This has been a very informative thread with a lot of input from users of a lot of different sleeping bags. Over 15 and counting the last time I read through the whole post. Pose a question about the WM SummerLite bag and someone such as bilk chips in with an answer based on their actual experience. This is great, I have learned a lot about bags I have never used and hope to learn even more.

The last thing I want to do is hijack this thread and turn it into a “LuxuryLite V Bag” thread. I would rather hear more about other bags but I feel I must respond when I disagree with statements about something I have some experience with. So I will mount up and ride off in all directions one more time.

BarryP Quote: “He still only guarantees 3.15” loft. It’s lucky you got 4”.

It has been a long time since anyone called me “lucky”. The last wooden leg I ordered came with a knothole in it.

Of course the V Bag has a full guarantee and if my bag had not lofted a full 4-inches I would have sent it back. To quote the LuxuryLite web site: “Loft (thickness) 4” total” and this is posted right under a small picture demonstrating the 4-inch loft. The picture is a nice extra touch and I don’t know of anyone else selling sleeping bags that have done that. It would be even nicer if some of the other V Bag owners would jump in at this point with their pro and con opinions.

I don’t think it is fair to include the extra $40 for the pillow when you are comparing the price of the V Bag against other bags without a pillow. The V Bag prices are all off-season sale prices anyway and subject to change. In season and over the long haul I would not be surprised to find the average prices of a high volume dealer like Campmor to be lower. I did screw up on the price of the WM SummerLite long bag; it should have been $305, not $260.

If what you say is true that “Campmor is VERY liberal on its temperature rating” and their heavier fabric material “squishes the loft” than I can’t very well evaluate or respond to your comparison of the 20/30-degree Campmor bags to the V Bag. And this would be a good spot for some Campmor bag owners to respond. At least Campmor lists loft measurements for their brand of bags. So many others do not and that is a big turn off for me when I am shopping for sleeping bags.

I measured the loft of the V Bag with two 4-inch book stacks and a PVC pipe. I drug the bag under the pipe and had good contact with the pipe in both the upper torso and lower leg areas of the bag. I think the extra down in the lower area may be denser but I could not detect much difference in loft. This is probably why bilk and I have had comparable results at around 40-degrees, we both have 4-inch loft bags. I sleep colder than I used to, but did not need my down vest using the V bag as a quilt until the temperature fell to 30 degrees and when it bottomed out at 25 degrees, I zipped the bag up. I stayed warm on what has been my coldest night.

And so far, I have not noticed any excessive down shifting nor any other issues with the location of the top center full-length V Bag zipper. I have told my wife I need to get out more and do a lot more “field testing.” I won’t repeat what she told me.

There are several good bags out there that have half-length center zips. The Nunatak Alpinist should probably be on anyone’s ultimate bag list. It is listed with 2.5-inch high baffles, which should two-layer loft about 5 inches. The 6’ 6 inch long bag is 23 ounces and costs $411. Here is what Nunatak says about the center zip Alpinist.

“First we moved the zipper from the side to a center front location. This gives you full use of both arms while still having head and back in the sleeping bag, a must when performing camp tasks in less than ideal conditions. The center zip also gives you more effective torso ventilation. Sleeping on your sides is also more comfortable since a zipper on your shoulder sucks.”

I have found lighter weight down sleeping quilts such as Nunatak and Jacks R Better, but none as cheap as the V Bag. And I like having a back up zipper for those cold nights when I chicken out.