Kifaru Slick Bag Compressability

[pjohnson8168]

Looking into the slick bag in 0 degree regular (I sleep cold..). I am willing to pack an extra pound over a down bag but am curious about compressibility with their 5 string sack. Are we talking 30% bigger..50%? Anyone have picks of a slickbag compressed next to a comparably rated down bag..

 

[Marble]

I think there are dimensions on the website.

 

[mountainman406]

I do not have one for comparison but I can get my 0 degree wide long slick bag compressed down to a little bit smaller than a basketball in an Outdoor Research dry bag. I went with the added weight of the slick bag to reduce the risk of down getting wet and rendering it useless.


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[oldskool67]

I have the long wide 0 degree. It compresses well in a Kiraru 5 string stuff sack

 

[thinhorn_AK]

They compress to about the size of 2 sleeping bags.

 

[pjohnson8168]

Thanks, that is the comparison I was curious about. I think it sounds like I should stick with my FF...

 

[choovhntr]

I purchased both the 0 and 20 degree wide bags and put them in the kifaru compression bags to compare the sizes. There was an obvious difference between the two sizes and both were relatively large compared to a down bag. I returned the 0 and kept the 20. With that said, I really like the bag for it’s size, and design. I took it to Alaska on a goat trip and being able to crawl in it with damp base layers and have them dry in the morning was amazing. I was hoping to only purchase the one bag, but I foresee myself getting a down bag at some point as well just for the size a weight savings. I was pretty maxed out on internal bag space for the hunt (exo k2 5500). Granted, it was enough gear for an 8 day trip, but a few gear changes would have made a big improvement on that. When comparing gear to the guides stuff, his pack was 6 lbs lighter, the biggest differences in bulk and weight was the sleep system and insulating layers(puffy pants and jacket). I was synthetic and he was down. All that stuff added to a pretty large difference when said and done. So the takeaway...the added mental security of warmth if the bag got wet and the ability to dry gear while sleeping was nice. If I were more comfortable with the area I was hunting and had more backcountry experience, I would debate the synthetic bag but definitely switch insulating layers to down because I had rain gear to put over the top anyway. Hope this helps.

 

[805Bowhunter]

I purchased a 0 last year and cannot recommend it enough. It is a bit larger but you can get it manageable in a 5 string stuff sack. The tradeoff you get from the reliability/durability compared to weight in my opinion makes it a no brainer. This past fall it pissed rain almost all 10 days of my elk hunt in september and everything i owned was drenched....slickbag made everything manageable...literally. I cannot recommend these things enough. We would have lasted one day had we had a down. I dont have the budget to have both so I will forever do synthetic, and take the weight penalty, simply to keep me on the mountain.

 

[D wine]

I purchased a 0 last year and cannot recommend it enough. It is a bit larger but you can get it manageable in a 5 string stuff sack. The tradeoff you get from the reliability/durability compared to weight in my opinion makes it a no brainer. This past fall it pissed rain almost all 10 days of my elk hunt in september and everything i owned was drenched....slickbag made everything manageable...literally. I cannot recommend these things enough. We would have lasted one day had we had a down. I dont have the budget to have both so I will forever do synthetic, and take the weight penalty, simply to keep me on the mountain.

Thanks for the info. Seems like a good bag to consider.

 

[tdot]

For the guys considering synthetic over down. There are a number of alternatives that use the same insulation as the slick bag. But with the use of a slimmer cut and fabrics that are comparable to many down bags, they can end up at a weight/size closer to a comparable down sleeping bag vs. the slick bag. It becomes possible to have the benefits of the synthetic insulation, without as big of a downside.

Not knocking the slick bag, it's built with strong fabrics and a generous cut. It just doesnt make any attempt to save weight, where many other alternatives out there do.

 

[Block]

I will probably end up with a 0 slick bag for truck camping,, but the compressed size was the only reason I didn’t buy it. Also the tall/wides start gettin up there in weight.

 

[pjohnson8168]

Hey Tdot, can you elaborate on other apex climashield options? I have also looked at the EE convert apex but wasnt aware of others

 

[tdot]

Hey Tdot, can you elaborate on other apex climashield options? I have also looked at the EE convert apex but wasnt aware of others

Mountain Laurel Designs
Enlightened equipment
Nunatak

There are definitely others, those just happen to be Companies that I own quilts from.

 

[positivepete!]

I would recommend the slick bag over down. I have both and I only use the down when I have perfect conditions. I have slept on the slick bag in the mud of a floorless many a time and it has kept me warm. The down is nice for space and weight but I would rather pay the penalty and know I will have a good night's sleep.