Sleeping Bag advice for College Student

Hi, I'm a college student looking for a new sleeping bag. I'm debating whether or not to spend a ton of money. I'm looking for a bag between about 15-25ish degrees (definitely not warmer than 25).

I have some bags I'm considering in the $300 range at a somewhat lower price range.

1. The North Face blue kazoo ($280, 20 degrees, 2 lbs 7 oz, 8.1 L)
2. The REI Joule ($300, 23 degrees, 2 lbs 2 oz, 6 L)
3. The North Face green kazoo ($340, 2 lbs 15 oz, 9.5 L)
4. Big Agnes Lithia ($350, 15 degrees, 2 lbs 9 oz, 8.3 L)

Then there are a couple bags I'm considering in the pricier range.
1. The Feathered Friends Egret ($380-$450, 20 degrees, 1 lb 12 oz)
2. Mountain Hardware Phantasia ($500, 15 degrees, 2 lbs)

So I'm only 111 lbs, so I can't carry a huge load, so I suppose the lighter weight is pretty important. I also want something thats comfortable too. But I'm not sure how worth it it is to go for the super light weight sleeping bags. Any advice is appreciated.

The very best, IMHO, would be from Western Mountaineering (with Feathered Friends a close second). My WM Ultralite, in short size weighs 25 oz. and (with help from all my insulating clothing) has kept me cozy warm at 15*F. Properly cared for, it will last 20 years to a lifetime. I paid $325 for mine in December 2006; the current price is $470. Ouch! Amortized over 20 years at $24/year, though, not too bad if you can afford the up-front cost. Their temperature ratings are highly accurate (while WM peculiarly doesn't list EN13537 ratings on their website, they can be found on UK dealers' websites).

Then there's the low budget option, the Kelty Cosmic Down 20, recommended for beginners and Scouts. It's lower quality down so is heavier and will have a shorter life. Short length is 2 lbs. 7 oz. and $160. Assuming an 8 year life if well cared for, it also amortizes to $24/year. (My assumption on the life may be way off--I have no experience with 550 fill down--I just assume from what I've read that the useful life will be longer than the 5 year life for synthetic insulation but a lot less than 850+ fill down.) It is EN13537 rated. You'd carry an extra pound and more bulk than with the WM Ultralite--only you can decide about weight vs. the lower initial price.

Three important things to watch for when shopping for sleeping bags--and these are the only reasonably objective criteria:

(1) The down fill rating, which, as mentioned, has to do with quality, longevity and how much down is needed to insulate to a given temperature. High quality bags are about 850+, low quality are 550-600; medium quality would be about 700-750. More about down fill ratings. (Also explains why the cost of high quality down is escalating so rapidly.)

(2) The EN13537 temperature ratings, which is the only objective measure (although not entirely accurate) of a sleeping bag's insulating capacity. They are certainly far more accurate than those made up by companies' marketing departments, which has hitherto been the case. Do note that there are two important ratings: the "lower limit" for men/warm sleepers is generally 9* to 10* F lower than the "comfort limit" for women/cold sleepers. While the manufacturer ratings for the really high-end bags (WM, Feathered Friends) are pretty close to the actual "lower limit," do not trust the temperature rating of any less expensive sleeping bag that doesn't have an EN13537 rating, or at least raise the stated rating by 10-15* F. More on EN13537 ratings

(3) Girth measurements--you need to fit into the sleeping bag wearing all your insulating/puffy clothing, without compressing the insulation of either your clothing or the sleeping bag. Remember that shoulder girth is not your chest measurement; it's measured around your shoulders and should be done while wearing your puffiest jacket. Sme of the really light bags are awfully narrow! There's also a subjective element here; some folks need lots of wiggle room to be comfortable, while others like things snug.

I suggest you compare your list of sleeping bags using the criteria above, which are relatively objective, and then look at price and weight. You may (or may not) be surprised!

Wow! Thank you for this great advice.

all I know is, when I was in college, the only thing I spent $300 on was a car. 1989 Mercury Sable...just sayin'...

That's quite a steal. Our first car was bought when we were in college (just married), a 1951 Mercury for $200. That was in 1959, when the dollar bought at least twice as much as it does now!

Do note that because of the longer life of the high-quality down, the cost per year is about the same for el cheapo and el expensivo! Of course the up-front cost is the limiting factor. If you have to pay credit card interest for the expensive one, or go without food for a couple of weeks, it's not worth it!

It may be that high quality down, rapidly escalating in price, is going to be far beyond anyone except millionaires before long.

Mountain Hardwear Ultra Lamia is a quality bag for the price, but keep in mind if it gets too warm you can't zip all the way. It's worth mentioning if you don't mind synthetic over down. I paid $195 for mine when I was in college, but I think it has gone up in price since.