Sleeping bag for backpack hunts

[Pilsner]

Don't forget the "best" choice between down and synthetic for most uses outside of Alaska or the PNW - hydrophobic treated down! Repels water very well for anything short of a true submersion.
I've used a treated down quilt + SilNylon dry bag. In nearly every weather situation since 2015-ish and never had an issue with the down wetting out.

As important, if not more important, than your sleeping bag or quilt is your sleeping pad!
Check the R values on several.
Some companies have truer ratings than others (looking at you Klymit) and there is a push for an industry standard in the works. Phillip Werner over at SectionHiker.com has several great write ups on the subject a long with an accurate comparison table of the major brand offerings.

Other random thoughts on the subject:
Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, and Stone Glacier make some great buy-once, cry-once, lifetime quality down bags.

Nemo sleeping bags are notorious for being optimistic about temp ratings. Although they are very comfy for side sleepers like me.

Enlightened Equipment (verify actual temp rating!), Katabatic, hyke n' byke, and a great many cottage vendors make amazing quilts with warmth to weight ratios that are astonishing.
Look for a fill rating of 800 or above.

 

[mnoland30]

I'm bald, and I've found that a down hood lets me keep my head out of the bag and still keep my head warm. I also have a down jacket (without a hood) that helps keep me warm at night.

 

[chav0_12]

Nemo sleeping bags are notorious for being optimistic about temp ratings.

I'd throw Big Agnes in that conversation as well, from my experience at least.

Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, and Stone Glacier make some great buy-once, cry-once, lifetime quality down bags.

I've had good luck with my Sea To Summit (STS) bags as well. I'd take a look at some of these brands and compare fill weights and fill powers to get an understanding of what the bag will be able to do for you. That's what I did with my STS bag, it has about the same loft and weight of fill as the Stone Glacier 15° bag, it's rated by STS as a 5° (I do like the charts on their site talking about comfort ratings, I think those are accurate.)

 

[adk hunter]

I agree with the nemo comment being a bit of a reach rating wise. I do like the shape for a good nights sleep for sure. I have an old down eddie bauer bag I turned into a quilt so the two paired together get it done. Then you can add or subtract as needed. If I was going to buy new I'd list Western mountaineering, stone glacier and Kuiu as my top shelf contenders.

 

[Litehiker]

Whatever mummy bag you get (and ONLY use mummy bags for backpacking to minimize weight and maximize warmth) never EVER roll a bag up to put it in a sack. This pulls insulation toward the foot as most people roll from foot to head.
STUFF your bag foot first into its stuff sack (hence the name of the sack).

STORE your sleeping bag flat under your bed or hung vertically or in the large storage bag that comes with all good quality sleeping bags. Never EVER leave it in the stuff sack. This ruins the loft (thickness) of the insulation.

My 3 season bag for the past 9 years has been a Western Mountaineering 800 fill Megalite down mummy bag.
As the name implies, it's cut wide enough to permit me to wear a down vest or jacket if temperatures dip much below 30 F. For hunting i recommend a minimum temperature rating of 20 F. and 0 F. to -10 is better for colder hunts. If you need a -20 F. bag you are in serious winter hunt mode, as in, say, musk ox hunting!
ALWAYS match your mattress insulation rating (R rating) to your bag's minimum temperature.

Always wear a thin stocking hat, or better, a thin balaclava on chilly nights. Synthetic knit is best as it washes and dries quickly compared to wool. NO COTTON. "Cotton kills"
If it gets unseasonably cold put on all your clothes and pull the hood drawstrings until you have only a small "blowhole" opening to minimize heat loss. Place rainwear and heavier outer coats under your mattress if it is only a 30 F. mattress (usually that means an R2 insulation rating.

 

[kpacker]

What dfanonymous said in #6 is about perfect.

 

[brant89]

Idk about a 3600…you surely won't be any more than a day for sure…That dog won't hunt for a multi day hunt man. As a guy who all he does is expedition hunts, this forum actually has a fair amount of people that pack hunt out west every year, but they don't post here often it seems.

Then all that good information gets drowned out with a bunch of weird opinions that you don't typically see in real practice. Internet and all.

A pack with food, TP/wipes, stove system, water filtration, water collection, some type of layer like a down jacket, hunting gear (like a kestrel, ammo, mag, optic/tripod, kill kit, whatever) sleeping pad, and tent starts to push it. I know because my grab and go hunting day pack is a mystery ranch 3800.

For your bag, really check the rating. There's kind of two standards and sometimes a brand will give one or the other..or occasionally both. Say a bag is rated for 20 degrees. There will be 20 degree survival and 20 degree comfort. You usually want comfort. If you sleep warm like I do, a 10 or 20 is good for the early season, even at 10,000ft+ usually.

Next is down or synthetic:
-Synthetic is better for survival in rough environment where you and or your bag might be wet and will still keep you warm, but is heavier.
-Down is lighter when talking warmth to weight ratio, but is not waterproof. However, another pro is it sometimes packs down really tight.

Another option worth mentioning is a down quilt. That combined with a decent sleeping pad can be just as good as a sleeping pad. I actually prefer it.

Brands: my general purpose sleeping bag isn't available to the public. So not no point in talking it up.
However, I do agree with kelty being a decent budget sleeping bag. Another mention for "budget friendly" is a company less known amongst hunters…hyke and byke. My wife got a zero degree down. It packs down to just a little larger than a Nalgene, and is about 2 lbs.
I have a Nemo Sonic when I'm not using my other one in a system. Its pricy.

-Quilt: my fielded one is an Enlightened Equipment 20 degree.

Sleeping pad is Nemo Tensor insulated. I have a grip of others, but that's the one I use the most. I like the 3 inches it gives and has been plenty good even for mountaineering.

My bag is usually a mystery ranch marshal which is like a 6200 bag. However, it's a little excessive for JUST over night. I usually am out for about a week, and food takes up space. I put my bags in a waterproof compression sack. Not everyone does this, some dudes just stuff it in the pack. You end up wet enough times, and the decision becomes easier to sacrifice weight savings for waterproofing gear.

Good luck.

Good info here. I second the Enlightened Equipment quilts. Best part is that you can customize them to get exactly what you want. I run an Enlightened Equipment Enigma 0 degree because I tend to sleep colder than most. Also recognize that the temp rating on any bag is only applicable with the proper sleeping pad for said temp range. Even sleeping bags need an insulated pad under them because your body weight will compress the fill underneath you. Definitely go bigger on the pack. The factor that wasn't mentioned is that a lot of the small to medium day packs are only reinforced with a frame sheet rather than a full frame or even stays, so even though an entire animal might FIT in the back, the frame might collapse and make your life miserable real quick. Ask me how I know...LOL.

 

[Bobbly]

Lots of good advice here. Just keep in mind that a sleeping bag is a survival item, just as important as a good outer shell and boots.