Need sleeping bag help!

imported
#1

Hey all,
im leaving march 1st and im someone who is very cold when others are not, or are only a little cold. I was planning on buyign a zero degree down bag this weekend. I have it down between two bags. The weights are 3 lbs 6 oz and 3 lbs 8 oz. It was brought to my attention that this is A LOT of weight to be carying for a sleeping bag. Is this a semi-normal weight or is it pretty rediculous? I do have a 20-30 degree bag for the warmer weather so getting something that will cover the whole trip is not an issue. I ever have a summer bag. I’d love to hear the weights of people who hiked especially early in the yr (feb, march). Thanks so much! A-Train

A-Train

#2

Soft serve and I are headed out next week Feb 14, WE have 0 degree bags Marmot Couloir-Dryloft 3lbs 4oz… we have used them this fall and winter in the Whites and found them to be warm and toasty, we will trade off at some point to our 30 degree bags that are not a whole lot different in weight, good luck on your hike maybe we will see you out there… Enjoy…JD

just ducky

#3

I don’t think 3lb8oz is bad for a sleeping bag. If you’ve got unlimited money; im sure u could find one thats lighter. as long as you are comfortable in it and it keeps u warm; go for it. staying warm is very important

Big Boy

#4

3 lbs. 8 oz. isn’t bad for zero degree bag. You can get a lighter bag but it will cost a lot more. Just be careful to dry your bag out everyday or your body moisture can compact the down and reduce the insulation of the bag. You also need to keep down dry in your pack so use a trash bag or a water proff stuff sack.

darth packman

#5

Bag temperature ratings are pretty much the opinion of the manufacturer and not much else. If those two bags are truly good for 0 deg. that’s a pretty good weight. I love to go light, but you have to be able to sleep.

Don’t forget, you can wear your warm clothes in your bag to stay warmer, and a warm balaclava is the most warmth for the weight of anything you can carry.

Colter

#6

Get a 20 degree synthetic and wear some fleece. You can mail the fleece home when you feel you dont need it. The synthetic will also compress better. We hit a couple of 9 degree nites around Neel’s Gap(mar21)last year. The Cats Meow is suppose to be very good

Virginian

#7

Dear A-Train,

The weight you are describing (3and 1/2 lbs for a 0 degree down bag), is not bad; although you can go lighter.

My two-part rule of thumb for sleeping bags, is this:

(1)For three lbs you can either have a 0 degree down bag or a +20 synthetic bag;

(2)For two lbs you can get a +20 degree down bag or a +30-35 degree synthetic bag.

Yes, these rules aren’t hard and fast, you can go lighter still; but, these figures are good starting points.

Go as light as you can; buy a bag rated 10 degrees warmer than you think you will encounter at worst (use weather information on average monthly temperature, monthly highs and lows, and so forth, for wherever you will be); and use your other gear to put you warmer still, if need be (eg, some say a tent can add 10 degrees of warmth; you can wear all your clothing, etc.).

My main concerns have always been (1) be able to keep warm and dry no matter what is going on, and (2)water. With everything else (eg, food), I have more time to survive and figure out my situation, than without warmth/dryness/and water. And water can be had in more ways than from a spring, brook, or stream.

Again, your bag weight sounds fine; but, my point is, satisfy your warmth (and dry) needs first, whatever the weight.

Sincerely–Paul English.

Paul English

#8

I’ve got to respectfully disagree with Virginian’s statement of the superior compressibility of synthetics, unless we’re talking about getting and staying compressed! As far as I know, there’s still not any man-made material as warm per-pound and as compressible as quality down. Quality down will also retain it’s loft longer than man-made fibers. I loved my down bag on the AT and barely got it damp the whole hike. Most of the bad-mouthing of down is done by the major sythetic fill manufacturers and those that repeat what they’ve said. For canoeing, most folks would agree that synthetics are smarter. For the AT down is, in my opinion, the best choice.

Colter

#9

WRT Cat’s Meow: love the bag, but only for over-30 temps (I tend to feel the cold more than some of my buddies). Ok with lots of clothes and bivvy down to 28; after that, I’m shivering.

cece

#10

If you have the bucks, check out a Western Mountaineering Kodiak. Only 3 lbs. 2 oz, and WM bags are usually warmer than the stated rating.

