating pad beneath you. And I would also bring along long polypro underwear.

[Egads]

The Highlight is rated at 35*; however, Western Mountaineering rates their bags conservatively. We'll let you be the judge of how cold you can go. Ditto Blissful's advice on a high R rated pad.

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=Products&page=Sleeping%20Bags&cat=ExtremeLite%20Series&viewpost=2&ContentId=16

[happycowinca]

I guess the guy at Adventure 16 was mistaken. I have a full length Z-lite, plus a 3/4 prolite 4 for pads

[Kerosene]

I've found that it the HighLite can be quite warm down to 40F, my lowest test, but you have to take full advantage of the mummy features and start out reasonably warm. The problem with supplementing with a lot of clothing is that the bag's cut is pretty tight, and too much clothing can compress the loft.

[stranger]

You comfort rating has a lot more to do with you and a whole lot less to do with the bag. Also, ground insulation, wearing a hat and your shelter will determine heaps as well.

[BookBurner]

The Highlite is a great bag. I suspect I could take mine down into the 20's with the right prep. To stretch your comfort range, I suggest you wear long underwear (avoid skin to nylon contact - brrr), and if necessary, a thin rain suit. The bag is slender but not so slender that two layers of clothing is going to affect it (if it does, the bag is too skinny for your body size to begin with). To accomodate the increase in clothes weight (which I presume is a concern given that you paid top dollar for a lightweight bag), leave the bivy at home. Down bags can handle whatever incidental condensation they might scrape up against inside a tent just fine.

[bigcranky]

If you want to spend a few bucks on good information, the backpackinglight.com web site may be the place. It's $25 for a year. That gets you access to their member-only articles, many of which are quite good, as well as discounts on gear from their store.

IIRC the owner has spent a fair amount of backcountry time hiking in the winter (in Montana!) using a Highlite bag. Of course he has a system for doing so, worked out with many years of experience. But it looks like it can be taken down pretty far with the right system.

[Just Plain Jim]

My problem with the Highlite in 2006 was it wasn't big enough. I bought the 6ft. and I'm 5'9" and it just would not cover me and I was cold all of the time. I mailed it back to WM. and bought the Montbell and it's great.

[happycowinca]

Im 6'0" and have no problems with the height. I like to stretch my ankles out when i sleep, and I still have enough space. Probably the bag could accomodate a 6'3" person really.

The reason I was thinking of bringing a bivy is because one of the places I'm going (new mexico) has rain and thunderstorms basically every day, and was going to bring it more as a precautionary measure.

[Wise Old Owl]

Hi Rob,
I Know nothing about the bag you mentioned, but Now is the time to test it once, and again in dead of winter. First get to this website.... http://www.lacrossetechnology.com and look at the equipment. Now journey to your local hardware store for Time/temp/ indoor/outdoor/(HUMIDITY) with a remote sensor. When you have finished your quest, purchase the unit. IF it is the right one it wil have a "MIN/MAX" button on the front. now you are ready. Follow instructions. Set the equipment up. Now jamb the "remote sensor in the bag" place the indoor receiver next to the bag, put the bag & equipment in the backyard and please make sure you are on a lightweight pad. When you wake up uncomfortable you will have a immediate reading on the reciever and a good humidity reading. If you sleep though you will still have access to min/max to gain thought. Happy Trails

Mark