What's you hunting sleeping bag?

[Litehiker]

lazylabs,

I have a -20 F. Mountain Hardware synthetic bag (Polarguard Delta) and it is BIG and HEAVY! With the extra side gore unzipped to expand it I can insert my down Weatern Mountaineering Megalite bag inside and it is not compressed. That combo is good to -40F. It's a great winter bag but just far too heavy. I'll take the greater sleeping comfort and lighter weight of down any time.

As for sleeping in my Cabela's thermal long johns I confess that i do B/C it's the only way to not feel a cool bag on your skin all night.

As for breathing in temps near and below zero F. I use a Psolar mask that warms incoming air with its copper coils on the mouth area. That way I lose less moisture at night thru my lungs trying to heat cold air. That means not waking up really thirsty.

 

[lazylabs]

I just hear the horror stories of a wet down bag and folks almost freezing to death. I don't know anyone that has actually experienced that so maybe more urban legend than actual problem?

 

[Litehiker]

Labs,

What actually happens not so much soaking wet down bags but "damp" down bags due to a buildup of perspiration that cools near the shell, condenses and dampens the down. Night after night more of the down gets wet, losing loft and insulation, actually conducting heat away.

Down DWR (Durable Water Repellant) like Down Tek and Dri Down keep this particular problem almost at zero, much like synthetic bags. More and more companies are beginning to use DWR treated down in bags and garments.

The best help I know of for down bags without down DWR is to put a thin synthetic insulated cover over the top and sides of the bag. Moisture collecting here can be mostly shaken out when it freezes IF the cover has a zippered opening on one end.

 

[Timber338]

I use a synthetic mountain hardware ultra lamina 0 deg bag for my cold weather hunts. I think it's pretty light and compresses down pretty small too.

 

[Tim in Washington]

You chttp://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=products&page=Accessories&ContentId=44ould just use one of these for extended trips without a heated shelter
Tim

 

[airborne trooper]

Montbell down hugger zero degree bag. I'm a side sleeper and this works for me.

 

[Wyodog]

Planning to switch over to a down quilt this year. I haven't decided which one yet. I tend to feel too restricted in a mummy bag and I like to move around at night. The weight reduction is a plus also. I sleep warm so I will likely get something in the 20-30 degree range.

 

[Husky06]

Take a look at Wiggy's sleeping bags. Its a great bag and they are great to deal with.

 

[Litehiker]

Wiggy's is a British company and their proprietary synthetic insulation is so good that the British Armed Forces use it in garments and sleeping bags. The insulation is similar to some versions of DuPont Thermolite, i.e it is a continuous filament, not chopped.

 

[ehryk]

I use the US Army modular sleep system. With the bivy cover, I can go without the tent if I want, even if it rains. It is a tad on the heavy side if I pack all 3 bags in but with my tent, an inflatable sleeping pad and the two inner bags, I have never been cold.

 

[Biggs300]

Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 degree 800 fill down bag. It is light weight and has kept me warm hunting elk in CO for the past 4 years. It will be going hunting again later this year.

 

[Daveinjax]

Western Mountaineering all the way. I tried a quilt and it didn't last but a couple of hours. I froze ! Drafty and my hand slipped out for a few minutes when I did manage to doze off. The hand coming out is a huge deal for me as I could easily loose some fingers with the circulatory issue I have. With Raynaud's syndrome the blood flow cuts off and I don't feel a thing. I also toss and turn and move my feet and every time I moved a big slug of cold air came in. All these guys raving about quilts either sleep like death or they're using them in their mom's basement if at all.

 

[Rucker61]

I'm one of those quilt guys, and I'll never go back to a bag. I'm a side sleeper, and I roll over a lot, so the quilt is good for my style. I can't stand being constricted in a sleeping bag anymore. I use a wide 20° Enlightened Equipment down quilt and just wear a beanie on my head. If I'm going to be out when it gets well below freezing, I'll layer with a Kifaru woobie that I keep in the pack for cold glassing sessions.

 

[Litehiker]

Re "Tim in Washington",

I agree that when Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends adopt the use of "waterproofed" down (DWR treat down) then we can use it with more confidence.

** There is some concern with Dri Down and Down Tech that the DWR will wear off with use, as it does on shell garments. Personally I think down DWR will adhere to the down plumules far better than it does to a hardshell fabric. It is this durability that needs to be tested.
My Eddie Bauer First Ascent down vest with Dri Down is something I use more than I thought I would so I should see, after a few years, it it indeed still resists absorbing moisture, especially perspiration moisture.