Sleeping bag recommendations

[kristin1065]

I wanted to put this in the women's forum to get real women's advice. I know many women are colder sleepers than men, and have been looking for a warmer sleeping bag and want some suggestions about what is the best in warmness/price. Too many bags have been rated by men, who seem to be fine sleeping in whatever bag comes their way. I have a Sierra Designs 20* bag, which has barely kept me warm to 40* :( So I guess either that bag is HORRIBLE, and/or I am a very cold sleeper. I plan on using that bag during the summer of thru-hiking, but I'm sure I will need something warmer for GA/NH/ME/etc. Any suggestions from other cold women will be greatly appreciated.

[Over Yonder]

I bought a Mountain Hardwear *15 Phantom... and I LOVED IT. I used it through out the south in very chilly temps down to 12*, I think and it was awesome! Also used it again in NH and ME, and although it did not get very chilly I was never over heated. I love this bag, it is on the spendy side by for the comfort and weight it was well worth it.

As a cold sleeper make sure what ever bag you do choose has been tested if you can in your backyard at least to assure it will be warm enough. Also consider getting a colder degree than you will need. I never really thought that I would be expereincing 15* temps but sure enough it happend. Maybe you may even want to try to find a light weight 0* even?

good luck in your search for the perfect bag!

[River Runner]

I wanted to put this in the women's forum to get real women's advice. I know many women are colder sleepers than men, and have been looking for a warmer sleeping bag and want some suggestions about what is the best in warmness/price. Too many bags have been rated by men, who seem to be fine sleeping in whatever bag comes their way. I have a Sierra Designs 20* bag, which has barely kept me warm to 40* :( So I guess either that bag is HORRIBLE, and/or I am a very cold sleeper. I plan on using that bag during the summer of thru-hiking, but I'm sure I will need something warmer for GA/NH/ME/etc. Any suggestions from other cold women will be greatly appreciated.

One thing to consider about a bag other than the temperature rating is how it fits you. If you are average to petite, your bag could be too large and you waste too many calories heating empty space, which will result in you feeling cold at temperature you would expect the bag to keep you warm in. Women's specific fit bags work well for many smaller woman.

On the other hand, for some of us larger women, we have to watch and make sure the bag is wide enough that we don't end up compressing the insulation from a too snug fit. Women specific fit bags typically are not the best choice for larger women as they are too narrow in the shoulders.

Length of the bag is also important. Don't get one too long, as again you end up keeping empty space warm.

I have a Sierra Designs Mist bag (0 F), which is a woman-specific fit, and got the long for the extra width at the shoulder, which works for me as I was borderline on the height. It kept me toasty warm at 20 - I had to ventilate a few times during the night.

I also have a Western Mountaineering Ultralite, which is warm, but not quite as warm as the Sierra Designs. (But not as heavy either). My current favorite though is a quilt setup, with insulated pants and jacket. That way I wear part of my warmth when I roll out in the morning. That's a great feeling. I do need to get a bit heavier quilt for true winter use as my custom Ghost (couple of ounces less down for summer use) is only good to around freezing with insulated pants and jacket.

I'm afraid it is mostly trial and error. Sierra Designs is a good brand though, so I am guessing your problem is likely either fit or that you are a cold sleeper.

[River Runner]

Oh, I forgot to add, other variables can also affect how warm a bag feels - things like whether you ate a high calorie evening meal not too long before turning in, whether you've hydrated yourself enough, humidity in the area, whether you are rested enough in general, stressed, etc. Lots of factors work together to create warmth or cause the lack of.

[Smile]

I'm a big fan of down, like the Montbell bags, and the Western Mountaineering for quality. As for getting one, like most major purchases, go get in one at an outfitter, zip up, roll around, mimic your sleep positions before you decide :)

Good luck! i hope you find the perfect bag.....

[Marta]

Ditto what River Runner said, with an emphasis on managing your body heat so you get into the bag when before you get chilled, or even cooled off. If the nighttime temperature is going to be towards the low end of what you're prepared for (or even below the low end), you can make the best of things by:

Hiking until you are just about ready to get into your sleeping bag.

