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#189064 - 02/13/15 09:23 AM Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
It's almost time for me to make my single biggest investment in backpacking gear yet. I'll be buying a better sleeping bag. Woohoo! I'm looking for a bag rated for around 20F and under $200 (US). The Kelty Cosmic Down seems like an obvious choice, but I've read that's it's pretty roomy. That may not be the best choice for a guy like me with a slight build (5'8" 125 lbs). There just might be too much air space to heat up, especially since I sleep cold. I'm not necessarily set on it being down, as long as it's still reasonably packable, warm, and a good value.

Before I take the plunge, does anyone think a different bag might be better for my criteria (20F, <$200, 5'8", slight build, somewhat packable, good value)?
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#189071 - 02/13/15 12:43 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
REI radiant and the North Face Furnace meet your requirements. That and the Kelty are all pretty similar in weight and EN rating. The regular radiant appears to be the narrowest, though the Kelty comes in small, which may fit you better.

I know money is tight for you, and you are already probably stretching your budget, but I thought I would throw this out there. Those three bags weigh 40 - 45 ounces and cost around $200. For $240 you can get an Enlightened Equipment Revelation (or enigma) in short regular that is 18.5 ounces. You might be able to find a used one in your price range.

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#189072 - 02/13/15 12:56 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: BZH]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Originally Posted By BZH
...though the Kelty comes in small, which may fit you better.

Unfortunately, while the small might fit my girth better (or lack thereof), it would be too short for me. The specs say up to 5'6". I suspect most bags are going to be the same way. Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look into those.
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#189073 - 02/13/15 01:17 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: BZH]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Those quilts are quite interesting. The Prodigy is far less expensive because of the synthetic fill and still only ~30 oz for the slim. Has anyone used a product filled with Climashield Apex and know roughly how long I could expect it to last?

ETA: Or is it a false economy?


Edited by 4evrplan (02/13/15 01:18 PM)
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#189074 - 02/13/15 01:30 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
The prodigy would be a good choice too. The bag will be a bit more bulky than down, but quilt uses less insulation than a bag. I don't know the longevity of climashield.

You should talk to Tim Marshal regarding sizing. Slim might be too slim. Those are mostly designed to hammockers. People who sleep on the ground generally need a bit more width. Since you are kind of a tweener on the height and width either a reg/slim or a short/reg may work for you. The short fits 5'8" max and reg width may give you a bit of flexibility. Tim at EE is very responsive on these kind of questions.

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#189077 - 02/13/15 03:02 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: BZH]
AdventureMyk Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/14
Posts: 127
Loc: Knoxville, TN
The North Face Cat's Meow comes in a variety of sizes and should easily be well under $200 delivered. It is synthetic and they upped the stats with a recent makeover (allowing me to get the previous gen brand new in the long length for $120) and it packs up closer to a 650-fill down than it does the average synthetic. It was my go-to before I got the Alpinelite and has since been used by several people on everything from backpacking to kayak camping. 40+ trips under it's belt and it looks and works like it's brand new. A 10 second skim of the shopping-tab on Google and i found a few spots with the regular length (up to 6') for as little as $150 for a new bag. That leaves you some flexibility in the budget. smile


Edited by AdventureMyk (02/13/15 03:05 PM)

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#189078 - 02/13/15 03:22 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
jasonlivy Offline
member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 654
Loc: Colorado
Just having returned from the OR Show in January, I took the opportunity to check out sleeping bags. As many of you know, I'm a Cascade Designs rep (makers of Thermarest) and, since the introduction of our new bags, I see one bag we make as being a game changer...

The bag I'm referring to is the Thermarest Saros 20F sleeping bag. There are a few things I love about it. One, the new synthetic insulation, a proprietary blend we call EraLoft, is impressively soft. I had many comments from dealers, after they felt the softness of the bag, wondering if it was down. It does feel very down-like. It's also compressible, getting to near the size (without using a compression sack) as a 650-fill down bag.

One of the signature features of the new Thermarest bags are the Synergy Link bands on the back. This allows the user to attach a mattress, but still be able to sleep on your side without your body having to heat up the extra space (we call it the 'tent effect'). The idea is when you lay on your side, the sides of the sleeping bag are forced against the body taking up any dead-air space. It's an ingenious design and, in my experience, does increase the comfort, especially since I'm a side-sleeper.

Other features I like with the Saros bag are the quality of materials. We use the same mini-ripstop, 20D material on the outer and 20D taffeta on the inside as we do on our $500 Antares 750 fill down bag, giving it a luxurious feel (in fact the only difference between the two bags is that the Antares has treated 750 fill down and the Saros is synthetic). The bag is fairly generously cut but still maintains warmth. And because the pad is attached to the bag, Thermarest can be strategic with where it puts the insulation. This also means that there doesn't need to be as much insulation as a standard mummy bag. What this means is the total weight of a regular size sleeping bag (6'0) is less then 3lbs (2lb15oz). That is a similar weight to many 650 down bags. The other good part is that it retails for $190.

