help me choose the optimal sleeping bag!

[pixpusher]

i currently own a western mountaineering caribou 35 deg summer bag. i like it alot.

i want to purchase a lightweight, all-around 3 season, down bag. although i can't make my mind...

i love the wm craftmanship, but the lower rated bags cost mad moola.

i also own a few pieces of marmot gear. good stuff. i was thinking about the marmot helium. again more $$$. then you have the two different (yearly? '03 / '04) models. like the new '04 one has a pertex dwr shell or somethin' -- the older model is obviously cheaper or whatever.

then there's the mountainsmith vision. 15 deg rating i think. hmm... on sale at bcgear.com. looks promising... anybody use this bag?

i have also heard good things about the versalite. well, damn. there i go again talking about wm bags. maybe i should go with what i know. lol. i dunno. any ideas / thoughts please...

[MedicineMan]

I've got the Linelite,the Megalite, the Versalite and the Ponderosa...all works of art but the only one I use anymore is the Ponderosa in the deep coldest of winter hikes for hammocking.....since I went to the hammock I use a quilt and the best quilts in my mind are from Nunatak. I have the Arc Alpinist and am trying to order the Arc Edge if I can get an e-mail back from Tom that is.
I do keep the Linelight in a BOB in the vehicle though for just in case scenarios.

[Kerosene]

You might also check out the Moonstone 800 Lucid, a 20-degree bag weighing in at 1 pound 12 ounces and costing a little less at $260. Charles Lindsey posted a great all-around review of various types of 15-30 degree bags here.

[erichlf]

I just got myself a WM Highlite. When I first opened the package the bag came in I was surprised and didn't think this bag could keep me warm enough. It didn't seem to have any loft. Well, after a bit man that thing puffed out like crazy. I decided I wanted to put it to the test so I went outside in about 25F and sat in it for about an hour only wearing a pair of light weight pants and a t-shirt. I was nice and toasty. I have decided this is the greatest bag ever. Mine is the short and only weighs about 15 oz. 15oz! 25F! and only $215. This is the greatest bag ever.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

You might also check out the Moonstone 800 Lucid, a 20-degree bag weighing in at 1 pound 12 ounces and costing a little less at $260. Charles Lindsey posted a great all-around review of various types of 15-30 degree bags here.

Nice stuff, keep an eye out -moonstone gear goes on sale frequently, and that's a rare happening for WM bags

[hikerjohnd]

My summer bag is a Kelty LightYear 45 deg. I love it and I've only used since Christmas! (living in the south has its advantages...) If I were buying a single bag for 3 season hiking I would give serious consideration to the 25 deg model.

[Todd Kirkendol]

I have a tried and true North Face Cat's Meow Polarguard 3D 20* bag. It has always kept me warm. Sleeping Bags are one of the things that North Face still makes that are worth a crap.

[buzzsaw]

Wiggy's Bags! Respect the bag! Respect the lamalite!

[fiddlehead]

I haven't needed to buy another companies bag because my "Feathered Friends" bag (hummingbird) has served me perfectly since i bought it 5 thru-hikes ago in
'96. The zipper is starting to get a little hard to open but that's still ok, it'll probably go a few more hikes before i get another one.

[Ratbert]

A sleeping bag is the one piece of gear on which I will allow myself to be extravagent. You're talking about a piece of equipment that at the least keeps you comfortable, and at most, keeps you alive. I mean, when it's really cold, I'm in my bag not long after I stop hiking and I'm there for the next 12 hours. My WM winter bag is by far the most expensive piece of equipment I own, but if I lost it, I'd buy an identical one tomorrow. Its workmanship is superb and after eight years, it still lofts up like the day I bought it.

Feathered Friends and WM are arguably some of the finest down bags made, but Moonstone, Montbell, Mountain Hardwear and Marmot also make great bags. I've just converted to hammocks, so I have to think in terms of quilts now, for much of the year.

In my opinion, take the temp ratings from manufacturers with a grain of salt. They often are ridiculously low for the bag. Each person sleeps different and what you ate for dinner, what you're wearing and how protected you are from the wind are all factors, so temp ratings on a bag are highly subjective. Montbell is one manufacturer that gives a range of temps for each bag and differentiates between "comfortable temp" and "usable temp."

