so i've been doing a lot of looking at sleeping bags from rei, backcountry, etc. i just went on ebay and saw a sleeping bag brand called ledge?

their Ledge Featherlight 0 degree seems to be super lightweight (2.9 lbs) and packs really small as well.

i've tried doing some research online to see what people have to say about the bag, and i havn't foun anything negative.

the bag can be had for around 30-40 $, which seems ridiculously low to me. has anyone had any experience with or heard about ledge bags?

thanks!

no, but i'd be very, very wary. 99.9% of the time, if a sleeping bag sounds too good to be true, then it IS too good to be true.

Welcome aboard packer3. Hope to hear more from you.

Well, here are some of my thoughts:
1. It seems your 2.9 lb weight is really 3.8 lb.
2. I wonder why it is cheaper than slumberjack or kelty?
3. I would never take a ~4lb bag backpacking
4. “Hibernate Extreme” is a mystery/unkown insulation. It is typical for low-cost vendors to be off 10-20F in their bag ratings.
5. When it packs down to about the same size as Kelty’s 600 down lightyear 0F bag, something is wrong. Synthetic does not compress as small as down.
5. If you’re just starting out and you don’t plan on backpacking too often, or too far, and you’re really hurting on finances, then this bag may be all right for you. But I wouldn’t want to see you get discouraged for carrying a heavy backpack, and I mean HEAVY backpack. These kind of sleeping bags have mysterious sister-sister relationships, with 6.3 lb tents and 7.3 lb backpacks, that are hard to break.
6. A down bag has a high resale value. Synthetic has poor resale value. If later on, you find yourself not using this bag much, this is a factor to consider.


Just some things to think about.
Good luck w/ a bag purchase. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


-Barry

thanks for the input all. i think i'll take your suggestions and stay away!

At the other end of the scale are Western Mountaineering bags. Their 0 degree Kodiak bags cost between $470 and over $600 depending on length and whether they have a Goretex shell. They all have 30 oz of down and weigh between 2 lbs 12 oz and 3 lbs 8, again depending on length and material.

Between these extremes of dirt cheap and incredibly expensive bags are dozens of good, bad and indifferent bags in both down and synthetic.

Aside from what you wear (clothes, boots, etc.), your sleeping bag is, in my opinion, the most personal piece of gear you will buy. You will spend a lot of time in it. It may seem hard to spend what seems like a lot of money for one, but if you use it a lot, it will be worth it.

A good bag may last you a long time. My bag hasn't gotten all that much use, but I have owned it for over 20 years. I paid a couple of hundred bucks for it, as I recall. I like the way it feels and I like the color. I have passed on buying some other bags just because the color put me off.

As far as Barry's comment about weight, winter bags can weigh 4 lbs or more, so I think he means a 3 season bag, which are usually considerably lighter.

You can often find deals on bags here in our Buy/Sell forum, Craigslist or eBay, but you need to know what you are looking at and whether the price is a good value.

Not long ago, I saw several bags on eBay sell for way above retail. We talked about that here and couldn't figure out how that could happen. Turns out someone from Europe bought one of them and didn't realize what it actually was worth. So, do your homework before bidding, just like you are doing now. We have a lot of people here who own a wide variety of gear and can give you informed feedback on a lot of different products. Sites like www.backpackgeartest.com can be helpful if you see what you are considering tested on the site.

Somebody in this forum once said. An expensive bag makes you cry once - when you buy it. A cheap bag makes you cry everytime you use it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

thanks for the asnwer.

i guess, i woudl be willing to spend around 150 $ for a bag. i would be mainly using it for 3 seasonal up here in the northwest. of course, looking for something light weight that packs up nice and small.

any suggestions of what to check out?

also, need a pad too =)

If you post your question in “Backcountry Beginners” you will get a lot of excellent answers.

For $150 sleeping bags, some starters would be:

1. Kelty Lightyear 20. Plan on it being a 30F bag, $140 at http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___43124
2. Campmor 20. Also plan it being a 30F bag http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___40065


Now pads are a whole other category. It is very individual. A lot of people like the user-inflatable ones like Big Agnes or POE. I’m one of the few that couldn’t get comfortable on one and I like:

Prolite 4, ¾ length (<16oz)
Woman’s Prolite 4 (24oz)
Gossamer Gear Torso Pad (3.5oz) + an open cell pad (11x17x1.5” 3.5oz) + Gossamer Gear Thinlight (2oz)
Bozeman Torso self inflatable (9oz) – this packs the smallest.

Which one I take depends on the trip and mood I’m in.

Also, it’s hard to test unless you try it for 3 days straight. Sometimes it’s hard for the body to adjust from house bed to camp bed. So basically--- you have to experiment. If you find yourself sleeping fine on a Gossamer Gear Torso Pad by itself on a rock floor (with backpack under the feet), all the more lightweight power to you!

-Barry

Buy it, and then give it to a friend for a birthday present. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />