marmot helium or kifaru slick

[ridgefire]

I use the marmot helium for sept elk hunts but have been kind of looking at the kifaru bags. I am sleeping in a paratarp or flycreek ul2 tent depending on what I bring. what bag am I better off having? how close are the kifaru bags to their temp ratings?

 

[Elkfitness]

What don't you like about the helium? It's in the running for a new bag for next year.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

If you get a slick bag than get one rated for allot colder temps than you expect

 

[Darren Best]

What Tim said, drop your rating by at least 20.

 

[boom]

If you get a slick bag than get one rated for allot colder temps than you expect

and if you are remotely human shaped..not to big, not waif-like skinny..get the wide bag.

i compared the dimensions listed on the website for the slick bag to my marmot. IIRC, the regular slick came in ever so slightly bigger, but...

crawling into that bag was like stuffing 10lbs of sugar into a 5lb sack. it was tight! i froze my butt all the time. i had the 20 deg. it was just too small for me. i hated that bag.

 

[Shrek]

If you don't need to update your bag asap then I would wait until spring and see what comes out. Kifaru doesn't do many sales but the rest of the industry will be clearing their winter lines and introducing their latest and greatest. Best of both worlds then , if you want an older model you could save a bundle or get the updated models. Kifaru Slik bag ratings have been criticized here some and with their hunting rep an owner here they are not unaware of this. They may make adjustments also. I'm waiting for the new bags to see what comes out myself.

 

[boom]

i'd do a short day trip down to tax free oregon..and buy a Western Mountaineering. i got the Alpenlite a 20 bag..but i bet the 15 deg badger would have been a great one too. (maybe better since i tend to get cold)

i got mine for $400. right there in the Kifaru price range, once you do the compression stuff sack thing.

 

[dotman]

I have found my Kifaru 20* Base Bag to be spot on temp wise and I would think the newer Slick bag would be the same but maybe they changed something besides the MOB connection points that were removed on the Slick Bag.

I wish they would bring back the MOB option.

 

[Nick Muche]

Anyone know if Western Mountaineering ever has sales or if they are offered on Promotive?

 

[Aron Snyder]

Yep, all the new/updated stuff will be out soon....

 

[boom]

Anyone know if Western Mountaineering ever has sales or if they are offered on Promotive?

i've never seen WM have a sale. but i have seen stores that sell WM have sales. that is how i got mine. 20% off.

just a heads up. FILTHEFREEZER is selling a great bag in the classifieds. a Feathered Friends Swallow. my friend has that bag and it is amazing. i WAS going to buy the FF Swift, but the on sale WM was the better deal financially. the Swift is just a wider Swallow, i think.

 

[Shrek]

Yep, all the new/updated stuff will be out soon....

I think that is foreshadowing from the Kifaru rep ! As a Kifaru cool aid drinker I'm looking forward to the spring.

 

[Nick Muche]

I've got plenty of bags from 0-30 degrees, I am looking at the Bison, but I want to spend a bit less than a grand

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Yep, all the new/updated stuff will be out soon....

I think that is foreshadowing from the Kifaru rep ! As a Kifaru cool aid drinker I'm looking forward to the spring.

Can't wait to see Kifaru's 2014 lineup.

I'm in the market for a new zero degree bag after my teenage son and I had a little, uh, campfire incident this summer with a soaking wet Marmot down bag in the James Peak Wilderness.

 

[ridgefire]

I have been really happy with the helium but want something that is a little bit more moisture resistant. I know you can buy the treated helium but already have the regular one. probably wait awhile and see if anything new comes out.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Both of my Slick bags (20 and 0) have been true to temp for me.

 

[badkneesbro]

I got a 20 deg. slick bag this year, & for me the jury is still out. May be some weird California chit, but I took it out for the 1st time w/ temps no lower than about 35 & froze till layered up. I was also in my Tigoat bivy. Possible that going from 70 deg. nights here @ home to 35 deg. nights out there for the first time this year had something to do with it? A couple of weeks later @ higher elevation & lower temps, same bag & bivy & I was fine until the last night when it got down to 25 when I used my spirit quilt from mountain laurel designs inside the slick bag to keep toasty. My 38 deg. spirit seems true to its rating, but I only have 9 or 10 nights in my slick bag. Hopefully I will learn to like this bag.

 

[Colbyqueso]

I have the Slick bag. 20deg. Long and wide. The amount of space is unbelievable. I would not agree with the rating. More like a 40deg. Other than that. I would absolutely recommend this bag to anyone.

 

[gobbler1662]

I've owned both those bags marmot is warmer by far and packs down way smaller. But Kifaru slick is synthetic so there's advantages there. Slick bag doesn't compress down nearly as small

 

[Coveyleader]

If the bag temp rating doesn't seem true, why would you recommend it? If I buy a 0 degree bag for the price they want for the slick bag, I want it to be a 0 degree bag and not a 32 degree bag. I'm looking for a synthetic bag and had my eye on the slick, but after reading some of these posts I'm thinking I may need to look further.