Navigating Sleeping Bag Choices

[schmalzy]

Second rifle can definitely get cold enough to warrant a zero degree bag. 0 degree SG bag served me well this year. For price/performance/comfort it was the winner for me. Unless you’re super tall, it would be my vote.


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[Grand_Tank_134]

Second rifle can definitely get cold enough to warrant a zero degree bag. 0 degree SG bag served me well this year. For price/performance/comfort it was the winner for me. Unless you’re super tall, it would be my vote.


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What backpack do you use to run you zero degree?

 

[sndmn11]

Thanks for that input. I’m a cold sleeper so I should probably air on the side of caution.

Food for thought, sweat cools you off.

Your pad should be as high of an insulator as you are willing to carry.

I think there's a good chance many "cold sleepers" bundle up and insulate themselves into being cold and sleep miserably. I have a Kodiak, but I use the heck out of my WM quilt into the teens and the only thing that wakes me is to pee. The Kodiak is warm, but it's pretty common to be back and forth hot/cold. (Former "cold sleeper")

I challenge you to think through when you have been cold, and how evaporative cooling has or hasn't played into that. I think that should help guide your topside insulation needs.

 

[S.Clancy]

I wish there was a "neither" option. There are a lot of bags that will fit your use case and are cheaper with very minor sacrifices in weight/quality.

IMO, I would structure a sleeping bag with the fit being the most important variable. You need the bag to fit tightly but comfortably. The more "room" you have the more air there is to heat and the less reliable the temperature rating of the bag will be. Once you find the specific measurements that work for you, I would search out the bag of the quality you want that fits your specific sizes (shoulder, hip, length measurements).

Also, I would not go colder than a 15F bag. You can layer inside a 15F and get below zero. The use case for a 0F or below bag is near 0 for hunting.

Finally, IMO, it is impossible to get a "one bag fits all". You can do a "2 bags fits almost any scenario", but not 1. 15F bag is simply too warm to use the majority of the summer and early fall in the west. The best combo, IMO, is a 15F bag and a 40F quilt. That truly covers 99%+ of scenarios.

 

[schmalzy]

What backpack do you use to run you zero degree?

Terminus 7000 or SG 6900.

Regarding it getting too warm; I was able to easily vent or adjust. Everyone is different and I certainly don’t discount the other guys experience, but if you’re going to be using for second or third rifle I don’t think you can go wrong. I think a zero degree bag and then a 20 degree quilt covers a lot of bases.


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[AKDoc]

Another vote for the WM Badger...

I've had mine for a number of years now and have logged many nights in it. Absolutely the best bag I've ever owned...perfect temp rating for my needs (early to late fall here in Alaska...low 20's at times), plenty of room, compresses well, reliable zipper, etc. I got mine in the MF fabric, which has worked extremely well for me. I have never been cold in that bag, and I seldom have it zipped all the way up.

Reiterating what has already been mentioned and I'm sure already known by everyone here...be sure to get a good sleeping pad with a high R value. If you don't, then you will sleep cold in a down bag, regardless of the bag you buy. For my needs an R-7 is the lowest I will go.

 

[Grand_Tank_134]

I wish there was a "neither" option. There are a lot of bags that will fit your use case and are cheaper with very minor sacrifices in weight/quality.

IMO, I would structure a sleeping bag with the fit being the most important variable. You need the bag to fit tightly but comfortably. The more "room" you have the more air there is to heat and the less reliable the temperature rating of the bag will be. Once you find the specific measurements that work for you, I would search out the bag of the quality you want that fits your specific sizes (shoulder, hip, length measurements).

Also, I would not go colder than a 15F bag. You can layer inside a 15F and get below zero. The use case for a 0F or below bag is near 0 for hunting.

Finally, IMO, it is impossible to get a "one bag fits all". You can do a "2 bags fits almost any scenario", but not 1. 15F bag is simply too warm to use the majority of the summer and early fall in the west. The best combo, IMO, is a 15F bag and a 40F quilt. That truly covers 99%+ of scenarios.

Food for thought, sweat cools you off.

Your pad should be as high of an insulator as you are willing to carry.

I think there's a good chance many "cold sleepers" bundle up and insulate themselves into being cold and sleep miserably. I have a Kodiak, but I use the heck out of my WM quilt into the teens and the only thing that wakes me is to pee. The Kodiak is warm, but it's pretty common to be back and forth hot/cold. (Former "cold sleeper")

I challenge you to think through when you have been cold, and how evaporative cooling has or hasn't played into that. I think that should help guide your topside insulation needs.

