Western Mountaineering Badger and an Exed Downmat insulated mat with snozzle bag to inflate it. Worth every penny. A WM bag is rated for comfort not survival so you're comfortable at 20* not shivering through the night. Take care of your WM bag and it will last 20+ years and if it starts to lose some loft you can send it back and they'll put some more down into it. Microfiber is preferable to the gore windstopper fabric IMO. I started with lesser bags and I wouldn't even consider one today.
Which Sleeping Bag
- Thread starter JohnWess
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crashlanding
Well-Known Member
Mine is the western mountaineering megalith, a solid 3 season bag, also good into early winter out here in western Colorado. If temps are foreseeable cold, I take my system to go bivy and get another 10-15 degrees warmth out of my bag. My other gear to compliment the bag is a Thermarest xlite pad, Nemo hornet 2p tent. I'm getting old and weight of my components is very important to me
Ts3
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I backpack in the summer in western states and year round at home in Arkansas. I spent a lot of time researching before I bought my bags and didn't worry too much about cost. I have a 25 degree rated WM Terralite that has been fantastic. Similar to the megalite mentioned above, but roomier. For really warm trips I have a feathered friends down quilt rated to 40 degrees.
If you are tent sleeping and not in absolutely soaked conditions, get the highest quality down bag you can. No synthetic can offer the same warmth with as little weight and pack space. There is no comparison. My kids' bags are premium synthetic youth bags. They are heavier and bulkier in the pack than my huge Terralite!
Your best bet on picking a certain bag would be the head to head reviews by backpacking sites. Outdoor gear lab, clever hiker, and switchback travel are very good.
If you are tent sleeping and not in absolutely soaked conditions, get the highest quality down bag you can. No synthetic can offer the same warmth with as little weight and pack space. There is no comparison. My kids' bags are premium synthetic youth bags. They are heavier and bulkier in the pack than my huge Terralite!
Your best bet on picking a certain bag would be the head to head reviews by backpacking sites. Outdoor gear lab, clever hiker, and switchback travel are very good.
The North Face "Cat's Meow" is a synthetic 3 season bag rated at 20 degrees. $160 -$190.00. Good bag at a great price.
I tend to sleep warm and never sleep naked. I usually wear some sort of insulation including heavy wool socks and a beanie.
The enlightenedequipment "Enigma Custom" (290.00+) is a down filled quilt that you can custom order to fit your needs. In weather 20 degrees and above I use a quilt because I tend to change sleeping positions frequently and a mummy bag does not allow me to stretch out like the quilt does. Quilts are not for everyone and before purchasing one I would check out there web page and videos on YouTube.
My pee bottle is an old Nalgene bottle. It's has a large opening so that you don't miss and the lid does not leak. Getting out of your bag and out of your shelter to pee is crazy. Just pee in the bottle!!!
I tend to sleep warm and never sleep naked. I usually wear some sort of insulation including heavy wool socks and a beanie.
The enlightenedequipment "Enigma Custom" (290.00+) is a down filled quilt that you can custom order to fit your needs. In weather 20 degrees and above I use a quilt because I tend to change sleeping positions frequently and a mummy bag does not allow me to stretch out like the quilt does. Quilts are not for everyone and before purchasing one I would check out there web page and videos on YouTube.
My pee bottle is an old Nalgene bottle. It's has a large opening so that you don't miss and the lid does not leak. Getting out of your bag and out of your shelter to pee is crazy. Just pee in the bottle!!!
Ts3
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Also, don't skimp on a good, insulated pad. It makes a big difference for warmth. The top shelf Therm-a-Rest is probably the best for weight to warmth but I can't get used to how loud the crinkley sound is when you move a little. I use a sea to summit comfort light. I pay a small price in weight but the pad is sooooo comfy.
JohnWess
Well-Known Member
This is a great starting point for me! Thank you for all of your input!!
I agree with KCFDCapt, Wiggy's is the best, bar none. Maybe a little heavier than you want, but well worth it. I backpack hunt but carry the extra weight of the Wiggy's bag!
JohnWess
Well-Known Member
I will certainly look into them!
ofbandg
Well-Known Member
Almost fifty years ago when I did my Canadian Infantry Winter Warfare training they issued me a bag that came in six pieces - four layers, a carry sack, and a rubber coffin shaped air mattress. That experience stuck with me and I still use what I learned during that training. First thing I learned about sleeping bags is I hate mummy bags. They are too narrow for me to be comfortable and it is difficult to store the clothes you are going to wear at the bottom of the bag to keep them warm. Second thing I learned is that those sock like liners for inside the bag end up getting all twisted and strangling you in the middle of the night. The third thing I learned is that those nice high air mattresses aren't that warm and if you move around you fall off of it. Finally, I learned that if you can't get a good nights sleep your trip becomes ugly and dangerous.
In the years since, I always bought bags I could turn over in and sleeping pads large enough to hold me. For short trips - a few days - down is the best, but in really cold temperatures down can pick up condensation and hold onto it, getting heavier and less insulating, which makes for a tough long trip. I have been known to put a flimsy synthetic bag inside a good down bag to prevent that. Synthetics will dry out relatively fast, especially if you can hang them over a tree branch or bush in a breeze at some time throughout the day - like when you are glassing for animals. Get a good quality bag you can stretch out in, and pull up above your head if necessary, and carry and extra layer or two to add to it. And make sure the bag has a well insulated zipper that doesn't bind when you are trying to get in or out of it. Fighting with a sleeping bag zipper in the middle of the night is one of life's more frustrating events.
In the years since, I always bought bags I could turn over in and sleeping pads large enough to hold me. For short trips - a few days - down is the best, but in really cold temperatures down can pick up condensation and hold onto it, getting heavier and less insulating, which makes for a tough long trip. I have been known to put a flimsy synthetic bag inside a good down bag to prevent that. Synthetics will dry out relatively fast, especially if you can hang them over a tree branch or bush in a breeze at some time throughout the day - like when you are glassing for animals. Get a good quality bag you can stretch out in, and pull up above your head if necessary, and carry and extra layer or two to add to it. And make sure the bag has a well insulated zipper that doesn't bind when you are trying to get in or out of it. Fighting with a sleeping bag zipper in the middle of the night is one of life's more frustrating events.
JohnWess
Well-Known Member
Have any of you ever carried a down bag and then a synthetic quilt to add if needed? I think a system like that could work well. Then I could also use the quilt for scouting trips as well as early archery season.
Get the lightest and best you can buy. When I started I packed in 60lb. + rifle new I pack 30lbs. New and warmer equipment is GREAT
maxcarp
Member
Another vote for Wiggys! I recently got one of their lightweight jackets and now I am warn as toast when I venture outside in the cold.My brother was going to get a top line bag from Cabelas,but I told him that I would get him a Wiggys Superlight for a Christmas gift.
