Should I upgrade my sleeping bag?

[elkyinzer]

In the last few weeks I came to the decision to upgrade some of my gear to be bivy-capable for this fall's elk hunt. My gear now is more oriented toward the spike camp concept and is just too much to carry around all day and hunt effectively. I want to lighten my load and be able to spend a couple days in spots I just can't reasonably reach right now.

My sleeping bag is the one part of the system where I am struggling.

I have a North Face Cats Meow 20 which weighs in on my scale at 46 oz with the stuff sack. What's more than the weight is really the volume, when fully compressed it takes up almost half of my pack. I like the bag and I've slept down to 10 degrees with some extra clothes and been fine. I am a pretty warm sleeper but I sleep on my side and my stomach and think I'd just prefer the traditional sleeping bag over the quilt type things. I have preferred synthetics over down due to the moisture issue (condensation, accidents happen) but that may be a misplaced concern?

What kind of improvements are possible and at what cost? If I have to spend $500 to shave a quarter pound and a little volume I'll man up and deal. If I can cut the volume in half or more and stay warm, I think I'll be looking for some cash to get it done. What do you all think?

 

[mrbillbrown]

Do you want to stay with a full bag or move into a quilt set up?

 

[mrbillbrown]

Oops. Just learning to read.....

Was planning to steer you down the quilt path for maximum size and weight reduction.

 

[ndbwhunter]

I was hoping to see something about being "open to new experiences"....ie the quilt. I don't have any pointers for you on the bags, but a quilt would cut your weight in half, and would be about 1/4 the size of the packed bag.

 

[elkyinzer]

To be honest I know next to nothing about quilts...I just want honest information and I'll decide from there.

Not totally closed off to anything...my perception of a quilt (I may well be wrong) is that because I am a side sleeper and seem to wiggle around for lack of a better term, that I would shake the quilt loose and wake up uncovered and cold. Some quick research suggested side sleepers are better off with a quilt. Why is that?

 

[Dos Perros]

I have that same Cat's Meow 20 (have two actually) and I finally got sick enough of it and ordered the EE quilt off the Massdrop. I prioritize my purchases off of $'s spent/oz saved, and of course I consider functional gains, too. For $225 I cut my pack weight by 26 ounces. I also expect it to be warmer based on the experiences I've read on this board. That Cat's Meow kinda sucks, IMO; cold, bulky, heavy. I'm like you, side sleeper and can toss a bit sometimes. Because the quilt is secured to the pad I expect it to stay in place much better than even a mummy sleeping bag would.

 

[airlocksniffer]

I tend to roll around a bit so that's exactly why I went with a quilt. The pad straps on the EE quilts look like they will minimize cold spots/drafts. Upgrading my sleeping bag to the 10F Revelation, shelter to a Jimmy Tarp Granite Mountain w/vestibule and my pad to an Xlite dropped my sleep system to around 3.5 lbs.

 

[DaveC]

You'd be hard pressed to not upgrade from the Cat's Meow. The insulation in that thing is non-premium synthetic, and the fabrics needlessly bulky.

EE quilts are a solid option, particularly if you want to stay with synthetic insulation. No one makes a synthetic sleeping bag with reasonably light materials. I prefer sleeping bags, as a good hood and collar add substantial warmth for the weight. A premium down option would be the WM Ultralite. REIs Igneo is a cheaper option.

 

[elkyinzer]

As always, you all gave me some great jumping-off points for research. I will say I had some misconceptions about how a quilt works but I'm still leery of drafty air creeping in under the sides. Keep it coming, I want to make sure I get it right this time so it's going to be a couple weeks anyway before I pull the trigger.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Here is the to EE's website talking about quilt use. I learned a lot and eased my concerns about drafts, etc:

http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/blog/quilts-101/

Hopefully I'll have mine by mid-May.

 

[BroodBuster]

I live and spend a lot of time camping in rainforests. My first bag was synthetic as I too was worried about getting it wet. Well after a decade of it never getting wet I upgraded to down. That was probably 20'years ago now and I've never once regreted it.

I'm a big fan of down and its ability to compress to about half the size of synthetic is one reason why.

 

[1hoda]

it takes up almost half of my pack.

For me, I'd just get a bigger pack!! Problem solved!!

