Narrowed it down to 2 bags...

Alright, I've been doing some research and I have two bags that I think look excellent. Any input on either of these bags would be great!

Bag 1:
REI.COM

This bag is probably the better of the two because its down, water resistant, lighter... but the price is pretty high.

Bag 2:
REI.COM
This looks great as well, the reviews were all good. It is synthetic, weights 14oz more but its about $100 cheaper.

So these are my two choices. Its pretty obvious the Marmot is the better bag but is it worth the extra cash? I'm a total noob to backpacking, I've never gone before, I'm just starting to gather my gear now. So, is it worth getting the more expensive bag? I saved money and I could get the Marmot, but I would like to save the extra 100 and put it towards a nice tent. Also, the Marmot is on sale, so its a pretty easy choice right? I mean if its twice as much its probably a lot better quality... you get what you pay for, usually. Do I pull the trigger with the Marmot?

EDIT: I haven't really looked around much on other sites, but I'm sure I can find the Cats Meow cheaper on another site, REI tends to be pretty high.

I'd suggest you go with your bag #2, the Cat's Meow. I am of the firm belief that unless you have experience in backpacking, you should use a synthetic bag. Once you do have some experience, and know/learned how to keep things dry(and by things I mean down), then you can purchase a down bag.

As an aside, if you do purchase one of those bags from REI, use the link on the left side of this page to go to REI's site. That way, TLB gets a small commission.

^^^
This is why I made a thread before buying it! Thanks! I was hoping to hear something like this and not just "Yeah get the more expensive one!"

I'm definitely still leaning towards the Marmot but I'm not sure yet... I'll wait a little longer before I make a purchase. The Marmot is only on sale until the 18th though!!!! I'm not in a hurry because I don't plan on doing any overnight hiking in the middle of the winter, not yet. lol

I will definitely use that link, but whats TLB?

I'll give you the opposite advice. 2 pounds for a +15 bag is pretty good. You have an entire other pound for that synthetic bag, and it will also not pack down as small. The price is also quite good for what you are getting, so I'd say bag number 1.

Yes, if you figure on getting it wet and sleeping in it, the synthetic bag is better. Don't get it wet, and buy the down bag (my feelings on this subject are already known).

I know I'm speaking with ZERO experience but I mean how hard can it be!

Do you want Long and do you want 15F?

If so, I would snag the Helium right now! That’s a good price. The 850 down should last you 4-8x longer than the synthetic not to mention you save weight and it stuffs smaller.

And it’s futile -- trying to hold back your spending. Pretty soon you will want a 15oz summer bag/quilt.

-Barry

This is the one thing in question. Is that over kill for summer camping? I don't want to by sweating in the middle of the night. I guess I could always unzip or lay on top. Any thoughts on that?

Your last statement is very true as well!

It is not hard.. but you need to be careful in inclement weather, or say, canoeing or crossing rivers.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! The Marmot just sold out!!!!

Check out the Marmot Hydrogen, also on sale at REI. It's also a great bag, and, like Phat, I'd recommend a down bag without question. It doesn't take that much care or thought to keep a bag - synthetic or down - dry.

The 30-degree rating will still keep you warm down to freezing - if it gets colder, wear your fleece and/or long underwear inside. (If you're a beginner, don't go out below freezing for a while - get some experience. Winter is fun, but it is an acquired taste.)

Yeah Glenn, that looks like a great bag, and its under 2lbs! I was looking at the pinnacle which is rated at 15 degrees but at 2lbs 14oz, I was cringing. I'm going to wait a few more days until the end of the sale and maybe the Helium will come back. I hope so anyways. At the same time I really hope the Hydrogen doesn't sell out. I'll wait a few days and see what happens. If the Helium doesn't come back I'm getting the Hydrogen!