Eating while in your sleeping bag. (This can present obvious problems in terms of attracting animals, so consider where you are and how to minimize that risk.)

Wearing all your clothes, including your rain gear.

Putting extra insulation or vapor barriers wherever you have cold spots.

Practical application: This past weekend my husband and I were hiking the Chunky Gal Trail. The plan called for us to eat dinner right at dark, then continue to hike until about 10 pm before setting up the tent and going to sleep. We knew it was going to be cold that evening but it turned out to be much, much windier than we expected, and the trail was more challenging. As dark settled in, we were on a ridgeline, very exposed to the wind. There was no place we could set up our stove, cook, and eat dinner without freezing our a#$%es off.

New plan, we hiked until we found a flattish place with slightly less wind exposure than the surrounding area. We stopped, set up the tent, pulling the tarp area close to the ground and packing leaves around the mesh on the windward sides, to minimize wind infiltration. We immediately got into the tent, pulled on our warmest, dryest clothes, and got into our sleeping bags. Less than 15 minutes had passed since we stopped hiking, so our bodies were still giving off quite a bit of heat, which started warming up the bags. Because it was so windy, instead of cooking dinner, we ate a cold supper of peanut butter and bread, which we had planned to eat for lunch the following day.

Just before midnight, I woke up. The wind was howling. My feet were cold and the rest of me was a bit cool. I got up and went outside and peed. (Sounds dumb, but it ends up making you warmer to just do it.) Before I got back in my bag, I put my pack cover around my feet--inside the bag--and put on my rain jacket and rain pants. I didn't do that earlier because, so soon after stopping hiking, I would have sweated into it and made it all clammy. Three hours later that wasn't a problem. (You don't want to put the pack cover or anything waterproof on the outside of your sleeping bag because the down will get all wet.) I slept comfortably warm for the rest of the night.

The wind died before dawn. Around 6:30, still in our sleeping bags, we set up the stove right outside the tent door, boiled water, had the cooked meal we had skipped the night before, and boiled more water for hot tea. At the last minute, we got out of our bags, quickly packed up, and took off hiking.

I have no personal experience with the Sierra Designs bag, but one measure of whether the bag is the problem, get in it, assume various normal sleeping postures, and have someone else go over it and see if there are any places where you've got less than a couple of inches of loft. If the bag is fully lofted while you're in it, then the problem may be the management of your body heat.

Another culprit that causes cold sleep is inadequate insulation between you and the ground. That's a whole 'nuther tanget to go off on.

[Auntie Mame]

Hiked half the trail this season plus some new England sections this fall with this bag. Nice 'n toasty. As Marta said, what you have underneath really matters below 50 or so, in my experience. I used a 40 degree Western Mountaineering for a few weeks in June, during the heat wave(s).

[JERMM]

I just bought a Western Mountaineering Summerlite 32* down bag with extra loft added in the foot box where I get cold, it was a very small additional charge. You can get extra loft added to the areas where you need more insulation. I just finished a section hike Harpers Ferry to Daleville VA, coldest night was 30*, my feet stayed warm all night and so did the rest of my body without having to wear everything I had, I wore Patagonia Capaline 2 top and bottom and knit cap and best of all NO socks.

What is under you is just as important as what is on top. I use a BA Insulated Pro Core, very comfortable and very warm. Look for a high R value for pad warmth. A high cal evening meal is very important to me when it's cold.

Keep in mind wearing too much clothing inside your bag can cause you to sweat and you will get cold. It all varies so much from one person to the next, you just have to try different things until you find the one that works for you.

[River Runner]

Just before midnight, I woke up. The wind was howling. My feet were cold and the rest of me was a bit cool. I got up and went outside and peed. (Sounds dumb, but it ends up making you warmer to just do it.)

Another bit of good advice. Don't ever hold your urine when you are cold. Your body is wasting lots of energy holding that pee at 98.6 degrees.

The sleeping pad advice was very good too. In really cold weather I will use a bit of thin Evazote closed cell foam over my BA insulated air core, or in my hammock even with a down underquilt. The extra padding underneath makes a huge difference.

