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FireInMyBones
04-28-2011, 23:01
Just getting back into backpacking after a three year hiatus. Overhauling my gear and looking for a new sleeping bag. Old bag is a Kelty Stratus (35F, 2lbs 3oz). I'm 5'7" and have tried out the ultralite in-store and seem to fit well in the short (though it is for 5'6" and less).

I have narrowed it down to two bags (2.5 bags really). I have a few questions.
----
Option 1: Summerlite for 85% of the time with a Sea to Summit Reactor Plus liner for more versitility (I'm leaning this way...cheaper and lighter?)

Option 2: Ultralite for a one bag arsenal.
----
Questions:

1- Overall thoughts on choices so far.

2- Experience with these bags (including liner).

3- Other options.

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

singing wind
04-28-2011, 23:47
Hello FireInMyBones - welcome to Whiteblaze!

Here's my 2 cents:
Ultralite - awesome bag, very warm even after losing a fair amount of loft in wet or humid conditions. Works well for a cold sleeper in various terrain and weather conditions - obviously better with a liner or thermals worn in the bag.
Summerlite - no experience.

If memory serves correct, I think there are a number of threads that could help address your question. Try a search or maybe someone here can help out.
Good luck!

WhoDey
04-29-2011, 00:19
I have a Summerlite and it is an amazingly well constructed bag so I imagine that the Ultralite is just as well made. You should ask yourself in what temperatures will you be spending the majority of you backpacking in. Also, if weight is your concern then go with the Summerlite. I do not use a liner. For their weight, I would rather have a nice down jacket/vest to extend the bag rating.

Dogwood
04-29-2011, 02:25
Just getting back into backpacking after a three year hiatus. Overhauling my gear and looking for a new sleeping bag. Old bag is a Kelty Stratus (35F, 2lbs 3oz). I'm 5'7" and have tried out the ultralite in-store and seem to fit well in the short (though it is for 5'6" and less).

I have narrowed it down to two bags (2.5 bags really). I have a few questions.
----
Option 1: Summerlite for 85% of the time with a Sea to Summit Reactor Plus liner for more versitility (I'm leaning this way...cheaper and lighter?)

Option 2: Ultralite for a one bag arsenal.
----
Questions:

1- Overall thoughts on choices so far.

2- Experience with these bags (including liner).

3- Other options.

Thank you in advance for any and all help.


Sleeping bags are a BIG ticket item, FOR ME. I get the lightest, most compressible, most accurately rated, most dialed in, best constructed, highest quality, sometimes very expensive bags I know of, that WORK FOR ME, and I can afford. I VERY OFTEN tend to go with high end down bags! On a rare ocassion I'll switch to a synthetic bag.


If you could swing it financially and your proposed sleeping bag line up works for your needs BUY BOTH for a SOLID 3 season sleeping bag line-up. You have more purchase negotiating power with an outfitter, possibly with buying directly from WM, if dropping the do re mi on these two bags at one time! Everything is negotiable! Approach it correctly though!

If you keep the Kelty bag in your sleeping bag line up, it's my guess, you will get spoiled with the WM bags. The Kelty wil be used less and less and maybe not at all.


That's a VERY similiar sleeping bag line-up to what I use 85 % of the time on my 3 season thru-hikes.


I use a WM 35* Highlite, and as needed, add a MLD Superlight bivy and/or Silk Cocoon Mummy liner for added warmth and to change the bag/shelter/sleeping/charcteristics. I typically shelter under a MLD custom sized Cuben or Spinnaker(remember that other sometimes now forgotten wonder fabric that's no longer the UL rage because it's a WEE BIT HEAVIER THAN Cuben?) tarp, but will also hammock(Hennesey UL Explorer a-Sym slightly modified to reduce wt), cowboy(whenever I can), tent(Gossamer Gear The One), or tarptent(Henry Shires Scarp or Moment). Add sleeping clothes as needed. Since I've had frost nip on my hands and feet from past hunting and fishing journeys I especially like to add foot warmth specific UL down booties made by Goosefeet when pushing the temperature extremes of the Highlite. I'm a neutral sleeper, not really hot, not really cold, though. Since I like UL I really use this bag extensively and tend to push its limits. I have slept comfortably enough during short duration cold weather(2-3 days straight) down to about 22* by pairing the Highlite with the bivy, cocoon liner, booties, and silk wt thermal bottoms. If extensive colder weather is in the forecast I switch out to a colder weather bag! Much of what I said about the Highlite can be applied to using the Summerlite!