A few degrees warmer bag like a 30 or so in down will be light and like was said earlier wearing light weight long undies or a light bag liner will add more warmth with very little weight, gives you more choices for a bag which at this point could be annoying.

if you are considering the cats meaow you might check out the mountain hardwear lamina 20 its a great bag i was skeptical at first but have spent a couple of 33 deg nights in mine and it did fantastic and it packs down small
another one to consider is the north face crysalis 15 deg down
sunnysports.com has em right now for less than $200
check them out worth shopping around
k smith

My own personal experience with the Marmot Hydrogen was that with all my outer clothing on (plus heavy base layer), I froze at temps of 28*. If you are a warm sleeper, it might be OK. It was certainly fine for me at temps of 35* and above. Unfortunately I often backpack where frost can be expected any month of the year, so I sold my Hydrogen after its first season.

I also have a Cats Meow bag and would say that, at least for me, it's more like a 30* bag than a 20* bag.

I don't know about The North Face bags, but Marmot now uses the EU ratings. The ratings Marmot uses for the US market are the very lowest end of "comfort" (using that term advisedly!) for a male sleeper wearing a warm base layer. It helps to look up the criteria for the EU sleeping bag ratings and then go to the manufacturer's website to find out (if you can) which rating (there are multiple, and the EU requires they all be listed, although they are still pretty subjective) that they're using for the US market. The Hydrogen and Helium are excellent, high-quality bags, but compared to a Western Mountaineering bag with similar rating, I'd say they're at least 5* less warm. Even though I'm a Western Mountaineering fan, I frankly liked the shell and lining fabric of the Marmot Hydrogen and Helium bags better than Western Mountaineering's, because Marmot's fabric appears to less prone to shedding down.

If you can wait, Backcountrygear.com (another sponsor of this website) usually has the Marmot Helium on sale in early December. This is a very reputable retailer located in Eugene, OR. Be sure whatever you get has a full-length zipper, so you can ventilate the bag (i.e. leave the zipper open) or use it as a quilt in warm weather.

Having experienced a sopping wet synthetic bag, I can tell you that "warm when wet" is a complete myth. A wet synthetic bag is every bit as cold as a wet down bag. It is true that the synthetic bag will dry out faster with your body heat and synthetic insulation won't clump. However, it's more important to keep that sleeping bag dry, regardless of the type of insulation. Use a either a waterproof pack liner with watertight closure or a waterproof dry bag. Test both of these for any possible leaks before trusting your sleeping bag or insulating clothing to them. Stuff sacks are not waterproof (even if the fabric is waterproof and the seams are sealed--the last not usual with stuff sacks, the closure is not watertight).

Thanks guys for all the info. I contacted REI and asked if the Helium will be in stock again before the sale is over with and they said it wont be. On a more positive note, the person that emailed me back said that the REI store in Oregon has the Helium in stock and priced at $289.99! I may just jump on that. I'll have to pay for shipping of course.

OregonMouse, do you think that the sale in December will be cheaper than $289? If so, I can wait because I really don't
plan on doing any backpacking until the summer. I still don't even have a tent. lol!

Ask REI if they can ship it to your local store for free.

I would do this but the nearest store is 92 miles away!

At least you have one in the same state! (I'm in Ohio - it's 300 miles or so to my nearest one. Shipping kind of takes the shine off the dividend.)

However, you do have an alternative: there's a Michigan chain called Moosejaw. They give 10% dividends (or more, depending on prior-year purchase totals.) They allow you to spend the dividends immediately; although not all merchandise can bought with dividends, most can. Finally, they offer free shipping for orders over about $50. Customer service is outstanding, shipping is fast (usually 2-3 days after I order, it's in my hot little hands), and there's a definite sense of humor.

Their lines are pretty complete, and they're having a 20% off sale right now - though that reduces your dividend to 5%. You might want to give them a try.

I "think" Moosejaw will match pretty much any price (maybe not clearance sales), but they are almost always less expensive than REI to begin with. Plus free shipping, no tax, great return policy and on and on...

I've had good experience with them and so have most of my friends. I buy from REI when I'm "AT" REI and picking up something last minute, or when I have a gift certicate than can only be used there...

I've tried it both ways, and I would much rather deal with a bag that is too warm than with one that is too cold.....

Yeah I've been looking around their site and its seems great. They have no tax?! So all the prices are as is? Add no shipping on orders over $50, thats a helluva deal! Do they have any stores?

lol yeah thats what I'm thinking too. And I usually sleep cold so I know I'd be better off getting a really warm bag rather than just enough.

