Hi!

I have a sleeping bag question. Since there's probably a million of these, I'm going to assume the responders are expert advice-givers and make this as clear and simple as possible.

NEEDS: I am stretching a 25L Backpack with an expanding top, along with a super-large lumbar pack, for 2-5 day adventures by using 1 pair of clothes, an ultralight henessey hammock, and ultralight packing principles/sacrifices. I need a sleeping bag that compresses very small for the bag, but I want to go winter camping and climb local mountains in midwinter in the northeastern US, often at moderate elevations like Mt Greylock and Mt Moosilauke. I will not be climbing in temperatures lower than 10º.


Sleeping Pad: I have a full-length rectangular Thermarest NeoAir with a high warmth rating. In the hammock, it covers everything except my feet.

Temperature: I sleep cold. I want to use this sleeping bag in the winter, but I also want something packable in as few liters as possible. I have a Sea to Summit Reactor liner that adds 10 or so degrees, and I sleep in midweight merino wool and Under Armour with extra thick wool socks. I have a pretty awesome ski jacket from L.L. Bean that I lay over my sleeping bag while I sleep.

What's my best bag under $400?

Since I have the hammock, I don't need to worry about moisture on the ground- down or synthetic doesn't matter to me. Weight isn't even that critical since I'm young and strong, just compressibility.

Best choice I have found so far: EMS Mountain Light: http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4434443&cp=3677338.11326791.3705267

Thank you for taking the time to address another Sleeping Bag question- I really appreciate it!

You'll have to look at quilts. Best bang for the buck and there are lots to choose from now.

Enlightened gear quilts, Jacks R Better quilts, Hammock Gear, Warbonnet, all just a google away and less than $400. All quality gear. All compress smaller than any sleeping bag because they have less material - nothing underneath you. Less bulk to fight with in the hammock - many hammockers use the sleeping bag like a quilt but find that gives them an overabundance of material to bunch up around them.

I'm not so sure about quilts... For starters, I often feel like the material underneath me creates that "seal" around me that keeps me warm. I'm sure these are tested and refined, but I can't help but feel like I'm going to slide to the side of the quilt and wake up shivering.

I have mastered the complicated, tantric art of getting into a sleeping bag in the hammock through months of sleeping in it.

Secondly, on some rare occasion, I foresee myself using it outside a hammock. Inside a shelter or cabin, on a porch, in a car, in a treeless tundra (unlikely) or in a 2-person tent with a girl- all semi-realistic possibilities and I want the bag to be ready for them.

If you're counting on a T-rest to keep you warm I hope it's wider than the typical 20 inches. The hammock has a tendency to wrap up your sides and compress the bag, creating cold spots. Recommend finding a 24-inch pad, even if it's a cheap closed-cell foam one.

Confess I liked my trials with a GoLite quilt in my Hennessy this spring--warm and much easier to get in and out of than a traditional sleeping bag.

Happy experimenting,

I still think you should give a quilt a try. Quilts do move with you more than your blanket at home. Plus the sides of the hammock will help keep it aligned. Quilts were made for hammocks.

As far as non-hammock use... well I use a quilt and I don't use a hammock. Check out my review of my Enlightened Equipment quilt from a couple months back. I am very happy with it.

I also concur, you probably need to improve your backside insulation.

Marmot has some very nice sleeping bags for the weight and compression. I'm new to hammock and I'm planning to ditch the pad altogether when I get a under quilt to insulate my backside. I'll keep the pad for when I use a tent. I will use the same sleeping bag for either abode.