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#188902 - 02/04/15 09:32 AM What Temp Bag...
beber Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/15
Posts: 20
What Temp Bag do you use/recommend for 3 season camping on the AT? I have a pretty nice 15 degree Marmot synthetic bag that I've used for a long time now, but I do think its overkill 90% of the time. I've been debating between a 30 and a 40 degree down bag to shed some weight. Any thoughts?

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#188903 - 02/04/15 11:47 AM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
A lot, I think, depends on your metabolism since some sleep cold, some hot and presumably some are "average."

My summer bag in the Sierra is usually 35 or 40-degree, always down and so, very small and light. I can supplement with a jacket and hat if I need to, which is pretty rare.

Now that waterproof down is pretty common, I'd think the more soggy AT would accommodate a down bag in lieu of bulky synthetic. Pad/mattress choice should be considered along with the bag, too.

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

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#188911 - 02/04/15 01:33 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: Rick_D]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
I'd rather opt for a light weight warmer bag (in my case the WM Alpinelite, a 20 degree down bag by Western Mountaineering) as the temperatures can fluctuate all over the map year round up there. It could be 70 degrees, walk around the side of a ridge and it drops to 40's...and that's during the day in summer! It's much easier to vent a warm bag than to warm a cold one.

If you are looking for something that probably compresses a little better, might be a little cooler and isn't expensive the Marmot Sawtooth is a 650 fill 20 degree down bag. I have two cold-sleeping friends that have them and love them. They compress almost as well as my WM and likely weigh a good bit less than your synthetic.

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#188922 - 02/05/15 09:02 AM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
beber Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/15
Posts: 20
Well I just ordered the North Face Furnace 35 degree down bag, that I found on sale. I know its not the lightest bag, but at 2 lbs its a good deal lighter than my synthetic Marmot 15 degree bag. I think it should be a good bag for most summer camping, and if I know its going to be colder I'll just have to suck it up and take take my old heavy warmer bag instead.

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#188924 - 02/05/15 01:32 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Or a nice light fleece liner to go inside the North Face. wink You can simply use one of the $10 fleece things from a dollar store that are far warmer than they should be and fit perfectly. Bonus points: You can use it as a wrap around the shoulders for you and your significant other whilst enjoying the heat of the camp fire. smile

Let us know what you think of your new bag when you get it.

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#188930 - 02/05/15 07:44 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
ETSU Pride Offline
member

Registered: 10/25/10
Posts: 933
Loc: Knoxville, TN
I was going to suggest a quilt, but ah well. Enjoy your new purchase!
_________________________
It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.-- Horace Kephart

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#188934 - 02/06/15 11:02 AM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: ETSU Pride]
beber Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/15
Posts: 20
I got the bag yesterday, and I like it but don't love it. I'm somewhat debating returning it. I will say it was surprisingly warm, but seems much more cramped than my old bag. Thinking about getting the long bag.


Edited by beber (02/06/15 11:05 AM)

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#188939 - 02/06/15 02:24 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Do you have any place you can go and check them out like an REI or other outfitter? Have you looked up some of the reviews online as some of them list the size (height, weight, general build) of the testers and their feedback.

Bang for the buck the Marmot Sawtooth (650 down, nicely squishable) seems to have quite a bit of room if not entirely the room of my WM Alpinelite, but then I tend to spin like a top when I sleep unless it's in a hammock.

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#188940 - 02/06/15 02:25 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Oh, and Montbell (while not being cheap at all) has some very stretchy stitching. It's designed to hug you for minimal airspace (warmer bag) but stretches out when you doo. I have not used one myself but they get awesome reviews and are probably the major competitor to Western Mountaineering (WM)

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#188943 - 02/06/15 03:19 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
beber Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/15
Posts: 20
I wish, the closest REI is about 2 hours from here. We do have 2 Dicks in town, which makes no sense to me. However, they don't really carry too much that would interest me.

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#188944 - 02/06/15 03:19 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
The websites for the sleeping bag manufacturers should include the dimensions of the bag. Remember that "shoulder" is measured over your arms (it's NOT chest measurement) and should include a puffy jacket when measuring, with enough ease so neither the sleeping bag insulation nor the jacket insulation is compressed in any way. (The jacket is your safety margin should the temp dip below what's expected.) We females also have to worry about hip measurement, not always given in sleeping bag dimensions. Unfortunately, the lightest weight bags tend to be the skinniest!

