Sleeping Bags

[Taurë-rana]

I realise that there are a lot of comments about sleeping bags here, but they are all over the place and hard to find. I want a light weight, but very warm sleeping bag and I'm getting confused by all the different styles/makes etc there are inc. the quilt type ones which I don't think would work for me.

I would appreciate it if people would post here what type of sleeping bag you have, it's weight, it's type of down, waterproof cover or not, what it's rated, what you think of it for snowy conditions. It would also be useful to mention what type of mat you use as well. Then anyone looking for a sleeping bag can just come here and look at the "reviews".

Thanks in anticipation.

By the way, I don't know if there's any chance of keeping on topic but it would keep it easier to look through.

[sthughes]

I have a Kathmandu Moonraker V4.
700 Loft down
700grams fill
Water resistant Epic Outer
About 1500grams in its bag.
European standards rated to -31 extreme, -12 limit and -5 comfort.
Has all the baffles and hood etc.
Stupidly warm - always been too hot except once at lake St. Clair on a sub-zero night (it was still nice and cosy - I just wasn't sweating!).
Would I camp in snow with it - yep no hesitation.
Would I recommend it - no not in a million years unless you are a cold sleeper or you already have a not so warm bag. It's way too warm 90% of the time so I reckon a cooler bag with one of those lightweight down liners/sleeping bag inners added for extra cold trips would be more appropriate. But if you want something specifically for very cold weather it is great. About $400 on sale (when else).
I also use a silk liner to keep it clean.
Personally I wouldn't consider a down bag without the water resistant outer - I've had the outside of mine quite wet from condensation and it just beaded and ran off to make a puddle on the floor.

Sleeping Mats:
I have just got rid of an "Earth Mat" "lightweight long" as it wore out. That was okay but a tad thin and not real comfy.
Now I have a Thermarest Prolite 4 regular. I've only used it once on the verandah at Pelion - it was fantastic.

Edit: Now used the Thermarest a fair bit from soft ground to huts to snow. Can't fault it really, always warm and usually comfy.
Slept on snow with my Moonraker with no liner = toasty and warm with it zipped up but not using hood or baffles.

Edit 2: Now have a lightweight setup as well: Thermarest NeoAir regular and a Marmot Arroyo. Very happy with both. The Arroyo is really only suitable for mid spring to mid autumn depending on weather forecasts (does that mean 2 season?). The NeoAir would be my choice on all but snow and is significantly more comfy than the Prolite 4, especially on hard bunks and floors when staying at huts.

Marmot Arroyo cost about $250 from memory and is 300g of 800 loft fill, about 800g overall with stuff sack and has a "100% Nylon Silicone DWR" outer.

[norts]

I have a Fairydown Viper and an Exped Downmat 7 (short)
The viper weighs about 1.3 and has a dryloft outer.
I have been a bit cold at times( thermals and a polypro balaclava and a beanie) I was on camped on snow and the temperature really dropped over night. Everything frozen solid.

I find it is good for 95% of my walking. I do have a warmer and heavier Pallin sleeping bag but it doesnt have a w/proof outer. Iwas too hot in it most of the time.

I would love a sub 1kg bag but the budget wont stretch to that( I cant really justify saving 1/2kg by spending $500 plus to my budget controller).

Roger

[rohjoe]

I have owned a Mountain Equipment Helium 600 for about 3 years, bought from Bogong Equipment in Melbourne...
http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/the_gear/down_sleeping_bags/helium/helium_600_---432/

Got the XL version which weighs a fraction over 1 kg. Delighted with its performance so far, although have yet to camp in snow with it. Doesn't have a water resistant outer shell.
RJ

[Barrabeachy]

I grabbed a -5 rated sleeping bag made for the army at a site called http://www.kitbag.com.au/prod537.htm it weighs 1.3kgs water proof base and water resistant upper i am heading to the walls of jerusalem late January to test it out your thoughts would be appreciated,do i need a liner maybe! I also own a kathmandu down bag which is a lot bulkier but extremely warm but needs waterproofing!

Cheers Beachy

[Andrew]

I bought 2 Western Mountaineering Ultralites. They were in Paddy Palin range last year at $850 or so and I got mine on ebay (new) less than $400 but the exchange was a bit beter than at present. They weigh 850g and very warm - rated at 20 F which is -7 C. We still take our 1.8kg bags in winter (in Tassie) but much prefer the lighter ones. Western Mountaineering seem to be a good company and only make bags and have done for 30 years.

Cheers,

Andrew

[roysta]

While we're on this subject, anyone here got a One Planet Cocoon 500?
I'm headed to the Andes in just over a month and will use one of these with a Sea to Summit Thermolite reactor for additional support.
The Cocoon 500 is comfort rated from 0 to -6, but only weighs 840g.
I've ordered the bag but still keen to hear of any observations.

[Andrew]

Hi Roysta,

I have heard good things. There is a custom one where you could add a bit more fill to that bag and that was the other one we decided to choose between. Not sure if the custom model is still available as not on One Planet website. We went for Western Mountaineering in the end because of the sharp deal on ebay.

Cheers,

Andrew

[DaveNoble]

While we're on this subject, anyone here got a One Planet Cocoon 500?