Other main 3 season bag is a 2005 1/2 zip 15* Marmot Helium, which when I bought it struck the best balance FOR ME that was THEN available and fit nicely into my then sleeping bag line-up. Still, after 6 yrs and countless trail miles and trail nights that 2005 model Helium is a GREAT bag. I even like the smell of it!

I have a WM Versalite and Valandre Bag in the wings when the Helium has seen it's last trail day. Weep! Weep!

When it gets 20-30* below I borrow my brother's alpine down climbing bag or head where it's warmer!

WM is name I trust! I trust that I'm getting a quality product with accurate specs with WM! IMO, it's hard to go wrong with WM's sleeping bags. I usually stick with the bags ending in LITE, the lightest bags WM makes.

WM's recommended uses for the Ultralite is dead on balls accurate as Mona Lisa Vito might say. Solid 3 season use in this 20* bag. This is an accurate temp rating perhaps even a few degrees perssimistic. Maybe 18*?

And, as you are aware WM manufactures short length bags enabling you, should they fit you, to really dail in the length you need with some accompaning good attributes, like greater thermal efficiency and less wt. WM is not the the only high end bag company that manufactures short length bags though.

One more note about the WM bags you or I have mentioned, beware of the specs/size(girth, footbox, hip, shoulder measurements). They can be snug, which is good/possibly bad. The Ultralite size measurements in the LONG length(I'm 6' 4", med frame/build, 205 lbs, lean) fit me snug but allow some room for thin layers of sleeping clothes however, I'm still comfortable with or without added sleeping clothes without having to lug around or heat up a bag that's too roomy.

Dogwood
04-29-2011, 02:29
Just getting back into backpacking after a three year hiatus. Overhauling my gear and looking for a new sleeping bag. Old bag is a Kelty Stratus (35F, 2lbs 3oz). I'm 5'7" and have tried out the ultralite in-store and seem to fit well in the short (though it is for 5'6" and less).

I have narrowed it down to two bags (2.5 bags really). I have a few questions.
----
Option 1: Summerlite for 85% of the time with a Sea to Summit Reactor Plus liner for more versitility (I'm leaning this way...cheaper and lighter?)

Option 2: Ultralite for a one bag arsenal.
----
Questions:

1- Overall thoughts on choices so far.

2- Experience with these bags (including liner).

3- Other options.

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

Sleeping bags are a BIG ticket item, FOR ME. I get the lightest, most compressible, most accurately rated, most dialed in, best constructed, highest quality, sometimes very expensive bags I know of, that WORK FOR ME, and I can afford. I VERY OFTEN tend to go with high end down bags! On a rare ocassion I'll switch to a synthetic bag.

If you could swing it financially and your proposed sleeping bag line up works for your needs BUY BOTH for a SOLID 3 season sleeping bag line-up. You have more purchase negotiating power with an outfitter, possibly with buying directly from WM, if dropping the do re mi on these two bags at one time! Everything is negotiable! Approach it correctly though!

That's a VERY similiar sleeping bag line-up to what I use 85 % of the time on my 3 season thru-hikes.

I use a WM 35* Highlite, and as needed, add a MLD Superlight bivy and/or Silk Cocoon Mummy liner for added warmth and to change the bag/shelter/sleeping/charcteristics. I typically shelter under a MLD custom sized Cuben or Spinnaker(remember that other sometimes forgotten wonder fabric that's no longer the UL rage because it's a WEE BIT HEAVIER THAN Cuben?) tarp, but will also hammock(Hennesey UL Explorer a-Sym slightly modified to reduce wt), cowboy(whenever I can), tent(Gossamer Gear The One), or tarptent(Henry Shires Scarp or Moment). Add sleeping clothes as needed. Since I've had frost nip on my hands and feet from past hunting and fishing journeys I especially like to add foot warmth specific UL down booties made by Goosefeet when pushing the temperature extremes of the Highlite. I'm a neutral sleeper, not really hot, not really cold, though. Since I like UL I really use this bag extensively and tend to push its limits. I have slept comfortably enough during short duration cold weather(2-3 days straight) down to about 22* by pairing the Highlite with the bivy, cocoon liner, booties, and silk wt thermal bottoms. If extensive colder weather is in the forecast I switch out to a colder weather bag! Much of what I said about the Highlite can be applied to using the Summerlite!

