First post here... I am getting myself and my family into backpacking this year. We have 2 kids (12 and 14) and 2 dogs and we will be backpacking in the Southern french alps (betwen 2000m and 3400m). Mostly 1 nighter for week-ends from May to Oct. I have to buy all the overnight gear as we have only been doing day drips up to that point.
I have been doing some online research and was leaning toward the following, I want to keep things light as the trips will involve quite a bit of vertical:
- Pack for me: Osprey Atmos 65 - Pack for my wife: Osprey Atmos 50 - Pack for kids: not sure at this point - Tent 1: Mountain hardware Skyledge 3 (I am 6'5") - Tent 2: same as tent 1 or maybe a 2 persons tent - Sleeping bag for me: Mtn hardware Phantom 45 or 32 (I am a warm sleeper) or Big agnes pitch pine SL - Sleeping pads: big agnes rem pad or thermarest light (depending on bag choice) - Sleeping bag for my wife: Mtn hardware Phantom 15 (she is a cold sleeper) or big agnes .
Please let me know if you see anything wrong on the above list.
Welcome, Lionel! Good choices. What is the price range and where are the dog packs on your list? Your pooches should carry their own.
Hi, I guess this list will set me back quite a bit as the tents are about $400 each, the bags $200 to $300 each, same for sleeping bags....
On the other end I want to buy something good that I can use for a long time and I would rather avoid buying some low end items and upgrading after 2 or 3 trips!
Another question I have on sleeping bags is that I sleep on my side and I am 6'5" so maybe a mummy bag will not be as confortable as a more rectangular pad.
Prety good choices with the possible exception if the MH bags. I owned a MH Phantom 32 & ret'd. it unused B/C of poor loft and the half zipper that drove me crazy when I tested it indoors. Others have experienced the same. (I got a much pricier but much better Western Mountaineering Megalite regular and love it.)
Look closely at Marmot bags. Good loft, good quality and decent pricing.
Eric
_________________________
"There are no comfortable backpacks. Some are just less uncomfortable than others."
I'm also a side sleeper, and mummy bags work just fine for me. I get into it and lie on my back, zip it closed, and snug the hood and shoulder adjustments. Then, when I want to roll onto my side, I roll the bag with me, so the hood remains properly oriented. (You don't so much lie in the bag as you wear it, like a jacket.)
In warmer weather, I usually just unzip the bag, fold the hood in so it's out of the way, and throw it over me like a blanket. Then you can roll onto your side like normal.
Prety good choices with the possible exception if the MH bags. I owned a MH Phantom 32 & ret'd. it unused B/C of poor loft and the half zipper that drove me crazy when I tested it indoors. Others have experienced the same. (I got a much pricier but much better Western Mountaineering Megalite regular and love it.)
Look closely at Marmot bags. Good loft, good quality and decent pricing.
Eric
Eric, I was sort of concerned about the half zip as well who seems to have mostly downsides. I will look at other options.Marmot has a 40F bad called the Arete that looks OK. For WM I see yours as well as the MityLite (40F no hood, more rectangular) that can be a good option but does not seem to exist in a large or the highlite cheaper than yours and rated 35F. They all seem to get pretty good reviews. I think that a 30F bag like yours could be overkill for a warm sleeper like me.
#93242 - 03/27/0810:55 AMRe: New equipment, help needed!
[Re: lionelB]
midnightsun03
member
Registered: 08/06/03
Posts: 2936
Loc: Alaska
Lionel...
You are one tall dude... are you broad shouldered as well? Your shoulder size may dictate which sleeping bag to get. I had a friend once who was 6'6" and was only comfortable in a hoodless more rectangular shaped bag. You might want to look into quilts before investing.
You are going to be at moderate elevation... do you know what kinds of temperatures and weather conditions you might expect?
MNS
_________________________
YMMV. Viewer discretion is advised.
You are one tall dude... are you broad shouldered as well? Your shoulder size may dictate which sleeping bag to get. I had a friend once who was 6'6" and was only comfortable in a hoodless more rectangular shaped bag. You might want to look into quilts before investing.
You are going to be at moderate elevation... do you know what kinds of temperatures and weather conditions you might expect?
MNS
I am going to check REI or some other places next week and get into these bags to see how that feels. I am a bit nervous about the full mummy with hoods. I see that the bags description give the shoulder width. Is there a rule of thumb on what shoulder width to use compare to my actual shoulder width?
