What's in your bag/quilt?

[grrickar]

I'm looking for a new bag so I wanted to see what everyone else swears by.

[smokymtnsteve]

which one???..I have about 10 different sleep bags. depends on conditions

[grrickar]

Ok. Understood, I have a few bags lying around too - some of which I have no idea what is in them.

So, answer the poll as to which bag you feel has the best insulation for the weight, and compacts down to a reasonable size. My thinking is that a 20 degree bag with a liner would be good for most conditions on the AT. Am I correct? So if you have more than one bag, which do you find yourself using the most...

[SGT Rock]

+800 fill down in both my Nunatak Quilt and my "No Sniveling" underquilt. My older bag uses whatever the standard down was around 1980 and it is still going strong, just a lot heavier than my quilts.

[smokymtnsteve]

depends on the time of year/season..this spring I used my old goose down bag.

in the summer I use a little 20 dollar fleece bag from target.

[brian]

Well so far, its 7 down, 0 anything else...I think the god(esse)s have spoken, but not done.

Brian
Future Thru Hiker 2013

[hungryhowie]

I'm looking for a new bag so I wanted to see what everyone else swears by.

down...the highest quality I can find. I frequently use 800+ fill for my own projects and most of my commercial bags have at least 700+ fill. I haven't bought, used, or missed a synthetic bag since 1998.

Sleeping bags are a large financial investment. The best bags give the best returns (both in weight and weight-to-warmth ratio), so do yourself a favor and get a good one...the best one you can find.

-Howie

[pokohiker]

Sleeping bags are a large financial investment. The best bags give the best returns (both in weight and weight-to-warmth ratio), so do yourself a favor and get a good one...the best one you can find.

-Howie

I usually freeze in my first bag (Wild Bill by SD) which is now used only for camping in the living room with my 4 year old grandson. I decided to take Howie's and other's advice and ordered a WM Badger for the early and late parts of my thru hike in 2005. For the summer I will use my EMS down bag ( 40 degree with hood ). The WM bag is expensive ( $360.00 ) but I am counting on it to provide me with the insulation needed for a good nights sleep. Nothing ruins a hike like sleepless nights! I can't wait to recieve my new bag cause the nights here in the Adirondacks have been very cool this year and I plan on hiking the Long Trail late in the year to test my gear.

Dave

[orangebug]

I have a Western Mountaineering PUMA bag, +800 down that is now nearly 10 years old. I cannot tell that it has been used much. In summer hikes, I use a $20 Target fleece bag, but am considering a 40 degree down bag for both better weight and compressibility.

A quality down bag will last at least a life time. I've had several Primaloft and other synthetic bags. Longevity, weight and compressibility all suffered. Anyone can learn how to keep a sleeping bag dry, the usual selling point for synthetics.

Bill...

[grrickar]

I ended up with a Mountain Hardwear 2nd Dimension "expander" bag, which I liked because I can unzip a baffle and have some extra shoulder room if I get too hot or just want some room to toss around.

I bought it at the REI in Fairfax, VA on one of my business trips, and while I was there a couple came in and was looking to purchase a bag. She took a Marmot Down bag, not sure which and stuffed it into the stuff sack, and that was a real eye-opener. That bag stuffed probably half as small as mine. Chances are it was lighter too.

SO - to experiment with down, I think I am going to try out a Lafuma bag. They are cheap, but seem to have very little fill in them. Anyone own a Lafuma or had any experiences with one? I was planning to use the synthetic in colder temps, and get a 30 degree or so Lafuma down bag for the rest of the time. Keep in mind the Lafuma bag would not be my 'primary' bag. The 2nd Dimension is rated at 15 degrees, and I bought a Coolmax liner that is supposedly going to add about 8 degrees warmth to the bag.

If I had an opportunity to see and test out a Western Mountaineering bag I would have likely bought one of those, but I'm still somewhat reluctant about down, and that was why I started the poll. An overwhelming majority of you are using down, so I guess I need to wake up and smell the coffee....

