What Tent and sleeping bag combo?

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

Personal opinion, Wiggy's bag & ground pad, none will work better! I used to do the same as Jeffrey Van Zandt as far as tarps & no tent, but have for the last several yrs. used a Mountain Hardwear 3 person 4 season tent. It's too heavy for most of the backpacking hunters now days as everyone is gong "ultralight" & i've never gotten into that school. My pack for my back pack hunts weighs 80 lbs. plus not including my light weight hunting rifle of 12 lbs.

ya I use a woods sleeping bag and a big pad under it with a canvas cowboy bed roll over all of it we spent 14 days under that tarp set up and got two nice bull moose befor the season ended. woods is out of bis but if you can find one they ar the best you can get they are heavy but at -40 they really work. https://thewoodslife.com/?p=1768

 

[zupatun]

IF you are hiking in, I'd say down bag. I have owned Wiggys bags for 20 years and I use them regularly, but if room in a pack is important, I'd compress a down bag to half the size of my Wiggys (and it would weigh less than the Wiggys) to make room for food and fuel. That said, Wiggys is warm when wet, it will clean when put in the washer and fluff dried on low or just hung to dry with a fan directed on it. It is the most versatile non-down bag I have ever owned (I own more than one) and is almost indestructible.

4 season tent as you can easily see snow in Idaho in October and you don't want a drafty, cold three season tent that can't take the wind and loading a 4 season is designed for. Marmot, North Face --almost any big name mountaineering brand will do a credible job--I do a three person tent--knowing I want to store my gear (hang my food outside or in a bear-proof container away from the tent) inside with me rather than in the vestibule. I need room, I'm a stomach sleeper not a side or back sleeper so I'm 7 feet long with my big feet stretched out.

Have fun!

 

[Huggy]

we kinda like Mt tents with all the fixings for moose season some years when we can pack everything in the wheelers for 20-30 days

Daaaaauuuuunnnnnggggg!
Now THAT is Glampin, Yessiree!
All The comforts of home at your fingertips. Didn't see it posted but what do you use to pack all that gear in?
Horses/Mules, ATV, 4WD?
I could REALLY learn to LOVE getting into the back country with them digs but the days of me humping anything more than the basics with a bedroll, food, rifle and spare clothing are waaaaay in the distant past.
Playing hard and living an adrenaline charged lifestyle causes one to make some questionable choices in life that come back to kick you in the stones after you turn 60.
But, OOOOOOHHH the stories! LOL
All kidding aside, very nice setup.
Gimme a ride and I'll be your Camp Bunny for you.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

Daaaaauuuuunnnnnggggg!
Now THAT is Glampin, Yessiree!
All The comforts of home at your fingertips. Didn't see it posted but what do you use to pack all that gear in?
Horses/Mules, ATV, 4WD?
I could REALLY learn to LOVE getting into the back country with them digs but the days of me humping anything more than the basics with a bedroll, food, rifle and spare clothing are waaaaay in the distant past.
Playing hard and living an adrenaline charged lifestyle causes one to make some questionable choices in life that come back to kick you in the stones after you turn 60.
But, OOOOOOHHH the stories! LOL
All kidding aside, very nice setup.
Gimme a ride and I'll be your Camp Bunny for you.

that is a moose base camp we use 4 and 6 wheelers some times air planes outer time when we set this camp up it is for 20+ days

 

[Rflamm250]

Down should be next to your base layer/long-johns, not on the outside of regular pants. It needs to be closer to your skin. For sleeping bags, nothing beats down for high warmth to weight. When you reach in a good down bag for a minute or two - you can feel your own body heat reflecting back on your hand.

Remember that a 0/zero degree F bag means that you will not die in 0 degree weather, but you will most likely not be comfortable. That being said, I backpack hunt in Alaska through October in my Kuiu 20 degree water-resistant down bag (~ 2 lbs). On the coldest nights (10-20 degrees F) here in Southeast Alaska, I usually put on a lightweight insulated jacket/puffy over my standard base layer to sleep better (Kuiu Snapshirt or Ultra Down Jacket). If I hunt in November/December, I break out my 0 degree Marmot Couloir down bag with a water resistant shell (~3 lbs).

Exactly why I am leaning away from Down. You say keep it as close to skin as possible which makes sense. But if you wear it under outer wear

MSRs look like a quality tent all though I have no experience with it. I do like Mountain Hardware tents are a solid 4 season tent. Hilleberg tents are also amazing. Stay with a 4 season tent, you can get snow anytime out here in the west. For bags I am all about the down and the best you can get are either Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends. I have heard real good things about the Kifaru bag but have never used one, so that might be worth a look it is synthetic.

IF you are hiking in, I'd say down bag. I have owned Wiggys bags for 20 years and I use them regularly, but if room in a pack is important, I'd compress a down bag to half the size of my Wiggys (and it would weigh less than the Wiggys) to make room for food and fuel. That said, Wiggys is warm when wet, it will clean when put in the washer and fluff dried on low or just hung to dry with a fan directed on it. It is the most versatile non-down bag I have ever owned (I own more than one) and is almost indestructible.