[sarbar]

Oh...I hate having to go pee at midnight! And you know...if you just get up and do it....you will warm right up. :p

I have two bags currently - a Sub Kilo 15* ladies and a Big Agnes Roxy Ann 15*. Both are down bags. I sleep on a Thermarest Prolite 3 ladies pad (that has been my pad for about 3 years now).
The Sub Kilo is a good summer bag I am not small nor thin, so it is a tight fitting bag. It works best for me as a quilt. Cold weather means a warmer bag - but one I can move in. It killed me to add nearly a lb to my pack weight for the BA bag....but I love that my hefty self can roll in it. It is worth the weight for me :)

[Live the Journey]

As previously stated, fit is a big deal when you're looking for good heat retention, so try out as many bags as you can to get a good fit. I know the REI UL down series gives me a really nice fit. I'm 5'1" and I'm a pretty sturdy build. The women's regular REI sub kilo(15*) and kilo plus (-5*) fit my shorter height really well (so if your used to a womens regular fitting you just right, you may need to move up to a long in these bags) But they are a great value for what you're getting

Sub Kilo = 15*, 750 fill power, $239,1lb 14oz, and packs down to the size of a big grapefruit
http://www.rei.com/product/731685
Kilo Plus = -5*, 750 fill power, $289, 2lb 8oz, and packs down to the size of a small honey dew melon
http://www.rei.com/product/731687


I'm also a big big big believer in the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor bag liner. It can add up to 15* of warmth to your bag rating, but looks like it's made of regular polypro material. I've owned one for about 8 years now and it's been through the ringer and still looks and works like new. It's pretty light (8.1 oz) and it does add a substantial amount of warmth.
http://www.rei.com/product/705534

[kristin1065]

As previously stated, fit is a big deal when you're looking for good heat retention, so try out as many bags as you can to get a good fit. I know the REI UL down series gives me a really nice fit. I'm 5'1" and I'm a pretty sturdy build. The women's regular REI sub kilo(15*) and kilo plus (-5*) fit my shorter height really well (so if your used to a womens regular fitting you just right, you may need to move up to a long in these bags) But they are a great value for what you're getting

Sub Kilo = 15*, 750 fill power, $239,1lb 14oz, and packs down to the size of a big grapefruit
http://www.rei.com/product/731685
Kilo Plus = -5*, 750 fill power, $289, 2lb 8oz, and packs down to the size of a small honey dew melon
http://www.rei.com/product/731687


I'm also a big big big believer in the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor bag liner. It can add up to 15* of warmth to your bag rating, but looks like it's made of regular polypro material. I've owned one for about 8 years now and it's been through the ringer and still looks and works like new. It's pretty light (8.1 oz) and it does add a substantial amount of warmth.
http://www.rei.com/product/705534

I do have the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor liner bag, and it is wonderful! On the nights that I got cold in my old bag, I had this inside, and it did keep me substantially warmer.

I went to REI today and tested out some of the bags there. Did any of you carrying down have any problems with wetness?? That is my only worry on a long hike, but other than that, I am completely in LOVE with the down bags (especially after trying them out!!) I looked at 3 that I really liked and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with them...

Marmot Angel Fire +15* bag
REI Mojave +10* bag
Marmot Teton 0* bag

I didn't get to try the Teton at REI, but I liked the other two, and both have good reviews from other sites. I'm trying to get the best bag that is affordable to me, so while the Western Mountaineering bags appear to be simply the best, they are completely out of my price range at the time. Does anyone have any input on these bags??

[Over Yonder]

I got rid of the stuff sack that came with the bag originally... and got a sea to summit dry bag (an air evac which I had never heard of.) It worked great. My bag was able to be kept dry even while hiking through Mass and Vt where it rained for weeks. It also lasted through several freak downpours. The only instances where my bag got damp was in humid areas or when I was stuck in my tent during a 5 minute downpour and everything got pretty wet... it was still warm because the heat from my body helped warm it up and dry it out.

The key to keeping your sleeping bag dry is keeping it in a good place in your pack. It is unlikely that your bag will get really unuseably wet unless it gets submerged. You can avoid this by using a pack cover and a dry bag or similar water tight bag.

I really dig down and having both my bags be down and using them on my thru I give em the thumbs up. light weight and warm... yay!
just my 2 cents...