View Full Version : Sleeping bags?
im planing to start in march next year at springer, what sleeping bag should i go with? looking for something under 150$ and 20 degrees or below ,im a person who hikes hard and my body hates to try to keep me warm at night for some reason, im even ok with a used one aslong as it keeps me warm, no mylar warping , and i know tips to keep warm like eating hot right before bed and puting warmpacks etc....
At your price a true 20 degree or below bag is going to be really heavy 4#+ or used. Look for a used bag or spend a little more money and skimp on something else like stoves and or cookware.
HooKooDooKu
07-17-2013, 23:03
Check out Mountain Hardware Ultralamina at Campmor. They have last year's model at clearance prices.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___42184
15 degree bag $150 @ 3#
having a few extra pounds is ok, i just want to stay warm, im hoping someone can tell me that there (x) sleeping kept them warm on a snowy/cold night and that i should get that one! as much research as i do , there is no substitute for an app trail hiker themselves like the ones on this forum !
Check out Mountain Hardware Ultralamina at Campmor. They have last year's model at clearance prices.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___42184
15 degree bag $150 @ 3#
thx man :)
http://www.bobwards.com/products2.cfm?ID=6966&kid=39363&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googleproducts&gclid=CLix1P2LuLgCFcyj4AodwWQA5g
i found that bag for even a little cheaper, is that going to fit in my osprey xenith 88? that looks huge!
Just Bill
07-17-2013, 23:46
http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Hardwear-Lamina-Sleeping-Bag/dp/B00360NE9K/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1374118841&sr=1-3&keywords=lamina+sleeping+bag That's a decent cheap bag. The Kelty bags are in the ball park too. If you have a Dick's sporting goods check them out- Marmot makes a line of entry level bags, also you can occasionally find North Face bags there for cheap (last years model) Maybe a hair out of your price range- but Tim makes super nice quilts- http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/product/prodigyx-20/
http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Hardwear-Lamina-Sleeping-Bag/dp/B00360NE9K/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1374118841&sr=1-3&keywords=lamina+sleeping+bag That's a decent cheap bag. The Kelty bags are in the ball park too. If you have a Dick's sporting goods check them out- Marmot makes a line of entry level bags, also you can occasionally find North Face bags there for cheap (last years model) Maybe a hair out of your price range- but Tim makes super nice quilts- http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/product/prodigyx-20/
I have the dicks marmot 40 down bag. Wanted to get a second one and they only carry the synthetic one now.
Just Bill
07-17-2013, 23:52
they have some down ones online Rasty- if you have the Sku number- try asking at the store- they may have them floating around at one of their stores. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=marmot%2040%20degree%20sleeping%20bag&origkw=marmot+40+degree+sleeping+bag&sr=1
HooKooDooKu
07-18-2013, 01:44
http://www.bobwards.com/products2.cfm?ID=6966&kid=39363&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googleproducts&gclid=CLix1P2LuLgCFcyj4AodwWQA5g
i found that bag for even a little cheaper, is that going to fit in my osprey xenith 88? that looks huge!
The Mountain Hardware is a synthetic 15 degree bag with a 17x7.5 stuff sack for $150.
A Marmot Plasma 15 degree with 900 power goose down has a 15.5x7.5 stuff sack for $450.
Based on that comparison, it doesn't sound huge. What is the size of other 15-20 degree bags you're looking at.
daddytwosticks
07-18-2013, 07:12
Look for a used Western Mountaineering sleeping bag and be done with it. They come up for sale here every now and then. :)
marti038
07-18-2013, 08:48
I just bought The North Face's Cats Meow for $140 from the site below. (This one is the long.)
http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/NFCBCML.html?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=NFCBCMLR
I haven't used it in a snowstorm, but I did compare it to several others (MH Ultralamina, Kelty CosmicDown, REI Lumen) at the REI in Nashville and got this one because the price and the overall roominess compared to the others. I'm 6'4" and weigh 200 before a hike. I also wear size 13 shoes, so a roomy footbox was important to me and this fit the bill.
"Rated" at 20 degrees and weighs 2lbs. 15 oz. for the long.
All of that said, I'd recommend going to the outfitter and trying a few of them out. Most places will have some on display that you can yank down and climb into.
Omaha_Ace
07-18-2013, 08:55
im planing to start in march next year at springer, what sleeping bag should i go with? looking for something under 150$ and 20 degrees or below ,im a person who hikes hard and my body hates to try to keep me warm at night for some reason, im even ok with a used one aslong as it keeps me warm, no mylar warping , and i know tips to keep warm like eating hot right before bed and puting warmpacks etc....
Put some thinking into your sleeping pad and vapor barriers - the best bag is useless if you don't get off the ground.
