Sleeping bag opinions

[idig4au]

I've got a 12 day backpack sheep hunt booked in NWT for first half of September next year. As such space and weight are key considerations.

I'm currently using a Kifaru slick 20 degree bag with a neoair xtralite pad. I'm a bit worried this bag is a bit under powered in terms of warmth. I was cold a few nights wearing merino base layers and beanie while using this setup this past august in BC and the temps were only in mid to high 20s. I expect same type of temps on this upcoming hunt. I tend to sleep cold as I'm pretty lean and don't have much insulation on me! I do like the slick bag though. It's a great bag the times I have used it in slightly warmer temps.

I'm thinking I should get a 0 or 5 degree bag. I want to keep bag under 3 lbs. I'm thinking either a 0 degree slick bag or a WM antelope GWS as potential candidates. The idea of using a down bag spooks me but a lot of people use them. I tend to bury myself inside the bag and get condensation at times from my breath by the time morning comes around. Worried about sustained dampness with down.

What do you guys think. Not worried about saving a few dollars but would rather have the optimal solution/setup.

 

[Clarktar]

I would take a good look at Tims Enlightened Equipment. I know this is a quilt and you are looking for a sleeping bag, but his products are quite impressive!

TO battle really cold temps, I use my Marmot Helium 15 degree bag, then I use one of Tims quilts (Prodigy) as an overquilt. The helium is down and I went with a synthetic quilt over the top to help protect against any moisture. I have not tried this setup in the mountains, but recently in WA we have had some pretty cold temps (low teens low twenties) and I slept outside with this setup on a foam pad with a old northface bivy sack and I slept like a rock, not cold at all. THe caveat is I had not slept in 3 days due to my newborn baby girl.... so maybe I was just extremely tired.

 

[Preston Lay]

What about a Woobie as a liner? I also have the 20 slick and recently picked up a Woobie for the same concerns. Hopefully it gets me down around 0 rating while maintaining compactness.

 

[Jay03]

I have the 20* slick bag and feel the temp rating is a bit generous... to me anyway. I am looking at either replacing it with a WM bag or adding the WM bag to my collection... Either way I will end up with a WM bag in a lower temp rating as I have heard there temp rating are on the conservative side(they actually perform to or below the advertiseQuid pro quod temp rating). I really like the slick bag and feel it might be one of the best synthetic options out there. But the 20* bag is more like a 30 or 35 degree bag.. And thats with a base layer on. I dont consider myself to be a cold sleeper but I am pretty lean also so take that into consideration.

I picked up the woobie like suggested by so many to extend the rating of the slick bag, even bought a wide slick bag to have room for the woobie. Together the weight will be over 4# or so... not something I am excited about with the other options out there.

I am making the move to down, I use a bivy and alot of high end bags/quilts use treated down or water resistent shells to combat moisture. In warmer weather(and by warmer I mean 35+ I am goint to use Enlightened Equipments RevX quilts. I have a 20* and a 40* both with 2 ounces of overfill . On expected colder weather hunts I am going to pack a WM bag(when I get one). I have the woobie and if I have to I will add it to a EE revX 20* or 40* quilt for a more modular system, the combined weight will still be less than the slick/woobie combo and I feel it will perform to lower temps better.

Oh and I dont pack both quilts together... one or the other. I actually bought 2 because after being so impressed with the first one and the sale going on I picked up another... and so my girlfriend would have one too when see comes along.