Sleeping Bag delima.

[Stonewall]

So since my hike is only 5 months away I am trying to figure out which sleeping bag I want to take. I currently have a TNF Cats Meow Long and being 5'6" its a tad to big and wouldn't mind cutting the weight either. I've been searching around for sleeping bags today and came up with three that seem reasonable.
Campmor Goose Down 20° Mummy Sleeping Bag Regular for $109.97
Slumberjack Baffin 20°F Down Mummy Sleeping Bag - Regular for S129.99
Kelty Light Year 25° Ultralight Down Mummy Sleeping Bag Regular for $129.99

Just curious of the input on these bags before I decide to purchase one.

Thanks

[Lone Wolf]

I have the Campmor 20* down bag and love it. Lightweight and packs small.

[Bryan Mc]

havent tried, but the light year 25 has mixed reviews. some say it is the right temp rating, but some are saying that the rating is very generous and that it should be rated at about 40 or so. just to let you know.

[stuco]

Well, you need at least a 20d bag if you are gonna use only one. That eliminates the kelty and the campmor is lighter and cheaper than the slumberjack so that leaves the campmor as the only choice for those three.

[hammock engineer]

For the price thoses are good bags. The next step up bags are a big one in price. If you wanted that, just wait for a good deal.

Not to hyjack your thread, but if you except a lot of cold weather I suggest testing your gear out. On cold nights with a good pad, you could use your bag as a quilt. This would leave more of the bag over you, causing a greater loft and increased warmth. Your also have clothes you can wear to extend the temp range. Test this out for yourself first.

[Stonewall]

I am not exactly trying to be cheep but trying not to spend a fortune getting new gear. Still trying to pay of my debt and save so funds are a wee bit tight. and I don't want to push off my hike for another 6 months like I did once already

lol and no worries about the hyjacking I actually want to try that out.

[Frosty]

you could use your bag as a quilt. This would leave more of the bag over you, causing a greater loft and increased warmth.

Huh? How does that work? As i see it, if your bag has four inches of loft, you will have four inches of loft over you when you are inside it and four inches of loft when you drape it over youself like a blanket. You don't get any more warmth spreading it out. All you do is let cold air in at the bottom.

[Nameless]

Actually, a sleeping bag listed as four inches of loft will have two above you and two crushed beneth you. They measure sleeping bag loft as the total loft of an unoccupied bag that is zipped together. I would recomend zipping the bag in cold weather, it prevents drafts, but more it makes a smaller area for you to keep warm. Thats how i use my WM Ultralight, as a quilt until I feel cold then I zip it. But, now I am in the middle of converting to a dedicated quilt.

Pink

[Earl Grey]

Do you really need a 20 degree bag though? 5 months will be july and you will swelter in a bag like that.

[stuco]

Do you really need a 20 degree bag though? 5 months will be july and you will swelter in a bag like that.

You can just unzip if it gets hot

[Earl Grey]

Yeah but a "cooler" bag will weigh less.

[Frosty]

Actually, a sleeping bag listed as four inches of loft will have two above you and two crushed beneth you.

Whatever. Two inches, four inches, six inches, eight. "List" it any way you want, it doesn't matter. I was referring to a bag with four inches of loft over your body.

The point was that you get into the bag or you open the bag and drape it over you, how do you have more loft with it draped?

[rafe]

Prolly the best strategy is two bags -- the warmer one for the start and end of a nobo thruhike, and a lighter one for the middle part of the trip.

[Knees]

No real need for two bags though. I hike with a 20deg and it's fine for the normal thru-hiking season. I'd go with the Campmor bag of the three listed, as I've heard good things about it.

[Blissful]

I think 20 degree is smart for SOBO. You are entering the Whites with its upredictable weather, even in the summer. And by the time you get down south, you will get cooler fall temps. Shenandoah NP has had snow and ice storms in October.

[rafe]

No real need for two bags though. I hike with a 20deg and it's fine for the normal thru-hiking season. I'd go with the Campmor bag of the three listed, as I've heard good things about it.

There have been nights in summer when my Slumberjack summerweight bag was way too much -- even as a quilt.

[hammock engineer]

Huh? How does that work? As i see it, if your bag has four inches of loft, you will have four inches of loft over you when you are inside it and four inches of loft when you drape it over youself like a blanket. You don't get any more warmth spreading it out. All you do is let cold air in at the bottom.

My thinking is this. My bag is over 2 me's wide. One for top and one for bottom. I lay in my hammock, same concept for the ground, with 2 me's worth of bag overtop of 1 me. I don't think that it is double the loft. But it is more.

[Stonewall]

Just purchased the Campmor 20* was afraid the sale would end. Thanks everyone for the advice.

[Nameless]

Whatever. Two inches, four inches, six inches, eight. "List" it any way you want, it doesn't matter. I was referring to a bag with four inches of loft over your body.

The point was that you get into the bag or you open the bag and drape it over you, how do you have more loft with it draped?

I didn't argue with your point, I infact agreed with it later on in my post. I was simply clarifying how the loft of a bag is measured. My WM Ultralight is listed as having 5" of loft while the quilt that I am in the middle of making will end up with about 2.5" of loft with a good overstuff. It may look to someone who simply sees those two numbers that the quilt would be rated for temps quite a bit warmer than the WM bag, but infact they have the same amount of loft over my body. Therefore I should be able to reach comperable tempuratures in comfort with them.

Pink