I guess Virginian made a typo. Down is far more compressible than any synthetic, and much more comfortable and warmer as well. Once you’ve had a down bag you’ll never go back to synthetic.

red tree

#11

Here’s a link to the WM Kodiak.

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/ba_KodiakSuperDL.htm

red tree

#12

I have a FairyDown bag, its 1.25kg, (2.7pounds) and rates to -8c (i think thats mmm 17F)… and your looking for a 0F bag? (mm works it out at -17C!!) ermm. i gotta ask, but are you going to the antarctic or something? is there a need for a 0F/-17C bag for plain ole trekking/hiking??

do you plan on moving to finland or greenland??

MadAussieInLondon

#13

MadAussie, it can still get very cold on the AT in March, especially along the ridges in NC/TN. Can get below zero or near there. So if A-Train is a cold sleeper (meaning he feels the cold more than others), a zero degree bag would be a good idea at least until sometime in April.

Pisgah

#14

I think in celcius… when you say below zero i keep thinking celcius… i cant comprehend -17F. it gets cold in London for me… i cant imagine 0F or less… heh…

MadAussieInLondon

#15

I traditionaly slept cold before my March 10 leaving date (last year) but left with a 20 down Marmot with a homemade polyester liner bag and never slept cold once. I think the quality bag made a difference but so did the liner. The liner stayed the entire trail and was great in the horrible heat as the only cover. Don’t forget to cover your extremities. Get a warm pair of socks, sleep in gloves, a fleece hat that covers down to your neck (or balaclava) and maybe even a fleece neck gator. By covering your extremeties, especialy your head, you will save a huge amount of heat. Sleeping in fleece will help a lot too. In the past I slept with my fleece pullover over my neck but not my arms to keep drafts out of the rest of the bag. Other ways of staying warm at night include staying hydrated. Although I needed to get up and pee, I stayed much warmer the rest of the night when I was well hydrated.
hope this helps,
TB

TurkeyBacon

#16

Ok, OK . I retract my statement! I wasnt downing down. I just liked my synthetic bag. And down does compress better.Tough crowd. Thanks Colter/Thanks Red Tree

Virginian

#17

A Train:

thats not a bad weight for a down-fill sleeping bag…but, if you have the bucks, you CAN go lighter! The technology improves every year. I bought a synthetic fill bag last year (Wild Bill 2.0) with stuff sack it weighs (on my scales @ 2lbs 8oz)its a 20 degree bag. $100 on sale @ Campmor.com

Also…i’ve always heard buy @ least 10 degrees cooler than what you are expecting…a 0 degree bag should be good.

jaybird

#18

A good down sleeping that is properly cared for will last for years. A synthetic bag no matter what they say about the technology is good for about one long hike or heavy season of use. By the end of my hike in '99 I found my 10 degree bag wasn’t as warm as it was when I started. The bag had lost signifcant loft for daily compression. It’s not uncommon to see ten year old down bags working hard and still just as warm. Synthetic’s just can’t compete for weight, compressibility or durability. However, Down is next to useless when it gets wet so you have to be careful to keep your bag clean and dry. Synthetic losses insultation as well when it gets wet just not as much as down. I periodical throw my bags in a dryer on low when I am in town to take out the excess moisture that builds up from condensation. This helped keep me warm when the temps dropped.

Darth Pacman

#19

A-Train -
Check out the 15 degree Vision by MountainSmith. It weighs only 1 lb. 15 oz. Then get a silk mummy liner to add another 7 or 8 degrees to it and only adds 6 oz. The liner can be used in the summer month as someone mentioned earlier as well as allows you to throw it in the washing machine to get the smelly you off it. Which is tough to do with the bag itself. If you need more than the clothes warm you’ll be carring anyway, has anyone tried slipping the sleeping bag inside one of those emergency Space-blanket bags? They only weigh 3 oz. and you might have one along anyway. It’s all about making everything do double or trible duty. That’s how to travel light. By the way A-train, How heavy will you be?
-Serendipity

Serendipity

#20

I have a wide bag because I like to toss and turn at night and bend my knees in the bag, and am wondering how to tell if a bag liner will be wide enough. If the liner’s too narrow, then the whole purpose of having a wide bag is lost. Other than trying on a liner in the store, it seems like a gamble.

Tosser