Big Agnes Integrated Bag & Pad System

[Grits]

I am thinking about getting a new sleeping bag has anyone had any experience with the Big Agnes bags? The pocket for the pad looks like it might be a good thing. http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/SleepingBags

[pjbarr]

it's a great idea and one i bought into for about a year. but it's not perfect and it's not for everybody. i found out it wasn't for me.

sometimes when selecting gear i overlook convenience and hassle factors in favor of weight or bells and whistles. this was one of those cases.

i found putting the blown up pad into the back sleep of the sleeping back rather tedious. you can try all different methods, putting it in fully inflated, halfway inflated, or not inflated at all. each have their advantages and hassles. but the bottom line for me was this it was difficult to routinely do this in small spaces like a cramped 1 man tent or especially a crowded shelter. i would often end up smacking someone with the pad. or sometimes being so tired at the end of the day, i dreaded wrestling with the pad/bag entry. its real easy if you have all the space in the world. but it's a PITA when you have limited room.

i also was colder with this system. the theory of no down on the bottom of the bag because there is a pad seems completely logical. i was always cold using the system, even in temps much warmer than my bag rating.

i'm also not a fan of the built in pillow. i use my own clothes/stuff sack as a pillow, and the slippery pillow pocket in the BA bag would be pushed aside or scrunched up, inventiably scratching up against my face. just an annoyance. i considered cutting it out, but had i have done that, i wouldn't have been able to return it after realizing its other shortcomings.

[JokerJersey]

Both me and my g/f use BA sleeping bags and pads. We both have 15 degree rated synthetics, I think mine is the Expedition and hers is the Lulu. We both love em. It's a lot easier to get the pads into the bags with someone helping you. We got the insulated pads and so far, every single time we've gone out, I've slept with the insulated side down because I sleep warm. On the other hand, my g/f has slept with hers insulated side up every time we've gone out, not counting the trips we took with weather over 65 deg. at night because she sleeps cold.

The integrated pad pocket was a real bonus for me, considering how much I toss and turn. The last bag I had (an REI model - forget the exact make) would slide on the pad and eventually I'd wake up with the pad halfway up the side of the tent and me sleeping partially on the ground.

I do have to agree about the pillow pocket thing. I usually fall asleep on my stomach and with the pocket being sewn in, it limits the ways you can position it. I've been thinking about cutting it out myself, but haven't yet. I also sleep with my clothes as a pillow but I tuck them into a stuff sack and then tuck the whole thing into the pillow pocket. Still not an ideal solution.

Last trip, it got down to about 30 at night and I was asleep in boxers with the bag fully unzipped. She had a full set of long underwear on and slept with the bag zipped up completely to her face. Neither one of us was cold. Just have to work out your own style, like anything else I guess.

One tip though that I learned from someone's Trailjournal entries (one of the 4 ladies that thru'd last year, can't remember who though)...inflate your pad an hour before bed and let it sit. Right before you get into your bag, re-inflate it. The warmer air from your lungs contracts as it cools, so you can wind up with an under-inflated pad if you don't let it cool then reinflate it. If you only inflate them halfway, they make good camp seats too.

[Marta]

My husband uses the Horse Thief and pad. Having pad attached to sleeping bag is essential for him--when he tries to sleep on any other pad and bag system he ends up on the ground over and over during the night. Yes, give it up when it gets much below freezing. But for three-season use, it's da bomb.

[Not Sunshine]

Sounds like a nice system - but i felt it was too much of a risk - what happens if you rip your pad? uhh - that would be: you're left without insulation around 1/3 of your body. just seemed too risky for me, personally. maybe the classic insulation that's on your back gets crushed - but it's still there.

[generoll]

I use it and like it. I leave my pad in the pocket and just deflate it in the morning and then roll the whole thing up and shove it in the stuff sack. That saves the hassle of putting the pad in each night. The only thing you have to watch out for doing it this way is catching a bit of material in the valve when you go to close it.

The pillow pocket is useless. If you pad it, then you can't get your head inside the hood of the bag, so you're better off just putting your clothes bag under the head of the bag/pad and going that way.

The zipper is a bit of a challenge on mine. It's actually a bit under you. Since the pad pocket takes up about 1/3 of the circumference and the zipper is right next to it I generally have to reach outside my bag with one hand while I guide it past the material on the other side until the bag is almost fully zipped. Then on the last few inches it's still a cautious manuever to get the bag fully zipped without catching on the draft tube.

Mine was one of their trial bags which they make before putting them into full production, so some of these things may have been addressed already. I opted for the DWR coating so the weight savings were negligible, but it's a warm enough bag for me and I sleep cold. Last January I was snow camping and woke up in the night to reach outside my bag to find my clothes bag. What I found was a puddle of water where the snow had melted under my head. Nothing in my bag and I got back on my Tyvek ground sheet.

So, there is a fiddle factor here and not everyone will agree, but it works for me.

Now if they would just make a bag with the zipper in the middle instead of on the side. I mean really, how often do you ever "twin" a sleeping bag.

