Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
The Kelty keeps me warm down to 32º. I've used it in the mid-20ºs, and while I wasn't toasty warm, I wasn't really cold either. At those temps I laid my down coat over top of it, mostly because I had it with me, and then I was toasty warm.
The comfort rating for that bag is either 30º or 32º. I'd say that's pretty accurate for me, and I'd say I sleep a bit cold compared to some people.
I used it two nights ago when the lows were in the mid-50's and with it zipped only about half way up I was very comfortable.
Personally, I am very happy with the Kelty Light Year Down bag so far. Unless it starts coming unraveled at the seams I expect be happy with it for many years to come.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Don't have anything to add about the bags. If you are sleeping hot, just use the bag as a quilt and flop it over yourself. When I am running really hot, I sleep with my feet sticking out and then I am fine. If my feet are happy, I'm happy...apparently they are key to helping me thermo-regulate.
Whether a 20-degree bag will be too hot depends on the outside temperature - and I don't mean that as a wise-guy response.I'm assuming that your question is, "If I carry this year-round (as my general purpose sleeping bag), will it be too hot in the summer?"
It depends on what your summer weather is like. If you're in the lower Midwest, yeah, it probably will be. If you're in the upper Midwest, or in the New England mountains, it may not be (I don't have the experience there to know.) For a lot of years, I carried a 20-degree bag in the lower Midwest as my only bag, and it worked. What I found was that if it was hot out, I could just leave it in my pack and sleep with no covers. If it got chilly toward morning, I simply used it unzipped as a quilt, draped loosely over my shoulders and upper body, or maybe with only my feet in it, or whatever felt good - kind of like sleeping in my bed at home with the window open. In 40 degree weather, I'd sleep inside it, but might only zip it to my waist; as it dropped toward 30, I might zip up, but not do up the hood or tighten it around my shoulders.
In the southern US, I'd expect (based on a few mid-summer camping trips to Virginia and backyard campouts in August with granddaughters in Georgia), it may very well be too much bag. Down there, a light fleece blanket is probably plenty unless you're going up into the mountains.
In North Carolina, I'd guess the answer is, it depends on where you go. If you head north or northwest, the bag will probably work fine; if you head south, it's going to be excess weight.
But for starting out now, you should worry more about the lows you expect to encounter; you can always not use the bag when it's hot, but you can't make it warmer when it's too cold. If you regularly find, later on, that the 20-degree bag is overkill in the summer, you can always add a 40 or 50 degree bag to your collection later (REI carries, I think, some cheap light bags advertised as "travel sacks" or "travel bags." You could also see if a "liner" would work (and use it to extend your bag's rating in colder temperatures.)
I hope that helps; I really don't have a frame of reference as to how general-purpose a 20-degree bag is in the western mountains or other areas.
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Originally Posted By skcreidc
When I am running really hot, I sleep with my feet sticking out and then I am fine. If my feet are happy, I'm happy...apparently they are key to helping me thermo-regulate.
You might not like this bag then. It has a 3/4 length zipper and the foot is boxed. Most of my nights out are in the 30ºs, and few are in the 50's, so it works well for me here, and I have a lighter bag if I need one.
Yeah like Glen said, you can always not use the bag on warmer nights, but when it's cold you can't make a light bag warmer. I do have a few Army poncho liners which should work well if we camp in the heat of summer. Really though, around here July and August can be opressively hot so we probably wouldnt BP in that sort of heat anyways.
Man, I can't wait for the tax return. I plan to buy the women's 20 deg Kelty lightyear down, for my wife. Hurry up IRS and put the money in my bank account.
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I am right with you. Considering a western Mountaineering Alpinlight, or a Marmot Helium. I have been extreamly happy with the other Marmot gear that I have. I have had my eye on that Granite Gear Blaze ac 60 pack as well??? Have to wait and see. The Climb had a good Kelty sale a month or so ago. Cheap prices. I have seen some nice bags on steep and cheep a time or two as well..
Just pulled the trigger on the women's Kelty lightyear 20 deg down for my wife. Although I was tempted to get one for me, I decided to wait till next year and get the WM that I want. I also decided to finally get a water filter. I bought the Sawyer Squeeze. I used one last year and loved it.
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Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Congrats!
I hope your wife loves the bag. I'm sure the WM is worth the wait, but it's still tough to hold off. I'll have to check into the Sawyer Squeeze. I like my Katadyn Hiker, but it's really more than I need for a few nights out, especially when going solo.
My friend got the squeeze last year and we used in on a week long King's Peak hike. There were four of us in the group. I think a larger group would need a faster and easier filter. The squeeze is definitely more of a solo filter.
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I think it all boils down to trapping warm air above you and your pad. For the weight, high-loft down does this the best. I favor an oversized bag that allows me to wear layers inside without compressing the loft. Be careful of ratings. If you look in Campmor's catalogue for example, you will see bags using the same insulation for which the bag with less insulation weight is rated by that manuafacturer higher than the other bag. I trust the ratings of high-end down manufacturers like Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends. These are probably out of your price range, but serve as a point of comparison. In the synthetic arena, I think Big Agnes ratings are pretty good.
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