 

[ridgefire]

I would try to find a lightly used treated down mummy bag like a Marmot helium or something along those lines. Will save you at least a pound and will compress to probably half the size or less.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

You could also check out the EE Convert....it's a sleeping bag that can also be used as a quilt. It's heavier than the quilts, but lighter than the Cat's Meow.

I got an EE Revelation late last fall (0 F as I sleep cool, long/extra-wide for my 6'4" 230lb frame). Used it on one hunt where the temps dropped to about -5 C at night. I wore light merino base layer and a toque and was just warm enough (probably would have been warmer with a better pad than the thermarest guide lite). The first night I didn't cinch the straps tight enough and got a few drafts when I tossed and turned (side sleeper). The nights after with the straps tightened were better.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Another option to a quilt is a down BigAgnes bag.
In a lot of ways they are like a quilt, only they have a non-insulated sleeve for the pad to slide into.
A little heavier than a quilt though, but still around 2lbs and compress down to near jetboil Sumbo size.
I have one.

That said, I'm still intrigued by the quilt concept.
And I can see one pulling double duty as a woobie.
Hunt'nFish

 

[LandYacht]

Had the Cats Meow and had the same issues you did, only I got cold in it and I never get cold.

Upgraded to a Western Mountaineering Versalite and couldn't be happier. 10 degree bag that weighs two pounds and has a full length zipper. I can use it like a quilt if I want to, but if I need the full warmth of the good and draft protection have the option to zip up. I've yet to have a problem with down and moisture, it was something that I was very worried about too. I read a comment from someone when I was debating making the switch that a wet bag is miserable regardless if it's synthetic or down, which really cemented the deal for me. I've got enough clothes and can build a fire if I need to, to get through a night.

I looked at getting a quilt when GoLite was still in business. I didn't like it as much as having a bag that I can zip up. The extra ounces for the added warmth tipped me into the full length zipper down bag arena. I don't think anyone does it better than WM, there could be some on par like Feathered Friends, but I've been so happy with my bag that I doubt I'll ever need something different.

 

[Solo86]

I am looking at upgrading my sleep system for this fall. Last year I was sold on a Big Agnes Farewell 0 degree bag for a number of reasons, the cost for a 0 degree bag was in my price range and it is a semi-rectangular bag with plenty of room. I also got a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad. I was elk hunting out of a tent for 2, multi-day hunts with temps as low as 25 degrees. I got cold almost every night. I hate to think about spending about $300 on that system and feel like I got taken. I was expecting to be sweating in that thing but was disappointed. Besides getting cold, one thing I do not like that system is since there is no insulation on the bottom of your sleeping bag, you are 100% relying on that pad. What IF it leaks? What IF it gets a hole in it? Then you are lying on a pad with no air in it and no insulation between you and the ground. At least if you have a normal bag and the pad leaks, you have insulation. I am not saying that their other bags and pad combos don't work. I understand that bag isn't the most expensive but the rating on that I was not happy with. I am in the process of searching for a good bag and pad. I have narrowed it down to Feathered Friends 10 semi rectangle or KUIU 15. As anyone had any experiences with the KUIU? My hunting partner had the Feathered Friends and likes it. I am thinking KUIU because of the high quality, treated down, and extremely lightweight.

 

[Seth1913]

If your pad fails and you have a bag with insulation on the bottom you will still get cold. The insulation beneath you will compress and be useless for providong warmth as it already is. I've slept warmer in a 20* HG quilt than I did a -10 cabelas bag. Feathered friends use high quality down as well as many others like katabatic gear, WM, etc.

 

[xziang]

I have a cats meow too and I use that strictly for truck camping and sleeping in the back of the truck. On an early season hunt I used a BA bag for I really like the sleeve for the pad. I now have a western mountaineering alipinelite and really like that bag however I do miss the 'sleeve' of the BA bag for I like to sleep on my side and will move around at night.

I was plenty warm with the alpinlite bag when the temps got to about 26 at night. First time in CO I affixed my sleeping bag to the outside of my pack due to the bulkiness of it. Also if you get a 'down' bag I would also suggest a decent water tight compression bag for it too. I was 'spike' camping with the alpinelite bag and when I left in the morning I would still stuff it in the stuff sack just to cover my butt incase something happened to the tent.

 

[xziang]

Not mine but saw this in classifieds: http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?42326-Western-Mountaineering-Terralite