So, I'd like to add a final winter bag to the lineup to use when solo winter camping in expected cold temps, or for my girlfriend to use when we're camping together in temps around or slightly lower than 0. Also, I'll preface this by saying that I'm a big Western Mountaineering fan, own three of their bags already (Megalite 30, Apache MF 15, and Kodiak MF 0), and would like to stick with this brand for a variety of reasons (high quality, US made, lightweight, ethically sourced down, etc.). I'm torn between the Lynx MF (-10) and the Puma MF (-25), and am not interested in the GWS versions, as I prefer the superior breathability and don't plan to sleep fully exposed. Any experience with either model?
While I won't be camping volitionally in -20 degree temps and colder, I like the idea of some safety cushion should the weather take a turn for the worse. I'm located in Minnesota, have good access to winter camping, and it certainly gets cold enough to warrant each bag here. While I've only done archery elk out west, I'm interested in doing some rifle elk in the coming years and could see this bag being brought for a second or third season hunt. Could also see it being used winter camping in Northern MN or BWCA one day, but that's still in the future. One part of me thinks the Puma may be too narrowly focused and too much bag for conditions I'd normally camp in here in MN, but the other part of me feels having a -10 bag seems too close in temp rating to my Kodiak 0 and kind of redundant. I'm also a tall slender build, so the 63" shoulder width on the Lynx seems like a nice sweet spot and an efficient cut for my frame, though I could always toss the puffy jacket and pants in the 66" girth of the Puma to fill space. So, which of the below options would people endorse, especially if you've had experience with any of them:
Lynx -10
Lynx -10 (with overstuff, bumping it to ~ -15)
Puma -25
Much appreciate the insights
While I won't be camping volitionally in -20 degree temps and colder, I like the idea of some safety cushion should the weather take a turn for the worse. I'm located in Minnesota, have good access to winter camping, and it certainly gets cold enough to warrant each bag here. While I've only done archery elk out west, I'm interested in doing some rifle elk in the coming years and could see this bag being brought for a second or third season hunt. Could also see it being used winter camping in Northern MN or BWCA one day, but that's still in the future. One part of me thinks the Puma may be too narrowly focused and too much bag for conditions I'd normally camp in here in MN, but the other part of me feels having a -10 bag seems too close in temp rating to my Kodiak 0 and kind of redundant. I'm also a tall slender build, so the 63" shoulder width on the Lynx seems like a nice sweet spot and an efficient cut for my frame, though I could always toss the puffy jacket and pants in the 66" girth of the Puma to fill space. So, which of the below options would people endorse, especially if you've had experience with any of them:
Lynx -10
Lynx -10 (with overstuff, bumping it to ~ -15)
Puma -25
Much appreciate the insights