I had a whole other response typed out and it occurred to me to me, my problem has been sleeping pads. I have never had an insulated sleeping pad, until about a week ago. I bought a Nemo Tensor Extreme. It has a claimed R value of 8.5. I had an original NeoAir and a Z Rest pad that I have used in the past. Even with my old synthetic 0 degree I would freeze. I think I might have been looking at this problem from the wrong angle. Even though I knew I needed a higher R value pad (which is why I got a new one) I don’t think I ever factored it in my sleeping bag choice. Thanks for the thought prompt.

 

[Grand_Tank_134]

I wish there was a "neither" option. There are a lot of bags that will fit your use case and are cheaper with very minor sacrifices in weight/quality.

IMO, I would structure a sleeping bag with the fit being the most important variable. You need the bag to fit tightly but comfortably. The more "room" you have the more air there is to heat and the less reliable the temperature rating of the bag will be. Once you find the specific measurements that work for you, I would search out the bag of the quality you want that fits your specific sizes (shoulder, hip, length measurements).

Also, I would not go colder than a 15F bag. You can layer inside a 15F and get below zero. The use case for a 0F or below bag is near 0 for hunting.

Finally, IMO, it is impossible to get a "one bag fits all". You can do a "2 bags fits almost any scenario", but not 1. 15F bag is simply too warm to use the majority of the summer and early fall in the west. The best combo, IMO, is a 15F bag and a 40F quilt. That truly covers 99%+ of scenarios.

Are there others that you can recommend? I have looked at Big Agnes, Paria, Kelty, Mountain Harware, Marmot. Not that I wan fully versed in any of those, but that’s where I started my search.

 

[Grand_Tank_134]

Another vote for the WM Badger...

I've had mine for a number of years now and have logged many nights in it. Absolutely the best bag I've ever owned...perfect temp rating for my needs (early to late fall here in Alaska...low 20's at times), plenty of room, compresses well, reliable zipper, etc. I got mine in the MF fabric, which has worked extremely well for me. I have never been cold in that bag, and I seldom have it zipped all the way up.

Reiterating what has already been mentioned and I'm sure already known by everyone here...be sure to get a good sleeping pad with a high R value. If you don't, then you will sleep cold in a down bag, regardless of the bag you buy. For my needs an R-7 is the lowest I will go.

I just recently got a Nemo Tensor Extreme with a claimed rating of 8.5. I’m hoping that it works as intended. Right now the WM Badger seems to be the consensus, it’s also the bag I was leaning towards from the beginning.

 

[S.Clancy]

Are there others that you can recommend? I have looked at Big Agnes, Paria, Kelty, Mountain Harware, Marmot. Not that I wan fully versed in any of those, but that’s where I started my search.

I just recently got a Nemo Tensor Extreme with a claimed rating of 8.5. I’m hoping that it works as intended. Right now the WM Badger seems to be the consensus, it’s also the bag I was leaning towards from the beginning.

I would look specifically at Mountain Hardwear, Marmot and Rab. Compare the specs of those to what you want. As I said before, figure out the sizing that fits you well, you shouldn't have tons of room in mummy bag.

I have used that pad a little, its been great so far. I have taken a Klymit insulated pad (R-value 4.5-5) to -10F degree temps in a 15F Marmot Helium bag with some layering.

 

[The_Jim]

@Grand_Tank_134 I’m a cold sleeper and used a crappy north face cats meow for some really cold conditions before I upgraded to the stone glacier. A lot of staying warm is more than just your bag - make sure you get in the bag already warm, wear layers inside, sleeping pad, etc.

I wouldn’t be afraid to use a 30 degree bag in the later seasons as long as I had a puffy pants and jacket with me.

 

[zacattack]

Isn’t the SG made overseas? For that price point I’d get either a feathered friends or western mountaineering. I’ve had both and they are phenomenal sleeping bags that are made right here in the USA.

 

[Grand_Tank_134]

Isn’t the SG made overseas? For that price point I’d get either a feathered friends or western mountaineering. I’ve had both and they are phenomenal sleeping bags that are made right here in the USA.

You are correct. With only a hundred bucks separating them, it certainly weighs in the WM favor.