I have a Cocoon 500 - and have been very happy with it. It is nice and light and compact in size and seems well made. The down quality is very good (800 loft - almost as good as the 850 loft bags from Western Mountaineering). I use the bag for winter trips in the Blue Mts and have used it in the Tassie highlands in summer and autumn and in NZ in January 2007

Dave

[roysta]

Thanks Andrew and Dave for your replies.
One other question Dave, what type of a sleeping mat are you using with the Cocoon?
I have two 3/4 mats, a Pro-Lite 3 and Insul Mat Ether Thermo 6.
Given I could face up to -5 to -8 in the tropical alps, what do you think?

[DaveNoble]

One other question Dave, what type of a sleeping mat are you using with the Cocoon?

I use the lightest 3/4 thermorest - prolite or whatever it is called

Dave

[mattanitah]

I use and highly reccomend an eXped down filled sleeping mat
and a MONT brindabella sleeping bag..

very very cosy

[Andrew]

Hi Roysta,

We have full-length thermarests (950g) and Pacific Outdoors Ether-Thermo6: 2/3 (460g). The Ether-Thermos usually get the nod due to the weight advantage but I also think they are more comfortable to sleep on being a fair bit thicker.

Cheers,

Andrew

[johnw]

...Pacific Outdoors Ether-Thermo6: 2/3 (460g). The Ether-Thermos usually get the nod due to the weight advantage but I also think they are more comfortable to sleep on being a fair bit thicker...

How do you find these for warmth? We bought the standard length Ether Thermo 6 (600gm) a couple of months ago. Tried them on one overnight trip and like the extra thickness; insulation seemed good in cool-ish conditions but it wasn't really cold. Will be taking them through WOJ on a 7 day trip end of this week, hopefully for comfortable nights' sleep.

[Andrew]

How do you find these for warmth?

I haven't noticed a difference compared to the Thermarest. We haven't had them long and last time that it was cold on a winter trip we had 1.9kg bags instead of 850g so didn't notice the cold but I expect they will be similar.

Cheers,

Andrew

[geoffmallo]

If it's down to about 0C then Western Mountaineering Highlight (450g total). I've used it down to about 0C and been comfortable. I can't say how much I love this bag, but you need to know when to use it. Can't take it on really warm trips as it only have a half zipper. I couple it with the pacific outdoors ether 6 thermo long. Leaves my prolite therm-a-rest for dead. Read my review here (http://mycampgear.com/2008/10/03/review ... eeping-mat).

For a bit more warmth I plan to use it with a vapor barrier top. This should get me down to -5 I'm hoping.

Winter (snow) conditions I use a Mountain Hardware Banshee SL. Warm unless you're in crazy cold which we don't get. This goes on my therm-a-rest prolite 4 regular. It has 800+ loft down but just doesn't feel quite like a western mountaineering. 1.4kg from memory.

[Franco]

If you can afford one, a Western Mountaineering bag is hard to beat. Down to about 0 c I would recommend the Summerlite, a bit heavier than my Highlite but has a full zip and is a few degrees warmer (has baffles ,not quilted like the Highlite) I now use a modified JRB quilt instead of the Highlite.

For colder weather down to about minus 10c (WM figures are relatively conservative) the Ultralite at around 750 g (from memory) is a very packable and light option. I have used it between 15c and 0 c as a quilt. A nice feature is that you can bunch up the down on top for extra warmth (or shift it the bottom if you don't like the quilt mode in warmer weather)

Mats , I mostly use the PO Max Thermo (now Ether thermo) for warmer weather, then the Thermarest Pro Lite 4 (women version cause I am only 171cm tall). For colder weather and comfort I use the Downmat 7.

BTW, you get used to sleep under a quilt and turn without moving it. I toss and turn a lot.

Franco

[lexharris]

Mont, bought it 25 years ago and it's still keeping me warm. No complaints, it will probably outlast me. Thermarest mat, full length, I'm tall.

[Whos_asking99]

I have a cheapo +5 sleeping bag designed for casual summer camping...not for rainy/near snow condition's, as ive discovered.

[Franco]

Just a tip from an ex retailer...
The cheaper the brand (or product) the more inflated the claims tend to be. The reason is very simple. If you know bags, as an example, you already know that a 1 inch thick synthetic bag is not going to keep you warm at +10 c. However it will sound like a bargain (cost and weight wise) to the beginner.
(beginners relay heavily on manufacturers specs and are impressed by big numbers regardless if that represents a benefit or not. IE a pack with 10 external pockets is not necessarily better than one with two )
Compare for example the specs of a bargain power drill with a professional tool. Or an amateur video camera at $399 with a 50x zoom with a semi-pro version at 5K with a 12x zoom...
Franco

[Taurë-rana]

Thanks for the replies. I looked at a Western Mountaineering Highlite and was surprised at the quilting in it as I would have thought that would make it not as warm. I don't think it would be warm enough for me anyway, but unfortunately they didn't have any other models. I also tried a WM Flight down jacket on which felt as light as, well, as light as a feather , and very warm. I think they would be nice to have.