My favorite trick for winter camping - boil water in my steel water bottle, slip the bottle into a wool sock and toss it into my bag's footbox - instant radiator that will last a few hours. Also jumping jacks and push-ups to get the blood going and a few bites of a Hershey's bar right before bed to force your body to burn some extra self-made heat.
Look for a used Western Mountaineering sleeping bag and be done with it. They come up for sale here every now and then. :)
I've never seen one of those for $150.
HooKooDooKu
07-18-2013, 13:03
...is that going to fit in my osprey xenith 88? that looks huge!
I've got an REI Flash 62 Pack. The 1st time I tried to fit my 20 degree bag in that pack, I was initially at a loss. But then I realized that part of the problem was that the sleeping bag was effectively using more space in the pack that the size of the stuff sack because the thing is so rigid, it was blocking other things from fully using all the nooks and crannies in the pack.
So to better make space in the pack, I place the sleeping bag (inside it's stuff sack) inside the stuff sack I normally only place my cloths in. By putting the sleeping bag and cloths together in one larger bag, that larger bag of sleeping bag + cloths better fills the pack rather than trying to pack them separately.
I just bought The North Face's Cats Meow for $140 from the site below. (This one is the long.)
http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/NFCBCML.html?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=NFCBCMLR
"Rated" at 20 degrees and weighs 2lbs. 15 oz. for the long.
All of that said, I'd recommend going to the outfitter and trying a few of them out. Most places will have some on display that you can yank down and climb into.
I have that bag... Cost me $200, damnit. Its a good bag, very warm. A little bulky when squashed down. It comes with a 14L stuff sack. I have switched to a top quilt/underquilt to reduce bulk and weight, but I still keep it around. If I'm expecting a lot of rain I might take it instead, since it's synthetic. I just hate trying to dry down...
Good grief. An Osprey Zenith 88 liter pack? You could carry a hiking partner.
Now, you want to know
i just want to stay warm, im hoping someone can tell me that there (x) sleeping kept them warm on a snowy/cold night
Back in the Stone Age I spent March 1 on the lower slopes of Mt Rainier in a Western Mountaineering Antelope Super bag over a Ridgerest foam pad and a 1" Thermarest pad. The night was still and clear, meaning COLD. I was fine. I did have all of my extra clothes on as one should when you encounter conditions near the lower limits of your gear. That night proved the value of buying quality once to me. Western Mountaineering is the bag company for me.
Yesterday there was a Western Mountaineering Vistalite (10 degrees, 2 pounds) for sale in the Gear For Sale area of this Forum. Check it out.
Wayne
The Western Mountaineering Vistalite bag is still for sale.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?96771-WM-VersaLite-6-FS
You could spend less for an inferior, heavier bag. Why?
Wayne
300 was a little 2 much for me and it was alrdy sold!
Drybones
07-20-2013, 09:19
Take your time and watch for sales, both new and used. If you take your time there are deals to be found. I have a 15 degree, 2 lb, 750 down REI bag that's been used one night that I will probably sell in the spring if the wife doesn't start using it.
Cyngbaeld
07-20-2013, 10:36
I just bought a lightly used North Face 5* superlight off ebay for $125.00. There are still some good buys out there. Also if you can hit garage sales in the nicer areas of your town, you may luck into a really great deal.
Couple observations.
1) there will not be a single magic bullet. As you have seen from the responses there are many options.
2) you need to think in terms of a sleep system, not just sleeping bag. You can the best down bag, use a crappy pad and freeze your butt off. Likewise, the choice of quilt vs bag. Bivy vs tent etc. these all factor into comfort, bulk and weight.
3) if it were me I would not buy a bag designed for your coldest nights, March in Georgia. Having a bag that can handle both March in Georgia and Mid Atlanta in the heat of the summer will be a stretch. I would use something like a 20 degree quilt and then supplement that with additional clothing layer, vapor barrier, bivy and other techniques to push the limits down below rated limits. I have used this strategy to push my 2008 Golite UL-20 down below zero while camping on the snow at 12,000 on a snowshoe trip in the Sierra.
4) Your choice of pads is critical especially sleeping in shelters. I would be inclined to add an additional CCF pad to your normal pad to bump up the R value below you.
5) in general, there is warmth, size/weight and price. Pick two out of three.
good luck and have a great hike.
I would use something like a 20 degree quilt and then supplement that with additional clothing layer, vapor barrier, bivy and other techniques to push the limits down below rated limits.
Excellent strategy. Have enough layers so that you can get through your coldest anticipated night with all of your clothing layers and a quilt. Unlike a bag, the quilt will not compress the clothing layers.
Take your time and watch for sales, both new and used. If you take your time there are deals to be found. I have a 15 degree, 2 lb, 750 down REI bag that's been used one night that I will probably sell in the spring if the wife doesn't start using it.
Send me a pm because thats what im doing, working 2 jobs saving every penny jewing to the point of bad so i can do this :)