[Yukon]

Both my girlfriend and I use them and love em. She has the Roxy ann and I have the Fish Hawk. No problems getting the pads in. I like the adjustability of the air pads as far as being firmer or softer. She is usually out like a light in a matter of minutes

[bigmac_in]

I'll put my 2 cents worth in. I've had my Big Agnes bag and pad for about a year and love it. I needed something with a little more room than the normal mummy bag, because I turn a lot in my sleep. This also caused me to slide off my pad at night. Not a problem with the BA - I toss inside the bag and do not come off the pad. I've not been cold in mine (its a 15 degree), but haven't used it below 40 degrees. The pillow pouch works fine for me.

There have been problems with the pads getting holes and leaking, but so far, so good for me. I think one problem is that people tend to over-inflate them, which actually makes them easier to puncture. They are bit of a hassle to insert into the pocket, but worth it to me.

[barefoot]

I have the Pomer Hoit SL which is a zero degree down bag. I’m not a big fan. I found that I’m a pure side sleeper and that is difficult to do in this system so I ended up buying another cold weather bag. If you’re interested in buying this bag from me let me know. $175. I’ll pay the shipping. Pad not included. Bag is in excellent condition. Only used 6-7 nights. Stores in the cotton bag under my bed.

[CajunHiker]

I've got a Yampa that I use with an Exped Downmat 7 Short. I elected to got with this system due to the fact that I am normally a hammocker, but needed the option to go to ground if neccessary. I supplement the shortness of the pad with a section of windshield reflector. I decided to got with the Yampa because it was light and could be combined with an additional liner or bag as needed.

[timebreaks]

Will the BA bags work with non-BA pads?

[JokerJersey]

Yeah, you don't have to use a BA pad in there. Your pad might slide around a little in the pocket as its not going to be as thick as an inflatable, but it will still keep it under you.

[pjbarr]

I use it and like it. I leave my pad in the pocket and just deflate it in the morning and then roll the whole thing up and shove it in the stuff sack. That saves the hassle of putting the pad in each night.

i've tried this too. the wad of bag/pad combo gets huge and even more irritating to cram in a stuff sack than the annoyance of putting the pad in the bag every night.

[EMAN]

I use it and like it. I leave my pad in the pocket and just deflate it in the morning and then roll the whole thing up and shove it in the stuff sack. That saves the hassle of putting the pad in each night. The only thing you have to watch out for doing it this way is catching a bit of material in the valve when you go to close it.

The pillow pocket is useless. If you pad it, then you can't get your head inside the hood of the bag, so you're better off just putting your clothes bag under the head of the bag/pad and going that way.

The zipper is a bit of a challenge on mine. It's actually a bit under you. Since the pad pocket takes up about 1/3 of the circumference and the zipper is right next to it I generally have to reach outside my bag with one hand while I guide it past the material on the other side until the bag is almost fully zipped. Then on the last few inches it's still a cautious manuever to get the bag fully zipped without catching on the draft tube.

Mine was one of their trial bags which they make before putting them into full production, so some of these things may have been addressed already. I opted for the DWR coating so the weight savings were negligible, but it's a warm enough bag for me and I sleep cold. Last January I was snow camping and woke up in the night to reach outside my bag to find my clothes bag. What I found was a puddle of water where the snow had melted under my head. Nothing in my bag and I got back on my Tyvek ground sheet.

So, there is a fiddle factor here and not everyone will agree, but it works for me.

Now if they would just make a bag with the zipper in the middle instead of on the side. I mean really, how often do you ever "twin" a sleeping bag.

I just don't even use a stuff sack. I cram the whole thing, pad still inside the bag, down in my pack and fill the voids with the other items as available.

Pretty much in agreement on the pillow pocket though I did buy one of the cheapo REI self inflating pillows and if I stuff that AND whatever clothes sack I have inside, it helps some. Ehhh...you have to get that just right position or it still moves around.

No improvement in zipperdom apparently as I have the same problem. Had a Horse Thief and currently use the Zirkel and the zipper is a PITA sometimes.

Only other thing I might add again is the temp rating. I believe it to be not quite up to snuff. No big deal really although at 24 degrees in Whigg Meadow on the BMT, I woke up about 3 a.m. freezing. And I am a rather large human who likes to sleep cold.

Otherwise, I've used this stuff now for 4 or 5 years and I am OK with it.[/

[pjbarr]

i also had the zirkel. and i completely forgot to mention the zipper. that was probably the biggest reason i returned it. the zipper is absolutely terrible.

[mikec]

I had a BA pad and came very close to buying a BA sleeping bag at EMS in Lebanon, NH this summer. The only reason that I did not get it was because the EMS 20 degree bag was lighter. I'm glad I got the EMS bag. It was very warm and my BA pad sprung a leak about 50 miles later.

[A New Convert]

I had two setups. The expedition and river something. My experience was that it wasn't nearly as warm as the rating suggested it would be.

Ever seen a bellows used to stoke a fireplace? That's what both versions were. If I sat very still it would warm up, but because the pad added rigidity to the bottom of the bag it would puff all my hot air out the hood if I moved at all. I spent a very cold night last January moving as little as possible. I didn't get any good sleep until the sun came up and started warming the tent.

BC