Sleeping bag for Montana late October

[maninthemaze]

Hey guys, can someone make sure I'm on the right track. I'm looking to update my sleeping bag. I've got a Kelty 30 degree bag now. It weighs just barely above 3 lbs. I've been looking at getting a lighter/lower rated bag. I'm planning an elk hunting trip to Montana in late October to early November. The bags I'm looking at are these....

Mountain Hardware Ratio 15. It's rated to 12° and weighs 2lbs 8oz stuffs down to 8x15

Marmot Sawtooth rated to 15° that weighs 2lbs 7.5ozs. Stuffs down to 7.5x16

Mountain Equipment Glacier rated to 14° and weighs 2lbs 8oz stuffs down to 7x12

The bags are around $250. Which of these three bags would you pick? Does one have a better warranty over the other?

Staying in the same price range, what other bags would you suggest? Should I just put a liner in my bag and call it good? Of course that would just add more weight. Sorry for all the questions. I'm a newbie when it comes to backpack hunting.

Thanks

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[GKPrice]

Hey guys, can someone make sure I'm on the right track. I'm looking to update my sleeping bag. I've got a Kelty 30 degree bag now. It weighs just barely above 3 lbs. I've been looking at getting a lighter/lower rated bag. I'm planning an elk hunting trip to Montana in late October to early November. The bags I'm looking at are these....

Mountain Hardware Ratio 15. It's rated to 12° and weighs 2lbs 8oz stuffs down to 8x15

Marmot Sawtooth rated to 15° that weighs 2lbs 7.5ozs. Stuffs down to 7.5x16

Mountain Equipment Glacier rated to 14° and weighs 2lbs 8oz stuffs down to 7x12

The bags are around $250. Which of these three bags would you pick? Does one have a better warranty over the other?

Staying in the same price range, what other bags would you suggest? Should I just put a liner in my bag and call it good? Of course that would just add more weight. Sorry for all the questions. I'm a newbie when it comes to backpack hunting.

Thanks

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some of the guys will talk up QUILTS, I know nothing about them .......
Having a budget for a bag is a necessity for most of us BUT don't set it too low or you might freeze your butt off ! I've been sleeping in a Wiggies Elk Hunter for a lot of seasons and never even thought about being cold even once - Put it in a simple bedroll (ebay for $125) even better - I'd rather wake up with my bag unzipped than wake up shivering -- there are many great bags "out there" , don't scrimp

 

[DaveC]

Compare the amount of down fill and the EN-comfort rating of each bag. If you're concerned about a given bag being warm enough, compare those two metrics to a Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends bag of an equivalent temperature rating.

 

[1signguy]

Whatever you get, I suggest you get something rated for 15-20 degrees lower than the temps you expect to see. I use down quilts but my 13 year old hunting partner (son) prefers the sleeping bag. We just grabbed a new Marmot 15 degree bag for him that looks real nice- REI has some deals from time to time...

 

[Northernpiker]

You in a heated tent? At that time of year I would want a 0 to 10 degree bag with a good pad under me. Do some research on bags and temp ratings. Could be tough to get a reliable bag (that's lightweight) for that price range. You should watch for a used bag.

 

[maninthemaze]

No heated tent here. Sounds like I need to up my budget on a bag. And probably sleep in my hunting clothes. Maybe get a liner, just to keep the bag clean. I've already got a pad, it's a Therm-a-Rest*NeoAir XLite*

Thanks

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[Gumbo]

No way I would go out with anything rated higher than 0 degrees (0 to -20 is where I would look). It can get cold, especially at elevation. A good pad (X-therm) is a huge benefit too.

 

[ianpadron]

You packing in or hunting out of a basecamp?

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[maninthemaze]

Compare the amount of down fill and the EN-comfort rating of each bag. If you're concerned about a given bag being warm enough, compare those two metrics to a Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends bag of an equivalent temperature rating.

I've got another question. Looking at the Marmot Never Summer bag that's rated to 0 degrees and the Marmot Sawtooth that's rated for 15 degrees. How can they both have 650 fill duck down rated for 15 degrees difference?

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[Ghost]

Celsius Regular -18oC/0oF Sleeping Bag | High-End Features and Durable Construction For Years Of Reliable Use By TETON Sports

This is the bag I use at that time of year in MT, Ive used it for spike outs and base camp, never been cold. Total weight is about 4lbs.

 

[Jon Boy]

Upping my budget and getting a quality bag was the best move ive ever done. Waking up constantly is the worst thing ever. To me a high quality bag is far more important than high end optics, I can't use my optics effectively if I froze my ass off all night. So I went with a WM Badger. Ive taken it below its rating and have been fine. I also pack down pants and they allow me to go well below the rating as well.

 

[Davesphizikal]

^ same. A good bag is not cheap, but there is no comparison to a good, lightweight, packable bag. One thing to keep in mind is the primary advertised degree rating is almost always the middle-to-lower end of the temperature rating scale. That is, most bags rated to 0 degrees will usually be from a 0-15 degree scale. The "comfort" rating will likely be 5-10 degrees. What I've done and found works nice is if I plan on a trip with nighttime temps around 5-10 degrees F, I'll pack a bag that's rated to a comfort around that scale. So I'll take a 0 degree bag for lows in the 5-10's. Works for me anyways...

 

[tyeager2964]

If you look at the weight of the Marmot bags you will find your answer. The Never Summer is heavier and likely has more fill. I have one and have slept comfortable down to 10 degrees on a thermarest prolite pad with wool baselayers and a beanie.

With a higher R Value pad I'm sure I could get much colder. The pad is half the equation.

If you pay the $20 membership to REI and wait for there 20 20 sale you can easily save 60 or more in sleeping bag and pad together.

Marmot makes quality middle budget gear. Their $200 to 300 bags won't be as compressible as WM or FF bags and will weigh a little more but they are a good bang for your buck.

If you have time watch steepandcheap.com, backcounty.com, moose jaw, Sierra trading post etc and you can find some pretty good savings as well

 

[tyeager2964]

Also if you live near an REI store they will let you get in all the bags they have. A snug bag will be warmer than a loose one as long as you dont compress the insulation and you will be able to tell how each one packs.

An aftermarket compression sack from Sea to Summit or even Walmart will compress it even farther.

As long as you stick to we'll known mountaineering brands I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[maninthemaze]

You packing in or hunting out of a basecamp?

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So far the plan is to have a camper set up as a base camp. Then hike in for 2-3 days at a time, returning to resupply or change areas.

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[maninthemaze]

Thanks guys. I ended up buying a Marmot Helium. It's rated for 15 degrees and I'll probably get a liner for it as well. This should get me down low enough for Montana elk. I looked online and Montana's average temperature on October 31 was a high of 50 and lows of 26. I will still have my base layers on.

Thanks for all the input. I'm definitely a newbie at this.

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[Ghost]

Is thats Montanas average overall or where you are planning on hunting? What are you using for a sleeping pad?

 

[maninthemaze]

Is thats Montanas average overall or where you are planning on hunting? What are you using for a sleeping pad?

That was the average temps for Butte. I realize that it will be colder at elevation but that was as close as I could get. And, I've got a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite pad. Maybe next year I'll upgrade to the XTherm. I've spent way too much money so far this year and it's not even February.

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[Ghost]

Lol I hear ya. Check out this web site, you can search back to when the station became operational, much more precise than going using the weather channel. NRCS National Water and Climate Center | SNOTEL Data & Products You should be able to find a station near where you are hunting.

 

[Ghost]

Break this down a little more, here is the interactive map, zoom in and click on a dot near where you are hunting. NRCS National Water and Climate Center | Mapper 2.0