View Full Version : Is TNF Cat's Meow considered breathable?
I'm a car camper trying to convert to real camping. I bought a new Cat's Meow (with climashield insulation). After a few hours the bag feels very humid and clammy. Is this normal? Are down bags more breathable?
As a rule down bags are more breathable than synthetic.
If you are too warm, you will be sweaty - time to unzip and ventilate or just use the bag as a quilt instead of climbing in.
Are you wearing any clothing in the bag? A lightweight pair of long underwear can keep some of the clamminess away from your skin, but it also adds to the warmth so may be a duel edge sword.
What type of shelter are you using? If it's warm (or even if it's not) you want some decent ventilation or you will end up in a sauna.
Cat's Meow is a good bag that has been around for a long time, thus passed the test of time.
Experiment a bit.
As a rule down bags are more breathable than synthetic.
If you are too warm, you will be sweaty - time to unzip and ventilate or just use the bag as a quilt instead of climbing in.
Are you wearing any clothing in the bag? A lightweight pair of long underwear can keep some of the clamminess away from your skin, but it also adds to the warmth so may be a duel edge sword.
What type of shelter are you using? If it's warm (or even if it's not) you want some decent ventilation or you will end up in a sauna.
I used it in a hammock with the temps down around freezing (and about froze to death!). I just ordered a tarptent. I've been testing it inside my house with the heat off, the temp is around 50 in the house. I tried wearing sweat pants and that helped a little. I don't feel like I'm getting too hot.
I was looking at the marmot sawtooth down bag. It's down and has a non-waterproof shell.
I used it in a hammock with the temps down around freezing (and about froze to death!). I just ordered a tarptent. I've been testing it inside my house with the heat off, the temp is around 50 in the house. I tried wearing sweat pants and that helped a little. I don't feel like I'm getting too hot.
I was looking at the marmot sawtooth down bag. It's down and has a non-waterproof shell.
What kind of bottom insulation did you have in the hammock. Hammocks are comfortable, but sleep colder than ground, so you have to pay close attention to you bottom insulation.
Even when ground sleeping, you will need adequate ground insulation. More the farther below freezing it goes. The ground will sap the heat out of you even if you have a good 0* bag on a 30* night if you don't insulate yourself. A cheap Walmart or KMart blue pad is good enough. Once it gets down into the low 20's, add a second pad, one atop the other.
I had a large thermarest ridgerest in the hammock. Still was cold underneath.
Now I have a BA insulated air core for the ground.
Do you think a down bag is significantly more breathable than synthetic or just slightly?
The RidgeRest isn't great for a hammock. Part of it's insulating capacity counts on air pockets to be formed between the pad and a flat surface, thus creating dead air space. This doesn't happen in a hammock. Generally a solid, closed cell foam pad will be more effective. I use a SPE from Speer Hammocks - works real good to give you a wider pad, and you can use more than one to get better insulation, the SPE holds multiple pads together as one unit.
I've never used an inflateable pad in a hammock, but others report good results - keep the pad underinflated reportedly works best.
Down is more comfortable in a wider range of temperatures due to it's better breathability. The higher quality (700, 800 or even 850 fill power) will give you the best results. There is a pronounced advantage to down, but it isn't enough to eliminate synthetic as a very good alternative. It all is a matter of personal preference and trade-offs. I wouldn't buy another bag just yet, unless you can return the Blue Kazoo for a refund/exchange.
Tarptents will accumulate condensation, so good ventilation is very important. So is selecting a less humid site. An open meadow on a damp, cool night will bring lots of added moisture to your environment. Semi-protected site, with tree cover will be less of a problem, you still want some breeze tho. :D
There are so many variants, you will need to continue to experiment and try new approaches - not necessarily getting all new gear, but learning to use the gear you have to best advantage. Mostly, it will be the accumulation of knowledge and experience that keeps you comfortable.
Keep asking questions tho'. I'll shut up for a while and let others jump in here.
taildragger
12-02-2008, 14:19
I've heard nothing but good for the Cat's Meow, its actually what I recommend to those looking for a lighter synthetic 3 seasons bag.
As far as breathability, I've noticed no difference between my down bag and my 18yr old synthetic bag (which I sleep in every night due to my lack of a comforter).
One thing I have noticed with synthetics, you will not crush the bottom insulation as much, I figured this out when I decided to test how could I could sleep in my 15* down bag. The night temps got down to 12*. I was warm on top, but I kept getting cold on the bottom, and where my feet stretched past my z-rest pad.
I'd just keep experimenting. You might be getting wet and clammy from being too warm, this can easily happen if you climb in cold on a night that is warm. You'll warm back up during the night, get hot in the bag, sweat some, then the sweat will make you could. My GF had this problem on the PCT this summer, a liner helped her out some since she would be more likely to vent her bag before she started to sweat when she had the liner.
the clamminess of the bag is due to the calendared nylon, the thin 40 Denier Nylon or so, does not allow to weave it "loose", so it is nearly 400 threads PSY and does not allow vapor to come out !!