4 season tent as you can easily see snow in Idaho in October and you don't want a drafty, cold three season tent that can't take the wind and loading a 4 season is designed for. Marmot, North Face --almost any big name mountaineering brand will do a credible job--I do a three person tent--knowing I want to store my gear (hang my food outside or in a bear-proof container away from the tent) inside with me rather than in the vestibule. I need room, I'm a stomach sleeper not a side or back sleeper so I'm 7 feet long with my big feet stretched out.

Have fun!

Down just scares me as it is so finiky. I think id rather have a 5lb synthetic vs a 2.5 pound down. I am going with a guy from Idaho and a guy from Utah who can handle the cold way better than me. They are using 20 degree synthetic bags. I do not want to ruin the trip because of the cold.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Acclamation is what you need. Being from Florida your body has switched off its heat making by and large.
U need to get that switched on !
What you eat has alot to do with how warm u will be.
Lots of fat and plenty of high energy carbs. Bacon+eggs and potatoes. And candy bars and cookies and lots of water .
And don't forget the sea salt .
Just breathing in 0° weather u will be burning calories. !!!
Only way I can loose weight anymore is working outdoors in the cold. Interior Alaska type cold.
I'de look for a minus 30 down bag and a Gore Tex bivy sack for it. Then a good 4 season mountaineering tent . And of course a thick Therma Rest pad.

 

[Wyomingmike]

I am planning a backpack hunt late October Idaho and I am looking for advice on Tents and sleeping bags for cold weather. I am from Florida and get cold extremely easy. I wear a coat or sweatshirt if its not in the 90s. I have been looking at 4 season tents from Nemo and MSR, also looked into Bivy sacks a little. Also sleeping bags I have no idea on, I have been leaning toward synthetic insulation. I am looking for advice on what combination of tent and bag would work best for me. I am sold on the Thermarest insulated pad. I have a good assortment of cold weather clothing(Sitka, Kuiu, OR) and am planning on sleeping in them also if needed.

KUIU. Get a down bag, only if you like warmth. Do not skip on this.

 

[Wyomingmike]

I have been leaning towards the synthetic bags mainly because the only experience I have with down is not good. I have the Kuiu down pants and I freeze in 40 degree weather with them over the guide pant and a heavy base layer, if stationary.

If your freezing in down pants with synthetic they will be carrying your carcass of the mountain in a mule. Down is by far the warmest

 

[dickerwdl]

We hunt Idaho every year. We pack in with horses and wall tents. I have a synthetic sleeping bag minus 20 degrees. A sleeping bag will get wet with you just being in it; if you open it up in the morning, it will dry out during the day. Not so much with down. I would rather worry about being to hot than getting up at 5 below and diggin for horse blankets to keep my sorry-ness warm.

 

[jeffwhitcomb]

Plus 1 for 02bmark. I think that tent entry design and vestibules have just as much need for consideration for staying warm as the temperature rating of your sleeping bag. Any one who has undressed outside of a front loader trying to keep the contents dry on a rainy cold night I would presume would agree.

 

[RGJZ06]

I would look at a Hilleberg Akto 4 season tent. It weighs 3.7 pounds and should stand up to anything you can throw at it. Western Mountaineering makes very good sleeping bags that will keep you warm. I live in Florida and suffer during cold temperatures like you during hunts in Ohio. I own the WM Bristlecone bag that is very warm but most likely is to big and heavy for a backpack hunt. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[Rflamm250]

Acclamation is what you need. Being from Florida your body has switched off its heat making by and large.
U need to get that switched on !
What you eat has alot to do with how warm u will be.
Lots of fat and plenty of high energy carbs. Bacon+eggs and potatoes. And candy bars and cookies and lots of water .
And don't forget the sea salt .
Just breathing in 0° weather u will be burning calories. !!!
Only way I can loose weight anymore is working outdoors in the cold. Interior Alaska type cold.
I'de look for a minus 30 down bag and a Gore Tex bivy sack for it. Then a good 4 season mountaineering tent . And of course a thick Therma Rest pad.

I agree with you on the acclamation thing. It will probably be in the 80s when I leave Fl. then bamm. I run extremely lean and will have trouble putting on weight while getting ready for this hunt so not sure how to acclimate before hand. I lived in Iowa for 3 yrs and acclamated but that was 10 yrs ago. Never heard of sea salt but I will look into it. You think a bag, bivy and 4 season tent?

 

[Rflamm250]

If your freezing in down pants with synthetic they will be carrying your carcass of the mountain in a mule. Down is by far the warmest

I think the problem in that situation was that none of the Kuiu stuff mentioned blocks the wind.

 

[Rflamm250]

Any one have any experience with the Nemo 4 season tents. I saw First Light is having them make tents for them now.