As far as temperatures during the summer at night in the southern Alps at 3300m (about 10K feet) temperatures can certainly drop below freezing if the wind helps it.
#93244 - 03/27/0803:25 PMRe: New equipment, help needed!
[Re: lionelB]
bigfoot2
member
Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 1432
Loc: Eugene , Oregon
Western Mountaineering makes 7 foot length bags. You should also consider a Nunatak quilt that you could have tailor made to your specific body type. Both choices are expensive but will last you a long time. Good quality gear.
_________________________
Hammockers aren't stuck up, they're just above it all.
Western Mountaineering makes 7 foot length bags. You should also consider a Nunatak quilt that you could have tailor made to your specific body type. Both choices are expensive but will last you a long time. Good quality gear.
Thanks. I checked the long WM Megalite. It is rated 30F, maybe a bit more that what I wanted. But it seems to be a larger bag that most others and it has a full zipper. So hopefully on warmer nights I would not be too warm (which would be my concern on a 30F bag).
#93247 - 03/28/0810:17 AMRe: New equipment, help needed!
[Re: lionelB]
BarryP
member
Registered: 03/04/04
Posts: 1574
Loc: Eastern Idaho
“Thanks. I checked the long WM Megalite. It is rated 30F, maybe a bit more that what I wanted. But it seems to be a larger bag that most others and it has a full zipper. So hopefully on warmer nights I would not be too warm (which would be my concern on a 30F bag).”
I have a Megalite and a Caribou MF. The Caribou is the same size but lighter and rated to 35F. It is box-stitched and I love box-stitched over ‘continuous baffles’ because the down doesn’t shift around. And you don’t lose heat through the stitching at the temperatures it’s rated to. And it’s slightly cheaper ($270 vs $330).
In our family, the most expensive gear is--- the bags.
Registered: 04/06/06
Posts: 290
Loc: New York / Istanbul
Quote:
Another question I have on sleeping bags is that I sleep on my side and I am 6'5" so maybe a mummy bag will not be as confortable as a more rectangular pad.
I'm 6'5" / 198cm. Getting used to a mummy bag has nothing to do with being tall.
I fit fine in Western Mountaineering / Feathered Friends bags. I own one of each, and I like them both very much. I am a side sleeper as well, and I do fine.
I'm 6'5" / 198cm. Getting used to a mummy bag has nothing to do with being tall.
I fit fine in Western Mountaineering / Feathered Friends bags. I own one of each, and I like them both very much. I am a side sleeper as well, and I do fine.
Hi, as you are exactly my size, I would be interested in which WM bag you own. Thanks.
Registered: 04/06/06
Posts: 290
Loc: New York / Istanbul
I have a 6'6" WM Super BigHorn Dryloft. They don't make it anymore, but it's pretty much the same as the Puma. It's a -30 cold weather / big mountain bag.
I've also got a Feathered Friends Swallow. I chose this bag even though it's a bit snug for my shoulders so I could get a bit lighter and a bit more temperature range.
They're both exquisite and expensive bags. The 64" shoulder girth on the WM bag is absolutely required for me in winter conditions, and the FF 60" is a bit on the tight side, but it was an informed conscious decision as mentioned above.
I've been using my Bighorn since '99 or so, and I've slept in it at least 300 nights. I've spent only about 150-200 in my Swift. I couldn't say one was so much better than the other one. They're both way better for me and my uses than run of the mill sleeping bags and they're both extremely well constructed. I anticipate using them for the next ten or more years. As with every human made thing, eventually they'll feel the burden of time, but ...
Registered: 05/10/04
Posts: 493
Loc: Lynchburg, VA
There is a good explanation of the differences on the WM website I think (or maybe it was in their catalog). In a nutshell, the continuous baffles are "tubes" that extend around the circumference of the bag. The down in each tube is free to move in that tube (i.e. you could push all the down to one side of the tube if you wanted to). The box stitched construction looks like a quilt where there are squares stitched in the bag. The down is contained in these squares.
You should also think about the difference between the MF and Extremelite fabrics. In my experience I have found that the MF repels water much better. That's a nice thing for here in the humid wet SE. Oh yeah, and I guess at this point in time I should mention that I own 3 WM bags (Ultralite, Versalite and Caribou), and also that I am 6'-5".