[alalskaman]

Pretty hard to beat "goose hair" for longevity. I have an old (1966) Eddie Bauer "Karakoram" which still lofts to about 12", I've NEVER been cold in it, not even subzero. Realizing that, I recently got an REI subkilo, now if I'm never cold in it, will move to a still lighter bag!

[Connie]

I have had a Marmot sleep system, with a down overquilt. It had all the problems about drafts, and coldspots reported elsewhere.

I might have a commercial sleeping top quilt, again.

I have gone and done it: I got a summer sleeping bag.

Mont Bell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger #7 sleeping bag.

I have had the old "Nickle Cigar" now sold, I believe, as Sierra Designs "Flex" 3D synthetic "Dream Weaver". I like it. I use it.

But this "new" bag is amazing: the lightweight soft inner fabric settles on me inside the bag, and I get the benefit of all the warmth of the 750-fill down, without having to warm up the air inside the bag.

I have heard this about "new" down sleeping bags, but I never believed it.

I trusted Mont Bell because I have their U.L. Down Inner Jacket I use in camp. But the sleeping bag is MORE amazing than the down inner jacket.

If a sleeping bag manufacturer makes claims about having some special lightweight inner sleeping bag fabric, and some do, I would pay attention.

The sleeping bag seems warmer than it's rating, allowing me to go ultralight, for the first time, in a "summer-weight" sleeping bag.

This particular sleeping bag also allows me to enjoy the "stretch" aspect of my old "Nickle Cigar" sleeping bag.

I really like the "summer-weight" sleeping bag I thought would be a big financial risk!

[Tractor]

am I the only one? So far so good for a synthetic....

[hauptman]

I think it depends on the season that you will be hiking in. In winter I use an ultralight down bag by WM, but in summer I use a homade fleece bag. I attatched a layer 1.1 oz. downproof nylon ripstop with DWR to the outside and I attatched a 1/2 in. layer of primaloft to the inside, but only on the top half of the bag. I figured that I would have my pad underneath so it would be enough. I have used it down to 35 degrees with polypro on and been more than warm enough.

[Scribe]

I also have several bags - some with synthetic, some with down. I usually take along one of the synthetic bags, particularly if the forecast calls for rain or high humidity - when down gets wet, it is really difficult to get dry (and wet down is not much of an isulator). However, my -30 bag is down - but I have never used it (you gotta be a real masochist to go tenting when it's 30 below!)

[mhussey]

LLBean 20 degree Base Camp: 1lb15oz- Polarguard HV
Kelty Lightyear 25 degree: 1lb??oz- Down
Trekker -20 degree: Quollofill

[Ridge]

but I'm still somewhat reluctant about down, and that was why I started the poll. An overwhelming majority of you are using down, so I guess I need to wake up and smell the coffee....
My husband is currently on the PCT with an his Down bag. When he hikes in dry climates he always uses it. I have heard him explain to some other hiker friends he will carry a down bag west of the Mississippi and a synthetic east. Something about the moisture or humidity in the east. "Hard to dry down, will lose insulation ability when wet, etc compared to a good synthetic bag. You don't need to waste time drying stuff or freezing" He does say there is no better
insulator like down, also weighs less, he's just won't use one in the east on any real long trip. He also says a down bag will probably last longer. He's been using a new type synthetic bag when sleeping in the appalachian mtns, maybe they have been improved. hikerwife

[c63]

I just made the switch to down this morning. I ordered the MontBell #5 down bag at AR Gear (http://argear.com/) for $190. The bag has a 28 degree rating, a full zipper and is advertised to weigh 1lb 1oz (i'm a little skeptical of this and will weigh when it arrives). Regardless this is a big weight savings, switching out from a TNF Cats Meow synthetic bag. I originally was going to order the MontBell #7 which has a 37 degree rating, but went with the warmer bag instead. Hope I didn't make a mistake, because i'm a real warm sleeper, but the full length zipper should offer easy cooling and i'd rather have a warmer bag because of the unpredictable temps at higher elavations even in summer.

[SGT Rock]

I recently switched to a Hungry Howie custom quilt. It weighs 17.7 ounces on my scale. I also use a JRB under quilt with my hammock at 18 ounces without the suspension system. Together I have taken them down to 27F so far.