You should check it out (thermarest.com). For your info, NOLS are using the Thermarest synthetic 0F bag for their programs. They are really nice bags.
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#189087 - 02/13/15 09:46 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I have a Kelty Lightyear Down 20º bag. It's about the same but had a slightly higher grade down (650) than the Cosmic when I got it a couple years ago. It's a very nice bag for the money, and I'd expect the Cosmic Down bag is every bit as nice.

I'll add that I'm not much bigger than you and I think the bag is a bit tight in the shoulders. I'm around 5'9" and 140, and it's not at all too long, so it'd probably be perfect for you. I don't think you'd find it too big in any case.

Mine is warm and cozy down to 32º, and chilly at 20º but not really what I'd call cold. I've layered up with warm bed clothes in it at 20º and was plenty warm, but a little tight in the bag.

I really can't compare it personally with other bags in the same price/weight/cost range because I've not used any, but I did do a lot of reading up on them before I bought mine and I'm very happy with it.
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#189089 - 02/14/15 09:21 AM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
ETSU Pride Offline
member

Registered: 10/25/10
Posts: 933
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Originally Posted By 4evrplan
Those quilts are quite interesting. The Prodigy is far less expensive because of the synthetic fill and still only ~30 oz for the slim. Has anyone used a product filled with Climashield Apex and know roughly how long I could expect it to last?

ETA: Or is it a false economy?


I own one. It kept me warm on 38 degree night, and I've used it on Labor Day weekend, but weather didn't drop but into high 40s so I was plenty warm obviously. lol. I have 30 degree version slim fitted. If temperature expected be below 32 at night, I pack my Mountain Hardwear sleeping bag. I use this quilt for spring/summer/early fall.

Also, I pack this quilt in my stuff sack that came with my Mountain Hardwear bag, and it stuff smaller than the sack it came with. Plus customizing the quilt is cool as crap! I picked the lime green color. grin
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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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#189093 - 02/14/15 09:34 AM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: ETSU Pride]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
So, if you had the 20F version, do you think you would use it instead of your MH bag in colder weather?

EDIT: And also, do you use it on the ground, or only in a hammock?


Edited by 4evrplan (02/14/15 09:36 AM)
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#189105 - 02/14/15 05:21 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
ETSU Pride Offline
member

Registered: 10/25/10
Posts: 933
Loc: Knoxville, TN
Originally Posted By 4evrplan
So, if you had the 20F version, do you think you would use it instead of your MH bag in colder weather?

EDIT: And also, do you use it on the ground, or only in a hammock?


In a hammock, probably, on the ground-no. Simple reason, when I used my quilt last April i was able to clinch it around me where I wouldn't lose heat and let cold air in order to stay plenty warm. However, I was able to feel a little cold air drift into tiny gap between sleep pad and quilt. I covered that gap with a piece of clothes then I felt warm the rest of the night. If you're sleeping on the ground it's better to have a complete seal of a bag vs. potential small gaps between quilt insulation and the pad letting heat out and cold air in. Of course take this advice at your own discretion because I have never used a quilt below 38ish degree. My MH bag has 1/4 zippers on it, thus, it's difficult to vent excess heat so I got the quilt to do just that. I plan to use the quilt in long-run in hammock, but haven't go around to getting a new hammock at this time. As long as weather stays above freezing, i plan to pack the quilt as it keep me warm down to 32 (I probably stay warm a few degrees lower if I pack enough clothes..), and yet I can vent so much heat if weather stays in 40 or even 50s in high elevation in the summer months.It also double as an under quilt for hammock camping. lol. I'm not saying a quilt can't keep you warm below freezing, it could take little creativity to seal off any potential gap above the foot box. (EE's quilt come with foot box that can be zipped. But above the foot box you have to clinch it around the pad to seal it off.)

For hammock camping, if you had under quilt and top quilt, the quilt be AMAZING for 20 degrees-so I would think. I slept in my MH bag in a hammock and it was misery (Again, I got too hot and couldn't vent heat due to 1/4 zippers). You don't have to worry about air gap for heat to escape and air to get in since with both quilts you're basically a human burrito!


Edited by ETSU Pride (02/14/15 05:23 PM)
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#189161 - 02/17/15 10:49 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: ETSU Pride]
jokker78 Offline
newbie

Registered: 02/01/15
Posts: 12
Loc: Beaumont Tx
I have the kelty cosmic synthetic 20 degree bag. It kept me warm on a boy scout trip that left frost on the tent.

It was on clearance for 50$ ..

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#189520 - 03/05/15 09:36 AM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
I ended up going with the REI Radiant, which after tax blew my budget a bit (ships from my state). It's stats were similar to the Kelty, but edged it out slightly in materials and features. Here's hoping it's worth the extra $22.
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#189573 - 03/07/15 11:15 PM Re: Best 20ish Degree Bags <$200 Delivered [Re: 4evrplan]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I watched the video on it. That's a pretty sweet bag. I like the extra features too, especially that you can zip two together.

You'll have to let us know how it works out for you.
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