PS: Is there a multi-quote button or can you only quote 1 person at a time? I'm on a Subaru forum as well and the multi quote button is really nice. Not sure if thats something that can be added on here or not.

I think they have some brick-and-mortar stores in Michigan - try the About Us section. Also, being from outside Michigan, they don't charge me any sales tax; since you're a Michigan resident, you may have to pay tax - I know that generally residents of a vendor's state pay (it's called "nexus" - now you have a word to impress your friends with), but I'm not sure precisely how Michigan's laws work.

I know it's more money, but, the Marmot Helium EQ is encased in their "MemBrain" fabric which sheds water and helps keep the down dry. Scuttlebut has it that the MemBrain fabric also adds a few degrees of warmth to the 15 degree rating as well. I absolutely love mine!

From someone who doesn't have a lot of experience I went with the "rather be to warm than to cold" philosophy and got a Kelty 0°F bag. I recently used it in 60°F± weather and it was comfortable. I just opened it up and used it as a quilt and/or hung a leg out to thermally regulate. This winter I'll try sleeping on the deck in <20°F temps to see how it fairs.

I was told the EQ fabric was best for below freezing temperatures (snow caves, etc) and that it didn't breathe as well as the non-EQ version, nor would moisture dry from within as quickly. It would help alot if it is being dripped on, and would help alot in an open shelter with alot of wind (like last week)...

Maybe the information I was given was wrong, but I decided to get the regular version since I'm mostly on the above freezing/no snow trips.

That's awesome!!!

Yeah I'm with ya Nitro. I'm probably not going to be going out at freezing temps either. I'm sure the regular will suit me just fine. But thanks hogan for the tip!

use your 20% REI member coupon ? expires 18th

^^
I'm not a member

its only a 1 time fee of 20$ to become a member.

I definitely plan on buying the membership in the future, but right now I don't have the extra money... I'm a poor college student. I'm just trying to scrap money together for the sleeping bag. I'll probably buy the membership in a few weeks once I pay some bills and hopefully have some extra money.

I've been checking out moosejaw a lot lately and they seem like they are running a really cool operation. They give you ten percent of your purchase back in "points". Save up points and you get use them just like cash. They seem to have pretty good stuff and at a good price.

So I contacted the Seattle REI store to order the marmot helium and they had one left in stock! Its the long version with the zipper on the left side. It was priced at $289.99 then I had to pay $13 for shipping. The guy didn't process my order immediately though. I thought it was weird,I gave him my debit card number and shipping info and he said they would do it later today. I was thinking REI is probably too reputable to rip me off but I guess you never know.

As long as everything goes smooth I'll get the bag in probably a week! I'm pretty excited! I'm gonna have to try the sleeping on the deck thing to test it out!!! lol I think it only gets down to about ~30* right now so we'll see how warm I stay.

EDIT: Whats up with the zipper being on different sides? I mean typically do right handed people like it on the right side? I got the left side because it was the last one and I'll take what I can get.

EDIT 2: I just realized I never asked about the color. Not that it really matters but I was just on the Marmot website and the helium they show is a color called pacifica, it almost looks purple... I hope that isn't the color I just ordered. Oh well, I'm not really trying to make a fashion statement, just trying to stay warm!

Supposedly right handed folk should ask for a left zipper and vice versa. I have no idea why, but I do automatically reach across to my left side with my right hand to zip/unzip. If you're planning to mate your bag with another to make a double bag, then one of the bags needs a left zipper and the other a right. (Assuming, of course, that the zippers are compatible!)

REI's 20% off coupon is only for regularly priced items so it wouldn't help you here. There's no dividend on sale items, either. Joining REI would not have helped you with this purchase.

Take good care of this bag (especially storing it uncompressed) and it will last you for many years! Western Mountaineering has a lot of excellent tips for the care and feeding of sleeping bags on their website. Those will work for any down sleeping bag.

I've used both right and left zips, and never felt like one was more difficult to use than the other. I did find that, in my solo tent (side-opening Hubba/CR1) I tended to sleep so that the zipper was on the same side of the tent as the door. Of course, since I've switched to a quilt, that's no longer an issue.