Temperature ratings of sleeping bags can be a bit dubious. If the bag is not EN13537 rated, the rating--at least for inexpensive bags--may be a purely fictitious one made up by the manufacturer's marketing department. The EN13537 ratings are not exact science (everyone's metabolism is different) but at least involve laboratory testing. Again, check the manufacturer's website. The ratings for the really high end bags, such Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends, are more trustworthy.

Synthetic insulation doesn't bounce back from being compressed as does high quality down, so even a high quality synthetic bag will lose some of its loft in a few years. That's probably why the new bag seems warmer!



Edited by OregonMouse (02/06/15 03:21 PM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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#188952 - 02/06/15 07:31 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: OregonMouse]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
One other thing I read about the EN testing that you need to be aware of. They gave it as much as 48-hours to loft and even allowed the manufacturers to do things like toss the bags in a dryer (no heat of course) to ensure full loft to get those test ratings. Now I'm not sure about you guys and gals but I don't carry a dryer in my backpack. Just keep in mind you really need to pull it out early at the camp site, shake it up, get the loft going and if possible even hang it in a light breeze so the wind will help move it around a bit. The more loft = the warmer in most cases.


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#188953 - 02/06/15 07:33 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_13537

A very brief idea (does not include how they test) of how the ratings are meant to work.

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#188955 - 02/06/15 07:44 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Lots of reviews here but if you are looking for a cold bag on the cheap this has gotten some great reviews.


http://www.backpacker.com/gear/sleeping-bags/2-season/eureka-silver-city-30-sleeping-bag-review/

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#188956 - 02/06/15 08:03 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: AdventureMyk]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
My rule of thumb: it's okay to compare a maker's bags using temp ratings but not very instructive to compare ratings across makers.

Even if the Euro ratings aren't helpful WRT predicting an actual temp rating, they're at least a way to begin comparing one maker's bags against anothers.

Vaguely on topic, just got a BA Pitchpine, which is technically interesting and very light and compact. Won't know about temp range for a few months. My first encounter with waterproofed down.

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

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#188962 - 02/07/15 10:29 AM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
JPete Offline
member

Registered: 05/28/09
Posts: 304
Loc: Eastern Ontario
Berber,

If you're planning to thru-hike, you may want to consider using two bags. Assuming you are starting in March, the first couple of weeks can see very cold nights, and then the same at the end, but mostly very warm for the middle months.

On one of my thru-hikes, I used a good down bag (probably rated to about 20 degrees F) and then used a fleece bag liner most of the way. I went back to the down bag in New Hampshire. I was using a fairly heavy bivy bag over it. I can say that I was quite comfortable the whole way.

On another trip I used a Western Mountaineering bag that was rated at about 35 degrees F the whole way, but used it more or less as a quilt most of the way and sometimes slept on top of it, but used every stich of clothes in my bag at the beginning and end. Again, I was using a bivy bag, but a much lighter one.

The bivy is very good in shelters. It keeps bugs, mice and wind off the bag without taking up extra space. Also, If you have to camp away from the shelters (it seems to happen to everyone at some point), all you need is your poncho.

Hope that helps. best, jcp

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#189155 - 02/17/15 06:33 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: beber]
PurpleHaze Offline
member

Registered: 02/04/15
Posts: 31
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
Can someone please explain to me the quilts vs. bags?

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#189160 - 02/17/15 09:22 PM Re: What Temp Bag... [Re: PurpleHaze]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
Originally Posted By PurpleHaze
Can someone please explain to me the quilts vs. bags?

At its simplest, a bag wraps you with insulation, including underneath where the insulation is flattened and not doing much insulating. A quilt is just that, an insulated blanket that goes on top, with a sleeping pad beneath.

In this day and age "quilts" are seldom simple bedding and more typically "top bags" that dispense with insulation directly underneath, but still wrap around the feet and legs to ward off drafts, usually incorporating sleeves or straps to hold the pad in place. At this point there are many variations, maybe start with Big Agnes for a few
models.

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

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