Other main 3 season bag is a 2005 1/2 zip 15* Marmot Helium, which when I bought it struck the best balance FOR ME that was THEN available and fit nicely into my then sleeping bag line-up. Still, after 6 yrs and countless trail miles and trail nights that 2005 model Helium is a GREAT bag. I even like the smell of it!

I have a WM Versalite and Valandre Bag in the wings when the Helium has seen it's last trail day. Weep! Weep!

When it gets 20-30* below I borrow my brother's alpine down climbing bag or head where it's warmer!

WM is name I trust! I trust that I'm getting a quality product with accurate specs with WM! IMO, it's hard to go wrong with WM's sleeping bags. I usually stick with the bags ending in LITE, the lightest bags WM makes.

WM's recommended uses for the Ultralite is dead on balls accurate as Mona Lisa Vito might say. Solid 3 season use in this 20* bag. This is an accurate temp rating perhaps even a few degrees perssimistic. Maybe 18*?

And, as you are aware WM manufactures short length bags enabling you, should they fit you, to really dail in the length you need with some accompaning good attributes, like greater thermal efficiency and less wt. WM is not the the only high end bag company that manufactures short length bags though.

One more note about the WM bags you or I have mentioned, beware of the specs/size(girth, footbox, hip, shoulder measurements). They can be snug, which is good/possibly bad. The Ultralite size measurements in the LONG length(I'm 6' 4", med frame/build, 205 lbs, lean) fit me snug but allow some room for thin layers of sleeping clothes however, I'm still comfortable with or without added sleeping clothes without having to lug around or heat up a bag that's too roomy.

Dogwood
04-29-2011, 02:35
Sorry, about the long double post mods. Delete one!

If you could swing it financially and your proposed sleeping bag line up works for your needs BUY BOTH for a SOLID 3 season sleeping bag line-up. You have more purchase negotiating power with an outfitter, possibly with buying directly from WM, if dropping the do re mi on these two bags at one time! Everything is negotiable! Approach it correctly though!

In regards to POSSIBLY saving some money, if buying both at the same time, another outlet that you might want to check into is attending the Outdoor Retailers Show in Salt Lake City. I easily saved the cost of my airplane flight when I negotiated buying several bags/pieces of gear at the same time from the same manufacturer. Certainl;y not guaranteed though!

FireInMyBones
04-29-2011, 06:03
...You should ask yourself in what temperatures will you be spending the majority of you backpacking in...

Mostly late spring/ early fall in the NC mountains. Some late fall depending.

FireInMyBones
04-29-2011, 06:12
I have just seen the Montbell UL Spiral #3. Possible competitor to the WM Summerlite? I'm not very familiar with either company.

Kerosene
04-29-2011, 10:56
Mostly late spring/ early fall in the NC mountains. Some late fall depending.I would say that you will be right on the cusp of wanting the UltraLite then. I covered southern NC in mid-May with the HighLite last year, and will do so again this year. My daughter used by UltraLite. We were both comfortable. However, if we were going to do the Smokeys at the same time then I'd definitely want my UltraLite, or at least extra insulation beyond a liner for my HighLite.

The Montbell Spirals provide some stretch in the baffling to make them more comfortable for folks that toss-and-turn a lot. However, they are heavier due to that construction and the down quality they use. I haven't heard anyone complain about their Montbell bags, but there seem to be a lot more WM proponents. Feathered Friends (http://www.featheredfriends.com/Picasso/Bags/BagsLightFlight.html) also has quite a few adherents.

If I were you with your experience level, likely future plans, and wallet(;)), I'd go with the UltraLite (http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/bagdetail.cfm/WE2199). That will cover you for a wide range of shoulder season temps (20-50), at an attractive warmth-to-weight ratio (28 ounces) for only $370. I don't think you will be sorry with the purchase, and you can then keep your eyes open for a sale on the HighLite (http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/bagdetail.cfm/WE2300) someday.

