new England winter slepping bag???

[cricket71]

I've been looking at sleeping bags for hiking here in new england in the winter and the choices are endless, I feel I'm gonna end up with a down bag for weight and its durability.Oh yaeh warmth to. The dilemma is wich brand, and degree level. I borrowed a friends 0degree last year and that was not to bad, this year he's going to be able to join me for some hikes so the dilemma is I need a good bag for New England winter. The prices seem to vary from in between 400 and 600 dollars so price shock is gone I'm quite willing to spend the money as long as the product is what it claims. You folks out there with the winter camping experience your opinions would be greatly appreciated and looked into.AT this point in the game I use a marmot 30 with a bag liner at times. I'm also looking into a 4 season tent still haven't got over that sticker shock yet. Again prices very dramatically, but I am really taking a hard look into the hiilberg line. Again thank you for you experience and sharing with us less experienced..

[mirabela]

If you're going to be in the Whites, VT, or the Maine mountains, you definitely want a -20F bag. I'm not convinced down is the best choice either, especially if you're going to be out on multi-night trips. Moisture can be a real problem. I use a North Face -20F synthetic bag (Tundra I think is the name of the model -- it's a big orange-and-black one). It doesn't compress as small as a comparable down bag, but with a compression sack it gets down to a reasonable size, and it doesn't weigh much over four pounds. I think mine set me back around $200 if I remember right. I've spent many nights out in VT and the ADK's in it, down well below zero, and with a VBL liner I've been pretty cozy.

[Toolshed]

Down is THE WAY!!!!. If you are going out for a multi-night trip, get a Vapor barrier liner. youi slip into this and then into you bag. I have used one for yearsin the Daks. Google it and it will explain that your body will only perspire enough to keep a warm environment for you. your bag stays dry. you can sleep in it in polypro or naked.
also get the -20 bag. there aren't a lot of options in that range. I have been happy with EMS (1987 -25 down bag and then my "new" 1997 -5 Down bag - Both have served me well and still serve me well over the years.
If you are anywhere near 6' tall, get the long version so you can put clothes and boot liners in a plastic bag and keep them in your bag at the foot, to keep from freezing. (I also usually keep my next day clothes in there with me... Good luck.

[Papa D]

You simply must have a -15 or -20 down bag - mine is made by Sherpa Adventure Gear-- I also have down bags by Marmot (5-deg) and Western Mountaineering (20deg) - Mont-Bell is also a good brand -- not so familiar with EMS stuff but Toolshed is right about the vapor barrier liner - dealing with vapor, your boots and clothing is always a trick - you can warm things up in the foot-box of your bag to a point. Hilliberg makes great tents but a great tent can't overcome a crappy bag - spend your dollars on a great bag - trust me, if you've been as cold and miserable as I have been on several nights (afraid I would die), you'd burn a stack of hundreds to stay a few degrees warmer - really - I'm not kidding - I've learned some of this stuff the really hard way.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I use a recent model EMS brand zero degree down bag and have found it comfortable to just below zero. I would agree with the previous posts about looking for something in the -10 to -20 range if you're going to be in northern new England. My limited experience is in CT/MA/southern NY, I don't think I would trust my zero degree bag much farther north than that in the dead of winter.