I'm sure that Old Grumpy Hiker is still out there on the trail, rolling up in an army surplus blanket and pulling a tarp over his head (and I've done that too), while dismissing those of us who buy $500 sleeping bags; but to each his own. Within reason, I'm not going to ignore advances in outdoor equipment, especially as these bones get older!

Whatever you buy, do your homework before laying out the cash and you should be alright. Remember too that some places (REI comes to mind) will take a product back with practically no questions asked if you are not happy with it. So, check the return policy before you purchase.

[eric_plano]

I'm curious about the stuff size on the Hummingbird. Their site says 7x14 but that doesn't seem right. I want to replace my Mountain Hardwear 2nd Dimension but I also want to reduce the stuff down size. Thanks for any info!

[Rough]

I do my backpacking June through September in Vermont and it's too wet for anything but a synthetic bag. This summer I've switched (from a Sierra Designs) to a Marmot Pounder Plus which weighs 2 lbs. 4 oz and is rated by the mfgr. at 25 degrees. It compressess in my pack nicely, and has been nothing but a dream to use.

Also, since I sleep in a hammock I prefer a full length zipper for easy in and out.

I agree with the others that this is an important piece of equipment and deserves serious consideration.

Rough

[Heater]

I do my backpacking June through September in Vermont and it's too wet for anything but a synthetic bag.

???

A lot of hikers go through VT. in June to September and do fine with down bags.
That's the summer months! How could it be "too wet for anything but a synthetic bag"?

[Rough]

Okay, point taken. The Vermont woods, with the high summer humidity and not-infrequent quantities of rainy days, are often wet. If you take care, down bags will be fine, but once they're wet ...

Synthetic works for me here, but it's not an absolute.

Rough

[justusryans]

We have Western Mountaineering hooded Aspen semi-rectaugular bags. they're rated to 25 degrees. Fully zippered so you can use them like a quilt. We are planningon carrying them from Georgia to Maine.

[Footslogger]

You might also check out the Moonstone 800 Lucid, a 20-degree bag weighing in at 1 pound 12 ounces and costing a little less at $260. Charles Lindsey posted a great all-around review of various types of 15-30 degree bags here.

==================================
Hmmm ...I just check out that bag and the weight is listed as 2lbs 1oz ??

I'm looking for a 20 degree rated bag that comes in under 2 lbs and from what I can tell that limits me to WM and FF

'Slogger

[peter_pan]

Slogger,

If you plan on using the bag in a hammock, consider a quilt... the Old Rag Mtn quilt has 3 inches of thickness and 15 oz of 750 pf down, 24 oz.

Pan

[Icicle]

I have a *Cat's Meow* by the North Face...love it!

[HappyAppy]

I have Montbel #4 UL bag. It weighs 1pound 6 ounces and stuffs to 5.5 X 8.5 and I love it. It is stretchy and I can sit cross legged in it. It covers most but the really really cold temps.
Marion :-)

[Seeker]

i currently own a western mountaineering caribou 35 deg summer bag. i like it alot.

i want to purchase a lightweight, all-around 3 season, down bag. although i can't make my mind...

i love the wm craftmanship, but the lower rated bags cost mad moola.

i also own a few pieces of marmot gear. good stuff. i was thinking about the marmot helium. again more $$$. then you have the two different (yearly? '03 / '04) models. like the new '04 one has a pertex dwr shell or somethin' -- the older model is obviously cheaper or whatever.

then there's the mountainsmith vision. 15 deg rating i think. hmm... on sale at bcgear.com. looks promising... anybody use this bag?

i have also heard good things about the versalite. well, damn. there i go again talking about wm bags. maybe i should go with what i know. lol. i dunno. any ideas / thoughts please...

i own a caribou... great bag, but i'm assuming you spend a lot of time in the adirondacks (i grew up in syracuse, btw.) no one's mentioned the WM ultralight... good reputation, and i considered it before buying my caribou. a little too warm for what i needed, but would do well as a 3 season bag up there. alpinlite might work too. you get what you pay for. don't skimp if you can afford not to.