Also, don't be shy about maybe getting something rated lower than the temps you expect to be in. Some people like myself are cold sleepers, and just cause a bag is rated for 30 deg F doesn't mean I will be comfortable in it in those temps. Just another thing to consider.
At any rate, do a search on the forum as there are at least a couple of threads where these types of things are discussed in detail. I remember contributing to some of those discussions, so I know they are there somewhere.
By the way BarryP, you are the first person that has mentioned that they like the box stitched construction over the continuous baffles. I totally agree with you. It's refreshing to hear your opinion with a good basis for it. I have read so much negative junk about the Caribou cause it is box stitched and doesn't have a draft tube, but it functions perfectly fine for the temperatures it was designed for.
There is a good explanation of the differences on the WM website I think (or maybe it was in their catalog). In a nutshell, the continuous baffles are "tubes" that extend around the circumference of the bag. The down in each tube is free to move in that tube (i.e. you could push all the down to one side of the tube if you wanted to). The box stitched construction looks like a quilt where there are squares stitched in the bag. The down is contained in these squares.
You should also think about the difference between the MF and Extremelite fabrics. In my experience I have found that the MF repels water much better. That's a nice thing for here in the humid wet SE. Oh yeah, and I guess at this point in time I should mention that I own 3 WM bags (Ultralite, Versalite and Caribou), and also that I am 6'-5".
Also, don't be shy about maybe getting something rated lower than the temps you expect to be in. Some people like myself are cold sleepers, and just cause a bag is rated for 30 deg F doesn't mean I will be comfortable in it in those temps. Just another thing to consider.
At any rate, do a search on the forum as there are at least a couple of threads where these types of things are discussed in detail. I remember contributing to some of those discussions, so I know they are there somewhere.
By the way BarryP, you are the first person that has mentioned that they like the box stitched construction over the continuous baffles. I totally agree with you. It's refreshing to hear your opinion with a good basis for it. I have read so much negative junk about the Caribou cause it is box stitched and doesn't have a draft tube, but it functions perfectly fine for the temperatures it was designed for.
Thanks for the explanation. I could not really find it on the WM site. If the MF fabric repeals water more than the Extremelite, does that mean that this is also less breathable?
I am a very warm sleeper actually. So I want to make sure that I have a bag that can work with temperature up to the high 40F.
Up to this point no one has mentioned anything about a backpack for the kids, so I'll chime in. I have backpacked with my son quite a bit over the years and found that there is quite a void when it comes to kids packs. I just noticed this one yesterday when I was on the MLD site. It's one of the few kids packs I've seen. Another option I might consider if I was in your position would be a Granite Gear Virga in a size "short". My nefew has used one since he was about 6 and it seems to work well for him.
Registered: 03/17/03
Posts: 501
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
With kids 12 and 14 years old, any pack recommended for Boy Scouts will work. The generally advice is to get an expandable external frame backpack that will grow with them. Kelty has a whole slew of exterior backpacks for kids that age.
#93257 - 03/31/0807:57 AMRe: New equipment, help needed!
[Re: lionelB]
BarryP
member
Registered: 03/04/04
Posts: 1574
Loc: Eastern Idaho
“As you have both the Megalite and the Caribou MF when do you decide to use one vs the other.”
Remember, this is just me. You might find another preference. I only take the Megalite when my wife is going with me. We use the one bag--- together. I shift most of the down to her side. She made a 9oz ‘sweetie pie’ that we zip into it. If it’s cold, the down bag is on top of us. If it’s warm, the sweetie pie is on top of us.
If my family is not with me, for 30F-40F weather, I take the POD30. It’s light and warm. For >40F, I take the Caribou.
Before I forget, I find the Extremlight and MF material both breathable (per your question in another post).
Registered: 05/10/04
Posts: 493
Loc: Lynchburg, VA
Both fabrics are quite breathable, and I believe the only difference (someone correct me if I'm wrong here) is that the MF has a higher thread count so it is in essence woven tighter. This is what helps it repel water better. the only reason I mentioned the two fabrics and that there is a difference is because I have read posts and reviews where people have complained about the Extremelite fabric in wet conditions. You can't have everything in one bag, and that is one of the things you give up with the Extremelite series of WM bags. They will get damp in prolonged wet conditions (i.e. in situations where there is heavy condensation such as an all night rain). This is fairly easily resolved by just making sure to keep the bag as dry as possible, and drying it out in the sun when the opportunity presents itself.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
Previous Topic
Index
