need help choosing sleeping bag

Guyon said:
I have a Marmot Sawtooth Long (15 degree down bag).
By using a silk bag liner, I can get 5 to 10 degrees improvement on the temp rating.
Just one option...
Click to expand...

I looked at this one and it's pretty nice... not that much heavier than the cat's meow and most of the reviews like it... the only thing with it is that it is down... is this a big problem as some people see it?

I always read and they all tell me that down is really bad when wet... how do you keep from getting your sleeping bag wet? what do you guys think about it?

thanks...
 
from a longevity stand point and weight point- down has no equal, a good down sleeping bag can last 20+ years w/ care

a wet sleeping bag of any kind is trouble, but more so w/ down for sure

first keep it dry in your pack- a pack liner will accomplish that, second keep it dry while sleeping- a suitable shelter will take care of that, most quality down bags have some sort of DWR finish- so they shed some moisture on their own

if you look at the folks that complete the near 3000 mile Pacific Coast Trail (Mexico->Canada) through some very wet country (OR, WA) almost all use a down bag- you just have to take some care in keeping it dry is all (those that do use synthetic do everything they can to keep those dry as ell)

so no you having nothing to fear from a down bag
 
thanks for the comment...

following soapboxpreacher review i decided to go with the cats meow... the marmot was nice but i was a bit afraid of it being down (i wish i read your comment earlier :D)...

also, since my budget was tight and my trip will probably inlvove raining i did not want to spend money (at least not yet) on a liner for the down bag...

i'll report back on how this bag is doing...

thanks for all your help...
 
Just to add... I have a dry bag/stuff sack for my down bag. It goes into the dry bag at home. It comes out inside the tent. It goes back into the dry bag inside the tent. At no point do I expose the bag to the outdoors, and so it stays dry.

Even in a downpour, my pack has a pack cover which sheds almost all of the rain, and inside my pack, my sleeping bag has nothing to fear because it's in its own little dry bag.
 
i use a North Face Blaze with a USMC bivy sleeping bag cover.
Bivy cover is on the bidding sites.
 
Briarbow is right if you get a 0 degree bag and tend to use it in the mid 30s you will roast in general. Roasting in a synthetic bag will tend to not be as hot and sweaty for the synthetics I have used tend to wick a little better. But everyone sleeps different.

A liner can help and offers another layer if the mercury drops slightly beyond the rating. But many bags dont actually work at what they are rated at. If you want a liner sea to summit has a wide variety out there both silk and thermolite. The thermolite will add the most amount of heat but it is a little bigger to pack...by no means is it huge. But to me a good sleeping pad can help so much!! So as I mentioned make sure if you sleep on the ground you get a good sleeping pad. One area a where a bag can lose its warmth can be the wind. Wind can really get you and that is where layer can help or a bivy but this entire subject gets even more complicated. If you sleep in a tent, nevermind this subject or debate.

One suggestion, go to an REI or some outfitter and see if you can get into these bags as well as on a sleep pad. As I said, I love the cats meow a lot but it was narrow inside and that made it a complete deal breaker! So try before you buy, check the zippers, adjust the mummy hood (Most of the time I dont use them), move around in them, and use the zipper to get in and out. Also...take your time looking but remember one bag cant do it all but you can get one that will cover most of your outings.

Oh and JGON...that is a sweet bag!!! However it is nearly double the specified budget, I looked at it as well when I was considering Down it looks tight but was actually not bad absolute awesome bag! But when you get into the 300 range there are a ton of great bags! I really like the Marmot Sawtooth for a down bag...you can get them around 200 now. But I also like the Mountain Hardwear Phantom as well. They pack around 2lbs...10-12 oz lighter then the marmots. Then again if I were to buy one down bag and only one...western mountaineering is my pick! Just BIG CASH!

Carspidey, let us know what you do but honestly the Cats Meow will serve you well and will not break the bank! It is a well rounded bag that many have used and loved for so many years...it has been around for ages with good reason...it works well! Just make sure you get in it to make sure it isnt too confining for you. Good Luck!
 
Last edited:
carspidey how did you like the bag? I am curious if you thought it was too tight. It was for me so I stayed with the MH Ultralamina. Both are great weight and compress very well! Let us know. Thanks
 
I bought a Cat's Meow a couple years ago. That is a very nice bag. I've used it a few times down into the high 20s and it kept me warm enough. Not steaming hot but I sleep very cold. Would not hesitate to recommend one of these.

Bought a Marmot Never Summer bag last summer rated at 0 degrees and I find myself much more comfortable in it, although it's a bit heavier. It is much nicer camping in the 20s or so with this bag however. It is much more expensive though. It is of much nicer quality than my Cat's Meow though (for instance the zipper actually works well!).

I've never had trouble with sleeping bags getting wet. The Marmot bag does tend to collect more condensation when it's very cold. When in the pack I usually wrap the stuff sack with a garbage bag in case of rain or an accidental dunking on a stream crossing. Haven't taken a spill in a stream yet, and my bag has always stayed dry in rainshowers with this method. It is also best to let your bag air out for a while in the morning before packing it up.
 
I own everything from a 15 degree Snugpack (Softie 9) to a 50 degree 10 oz. Lafuma. In between I have decent bags from Slumberjack and Kelty. It's my opinion that carrying only as much sleeping bag as you need is ideal. For one, you're not hauling all that extra weight is great, two: it's hard to use a daypack in the summer if you have a giant sleeping bag (bulk), and three: it's rough trying to use a winter bag in the summer and you are most likely to degrade it with all the sweating you'll be doing.

I always bring a bag that is 5 to 10 degrees lower than the average low for the area I'm hiking. I've been hiking many times and have only been cold once. That was the time I decided to bring only my USGI Goretex Bivy and a light bag. Of course there were thunderstorms and almost record low temps... Moral: if you're sleeping outside a tent, tack a few degrees onto that rating.
 
^ I take it one step further and carry a bag that is rated slightly above to what I'm expecting for lows in the "summer" (shoulder season/winter I'm a little more conservative:))- the clothes that I carry also serve to help push the rating of the bag if need be

I use a 40 degree rated bag and have slept very comfortably to below freezing (w/ the addition of a light down jacket, light fleece pants and a hat- all clothes that I'm using anyways)

one other caution- sleeping bag ratings can be all over the place unfortunately- most of the higher end bags know are en tested which gives you a much better idea where the bag sits, the en rating is also stated for men and women- a women needs a higher rated bag for the same temp
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top