[photohiker]

Just to park Brett's input regarding bag choices here (from my scarp thread) Makes sense to try and keep sleeping bag discussion together:

On the sleeping bag side of things I originally went for a One Planet Rockledge which is now the Winterlite lighest being -7 rated. Great bag just a little too short for me. There is nothing like spending the longest night in a bag too short to seek a longer ones I after some research came up with the Western Mountaineering bags as they were available in the 6'6" range being just shy of 2 metres in modern speak. Also being 850 loft they were warmer for the weight compared to the Winter-lite. The Versa light which is the equivalent of the Cocoon is under a kilogram for a -12 bag. The Badger(might be wrong on the name it could be an Antelope) which is Gore-tex dryloft is around 1.5 kilograms from memory and is -10. The Badger is a bigger bag for girth. Word of warning with USA stuff their bags can be somewhat narrower at the chest and tight at the feet. One Planet Winter-lite bags are much more roomier width-wise. The Cocoon are shorter and narrower than the standard (now called long) Winter-lite. Of the bags I have mentioned all are great and will do what is required but my favourite is the Badger as it is just wide enough to be comfortable and definitely long enough. The Versalite is just amazing to see grow when unpacked and its lighter weigh and more compact size means for longer trips it would be an option though it is a bit snug for me. However having said all the above had a Cocoon been long enough with the same girth as the Winter-lite i would have been more than happy to buy it at the time I was looking.

Cheers Brett

I'm 6'1" in the old money, and pretty lean. I don't mind if the bag is snug, as long as I'm warm which will probably put me into a long bag. So my checkout list is currently:

One Planet Cocoon 400 (half zip!) 840g
One Planet Zephyr 400 (full zip) 1000g
WM Ultralite (full zip) 870g

By the sounds of it, the WM bag will be warmer than the OP bags. Full double ended zip too.

Pricing is in OP's favour unless I go ebay or buy in the US which makes WM about the same money.

[Son of a Beach]

Note that the Zephyr is not mummy-shaped, which probably accounts for some of the additional weight. It also has a second zip across the bottom end (I assume this is so that it can be zipped to another Zephyr for couples using the longitudinal zip, independently of the bottom zip).

Mummy-shaped bags will be both warmer and lighter than the semi-rectangulars, but I've migrated away from mummy-shaped as they don't suit my restless sleeping habits (eg, I don't want my legs nearly together all night every night).

[climberman]

I am doing similar research - but will now add the WM bags into the equation. You might like to look at and consider these:

Montbell #1 800, 800 loft, 950gms, -9 (extreme to -16 I think) C http://www.iclimb.co.nz/aussleepingbags.htm
Montbell #0 900, 800 loft, 1200gms, - 16 (extreme to -21 I think) C
Mont telemark 750 loft, 850g down, 1530 grams, -13 to -19 C http://www.mont.com.au/index/catalog/product/60
Mont spindrift 750 oft, 750g down, 1420gms, -9 to -15 C http://www.mont.com.au/index/catalog/product/59

the One Planet Cocoon and Zephyr discussed above are also in the mix.

[climberman]

Oh, and in answer to your query DA - for the mat I use a Pacific Outdoor Equipment AO Mtn 2/3 length (52 x 122 x 3.8 cm). Very impressed with the mat as a balance of light and comfort and cost. Well worth checking out. In oz they are available from http://www.wildernesssports.com.au, and other places.

My bag is a 20 year old Mountain Designs rig. Warm, but heavy as a truck and time to get it to move on (hence my checking out the others.

[Nuts]

Hi Annie.

Ive been using Marmot bags. They have a huge range, have won many design awards and at the top end they are comparable to WM bags for somehow less cost. The ratings are conservative if anything and they are generous cut.

As was said, at the end of the day ( ), I think that its just another case of getting what you pay for (which Still adds up to getting more for your $ from international sources). I used MD bags till the US$ dropped, probably wouldnt go back to them now...

I have a bag with the waterproof outer (well... the seams arent so kinda not really are they) and prefer just the water resistant (any good brand) shell. Would add a lightweight cover/bivy if needed.

[Nuts]

Doh, just realised how old your post was....oh well, may help someone...

[luke_vic]

Hi Nuts,

I'm currently looking at getting a 3/4 season bag rated to approx -10, and the Marmot Pinnacle is on my shortlist. Have you had any experience with the bag? The only problem I can see is that it doesn't have a full length zipper.

Cheers
Luke

[photohiker]

Don't have good pricing yet:

SleepingBags.jpg (34.42 KiB) Viewed 37738 times

Sorted by fill weight which is relevant with the exception of the Zephyrs and the different loft values. Interesting temp for fill info there. Monts have Hydronaute shells.

Spent some time in the outdoors shops today. Got to see the One Planet, Mont and WM bags. Impressed with all of them. Sales people are generally suggesting long bags for me.

Found an online shop that does WM bags with free overfill (WM offers 2 ounce overfill) at $200+ saving over local price.

Also saw some PP and Kathmandu bags (generally heavy for rating) and some MD bags on special

[climberman]

photohiker I have almost that EXACT table here ! Pretty much with the same contents. I'm leaning towards a Montbell #1.