Post by: Jeremiah P on February 26, 2012, 02:59:04 PM
Post by: Bob33 on February 26, 2012, 03:40:19 PM
Post by: high country on February 26, 2012, 03:59:04 PM
Post by: halflife65 on February 26, 2012, 04:23:53 PM
Montbell is top shelf. I run western mountaineering myself.:yeah: The difference is that I would LIKE to be running Western Mountaineering. One of these days...
Post by: Jeremiah P on February 26, 2012, 06:34:00 PM
Post by: Jeremiah P on February 26, 2012, 07:11:12 PM
Post by: HardCorpsHuntr on February 26, 2012, 07:21:34 PM
Here is their zero, which is what I would buy if looking for a zero.
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Banshee%E2%84%A2-0-%28Long%29/OU8480_L,default,pd.html
Good luck.
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on February 26, 2012, 07:26:35 PM
Post by: high country on February 26, 2012, 10:05:55 PM
Weight is very important due to backpack trips. Are you guys saying that western mountaineering bags are better? Thanks
WM, montbell, valandre.....you are at the top of the heap. You have to focus on what you want in features. I run a wm because they are a bit bigger....and made in the usa.
Post by: swanny on February 27, 2012, 08:04:49 AM
Post by: 7mag. on February 27, 2012, 08:13:42 AM
Love Marmot bags personally. Do you really need a ZERO degree bag?! +15 should be plenty for most any time of the year in our state, for almost anywhere you go.
Twice I've had it go to single digits on the high hunt in September. I was pretty glad to have a Zero degree bag.
Post by: rasbo on February 27, 2012, 08:41:45 AM
Post by: baldopepper on February 27, 2012, 08:57:05 AM
Post by: high country on February 27, 2012, 09:00:19 AM
when I see the degrees posted on bags,Like, good to 15 degrees,Im sure that means you wont die at 15 degrees,but your gonna freeze your ass off all night...I had a zero degree mummy,stayed warm at 12 degrees but was most uncomfortable in it..to tight
That is exactly how bags are rated. You will not be comfortable in a 0 degree bag in 0 degrees, but you will not die.Read an article that said to buy at least 20 degrees less that you were expecting the temp to be.
It all depends on the mfr. I ran a Sierra designs for a few years. They make a good solid product, but the rating was a bit optimistic imo. My wm bag is lighter and I have taken it to 5* under its rating (15* bag) and my only gripe was when my hat fell off. I did sleep in my long johns and was comfy all under my megalight, which is noting more than a tarp. If you use a bivy you can get away with less bag.
Post by: rasbo on February 27, 2012, 09:03:50 AM
I finally said hell with it and bought the 23ft comfort aluminum bag,LOLwhen I see the degrees posted on bags,Like, good to 15 degrees,Im sure that means you wont die at 15 degrees,but your gonna freeze your ass off all night...I had a zero degree mummy,stayed warm at 12 degrees but was most uncomfortable in it..to tight
That is exactly how bags are rated. You will not be comfortable in a 0 degree bag in 0 degrees, but you will not die.Read an article that said to buy at least 20 degrees less that you were expecting the temp to be.
It all depends on the mfr. I ran a Sierra designs for a few years. They make a good solid product, but the rating was a bit optimistic imo. My wm bag is lighter and I have taken it to 5* under its rating (15* bag) and my only gripe was when my hat fell off. I did sleep in my long johns and was comfy all under my megalight, which is noting more than a tarp. If you use a bivy you can get away with less bag.
Post by: high country on February 27, 2012, 09:04:08 AM
If you are not backpacking with it, don't mess around-buy the -35 oversize bags. Spent a couple of nights hunting in Utah where it was so cold our Igloo water jug froze solid and all beer and pop cans exploded, still slept warm. Much easier to un zip and throw off a bag that's to warm than to try to stay warm in an under rated bag. Unless you have to for back packing, I would never consider a mummy bag unless you have a body that resemble a pipe cleaner. Oversize is the only way to go!!! (They're cheap enough these days a person can own 2 easy enough-one for summer and one for winter)
When i got my ultimate thule by wiggy's I tried it in the yard on a pad without any cover. It was just below zero and i woke to a frozen shell, but was cozy warm. That is a seriously warm bag.
Post by: swanny on February 27, 2012, 03:18:14 PM
when I see the degrees posted on bags,Like, good to 15 degrees,Im sure that means you wont die at 15 degrees,but your gonna freeze your ass off all night...I had a zero degree mummy,stayed warm at 12 degrees but was most uncomfortable in it..to tight
Most main stream manufacturers are now using the EN rating system which does help standardize and provide a more true rating for the bag. A +15 bag from many of the major players is really going to provide you true +15 warmth now for most people. This does take into effect that you are wearing midweight long underwear, socks, a hat, and are using a sleeping pad.
Post by: Miles on February 29, 2012, 04:43:32 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on February 29, 2012, 05:22:31 AM
Post by: Knocker of rocks on February 29, 2012, 06:20:58 AM
Post by: Miles on February 29, 2012, 06:33:53 AM
I say go with the Big Agnes sleep system. There are many advantages to having the sleeping pad incorporated within the sleeping bag. You can't go wrong especially if you ever sleep in a bivy or Hannessy Hammock. :twocents:
That is true. My father has a BA and that is a nice little set up (with the pad inside the bag). The only downfall I can see is, when using a floorless shelter (like mine) his sleeping bag was literally on the ground/dirt. I used my pad as the layer between my bag and the dirt. The only way to get around this is to carry a ground sheet (more weight).
Post by: high country on February 29, 2012, 08:42:47 AM
Post by: fillthefreezer on February 29, 2012, 09:18:56 AM
Post by: coachcw on February 29, 2012, 09:54:12 AM
Post by: high country on February 29, 2012, 11:14:39 AM
You might wanna check out a wiggley bag . they have a sleeping system . inner and outter bag the outter shell makes a good summer bag the inner goe's down to the teens and both gets you as low cold as you wanna go !
They are awesome for everything shy of backpacking. Well built, huge zippers and warm....but compressability is about equal to steel. Make sure if you buy one, you don't give jerry your email addy.....he is herpes to the spam account, he just won't go away.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on February 29, 2012, 12:04:37 PM
-Steve
Post by: coachcw on February 29, 2012, 12:12:32 PM
I guess my pack is bigger . but typically I only carry the inside bag while back packing , never been cold in it .You might wanna check out a wiggley bag . they have a sleeping system . inner and outter bag the outter shell makes a good summer bag the inner goe's down to the teens and both gets you as low cold as you wanna go !
They are awesome for everything shy of backpacking. Well built, huge zippers and warm....but compressability is about equal to steel. Make sure if you buy one, you don't give jerry your email addy.....he is herpes to the spam account, he just won't go away.
Post by: Skyvalhunter on February 29, 2012, 01:21:34 PM
Post by: high country on February 29, 2012, 02:28:53 PM
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=products&page=Sleeping%20Bags&cat=Microfiber%20Series&ContentId=34
Post by: dreamingbig on March 02, 2012, 08:06:40 AM
Post by: C-Money on March 02, 2012, 08:16:07 AM