FireInMyBones
05-15-2011, 19:53
I ended up with the Summerlite. I will be using it on the trail over Memorial Day weekend.

Dogwood
05-15-2011, 21:43
The WM Summerlite is an oustanding bag offering some advantages over the WM Highlite. I opted for the Highlite because I put an emphasis on the 3 oz wt savings and desired a 1/2 zip. I also got it ridiculously cheap while I couldn't get the Summerlite at the price I was looking to pay.

The Summerlite is not only a 32* bag(Highlite is 35*bag), but it offers a full length insulated baffel(the Highlite does not), full length zip(Highlite has 1/2 zip), has an oz more 850 down, has a slightly more durable shell, has continuous fully baffled construction(Highlite has baffles and sewn through construction making it a bit less warm and slightly more prone to cold spots), Shoulder, hip, and foot measurements are equal. The Summerlite is a bit less of a minimalist bag. THESE ARE SNUG BAGS, which you might expect in such UL wt down bags attempting to acheive great thermal efficiency!

A WM Summerlite can be A GREAT ARROW to have in your sleeping bag quiver!

Transient Being
12-28-2011, 12:06
Just ordered a summerlite on sale for 252, glad to hear it's a nice bag. I've always heard WM are top of the line. I also ordered a montbell UL down jacket, and have patagonia capeline 2 top and bottoms along with a balaclava and fleece gloves. If I wore all of this, how low could I go temp. wise? The summerlite is rated 32 deg. I've got a Pinnacle 15 deg. bag, but now am considering skipping it and going with the summerlite for a mid-March start from Springer, if anyone thinks I'll be ok with the gear I listed. Or I suppose I could carry the Pinnacle for a month or so and then switch to the summerlite. Any Ideas?

Transient Being
12-31-2011, 20:18
Ok, don't crucify me, I see now that the above idea would be great if I was trying to die from hypothermia...I'll carry the Pinnacle. But I would still like some feedback on the lower limit for this bag with, like I said, lightweight down jacket, balaclava, thermals and gloves.... what say thee?... 25 degrees perhaps??? or is that optimistic?

pyroman53
01-01-2012, 13:44
I have the summerlite and it could work if you sleep warm and have a good pad. Would probably need something for your feet as well. With your body clothed in all that insulation there isn't much heat getting in the bag. Also note the SL is very narrow, so unless you are slim it will be hard to wear extra insulation.

Franco
01-03-2012, 22:58
Having noted that the choice has been made, I am adding this just as another opinion if anyone is still following..
I have used both the Summerlite and the Ultralite and both down to around 23f ( IE measured 23f however I am not necessarily awake at the coldest moment...)
Of course they have not been used the same way...
I used to always have a silk liner inside the bag and sleep : naked , with Merino T shirt and underpants or T shirt /leggings and socks depending on the temps.
That system allowed me to use the Summerlite down to around 32f and the Ultralite down to around 23f.
Now I use the Summerlite and add down pants and down jacket when below 32f.
Because the pants and jacket are part of my camp set up, I have lost some weight and volume (compared with using the Ultralite)
An added bonus for me is that if I wake up and need to have a pee when it is cold , I just go and don't think about it for half an hour as I used to .
BTW, obviously if I were expecting temps below 20f, I would then use the Ultralite.
Franco

Transient Being
01-04-2012, 13:24
Well, got my summerlite in yesterday and in perfect timing. Temp got down into the 20's last night so I decided to try it out. I stayed quite warm in my upper body and actually took off my down jacket to put around my feet which was the only part of me that got cold. It was actually only 29 when I checked the temp around 11:30 when I decided to go get in the king size that was a few short steps away...I just couldn't resist. It was 29 but with absolutely no wind. I'll have to try it out again on a windy night. I feel like I could easily go to around 20-25 degrees if I threw in some down booties or something for my feet and wore the jacket and maybe, like mentioned get some down pants and perhaps a hood. Very nice bag, but it is a little on the narrow side...good thing I'm kinda narrow myself.