What's the best sleeping bag? ? ?

I hear many good things about Wiggies for the price.

Western Mountaineering make the best down sleeping bags out there. period. They are quite expensive, but their superior cut makes them very warm without excess material. This company only make down bags.

THe North Face make the best synthetic bags out there, and their down bags are a close second to Western Mountaineering. North Face have the latest and most durable synthetic insultion, and their bags are well cut to maximize warth and save weight.

Marmot make excellent down and synthetic bags, but they take a different approach to synthetic than the North Face. Marmot use a synthetic that is lighter and more compressible than what North Face use, but comes at the expense of durability. It is also more expensive.

I can go into a lot more detail on the pros and cons of the various synthetics used out there, and the pros and cons of down vs. synthetic.

Note that the three brands I mentioned are quite expensive.

There is no one bag that is good for hot summers AND cold winters. Down will be comfortable over a broader temp ranger than synthetic though. Buy one decent three season bag ~15-20°F and but an over bag, or second sleeping bag cut wider to use over it in winter. I can make some specific suggestions if you are intersted.

Will
 
Right now I'm leaning towards purchasing Wiggy's Over Bag since the warmer months are coming around. Next fall/winter, I will more than likely purchase a Super Light or Ultra Light to place inside the Overbag. Quality, durability, price, customer service from wiggy himself, lifetime warranty, made in the US, all point to Wiggy's. :)
 
I hear the snug pak is ok. compacts nice, but over time and use the material will clump and end up being thin in some areas. This is the case with most all bags I used and seen used.
The exception would be the wiggy's. Not light, but warm and comfortable. It is a system though. A system I like. In hot climates I use just a fleece liner. Can't get too much lighter than that. Between 30~75 degrees I use the ftrs, adjusting zipper ventilation accordingly. Colder- I use the liner with the ftrs. For teen to zero temps I use the super light sometimes combined with the fleece liner. For real cold weather, which I haven't had to do yet, use the super light w/ftrs and maybe even the liner. You get the idea. If carrying all three it'll be more than 7lbs! Depending on the type of outing it is, a good nights sleep is worth it. Don't forget a pad regardless of your choice on bags.
Another thing to check into if you live in the colder regions is the wiggy's fishnet underwear. Sounds stupid, but don't laugh until you've heard a testimony to their warmth.
 
mountain equipment co-op (MEC), based in canada, makes some good bags. as a bonus, everything is in canadian dollars so its even cheaper for you guys in the US.
http://www.mec.ca/
i am just a starving artist so i dont have $400x2 to drop on sleeping bags for me and my g/f, so im currently using their MEC Hybrid bag (in the mountaineering section). its an excellent value, is rated to -20C, compresses well, is comfy as hell, and doesnt break the bank. the small bag for her worked out to $108 US, and the large for myself was $125.
you cant really beat that for a quality bag engineered for serious use -- around here even cheap +20C rectangular wal-mart bags cost nearly half that.

they have ultralight bags as well as expedition bags which are lighter, warmer and more expensive - it all depends on your budget.
 
pastorsoup said:
Have any of you guys had any experience with the Snugpak bags? The Merlin seems to be something I might be interested in.
Soup
Click to expand...

I have a softie merlin- love it- its the size of a frikkin nerf ball- too light for winter though...
 
For warmth and compressibility, nothing beats down, of course. Funny how Dow and Monsanto haven't been able to improve upon goose feathers.

Just make sure it's in a kayaker-style dry bag in case it gets immersed.In terms of lightweight, highly compressible synthetics, Snugpaks, Wiggys and Mont Bell are the way to go.
 
down is far more expensive, requires more maintenance (airing, etc) and its insulation is severely compromised in damp conditions - far more so than synthetic.
this is why i chose a hybrid bag with both down & synthetic. the down is also on the top, not the bottom, to further reduce the likelihood of moisture buildup and maximise the effectiveness of it and its loft.

seriously - if you are on a budget, MEC bags are amazing. anyone can go out and buy a $500 sleeping bag that will perform excellent, but not every one of us has $500 to spend on a bag (or $1000 if you are buying for two). considering cheap mass-produced +25 celcius bags often sell for $40-50 at places like wal-mart, the fact that you can get a bag that is good to -20, is down/synthetic, and comes in at a competitive weight for around $110 is really great.
 
Down is the more economic choice in the long run, buy a long shot.

All sleeping bags need to be aired out after use.

Moisture is the issue with down.

Will
 
Warmest bag I've ever owned is an old down Eddie Bauer bag (anyone else old enough to remember when EB was a *real* outdoor store?). I've never been too cold in it, but I've frequently been too warm. Of course it weighs something like 12lbs, too.

Other than that, put me firmly in the Wiggy's camp. I've heard some people trash 'em for odor retention but I haven't had that problem (they do retain some campfire odor, though.) I've drop-camped in moderately cold temps and been fine; I've camped in bitter cold temps (single digit and lower) and been fine; I've camped in summer in the outer bag and been fine. I don't think you can go wrong with Wiggy's either.
 
Yeah I do, I have Eddie Bauers' Karakoram down bag which is somewhat heavy but very warm. I now own a Western Mountaineering Alpenlite and its the bomb for me..WM bags are the best bar none imnsho :D ....
Kudos on the campfire smell, when you're back home the smell takes you back. You still have to air the bag for a couple of days, store it in a large cotton bag sack..
 
Western Mountaineering Makes the best sleeping bags i've been able to find. My bag of choice is the Western Mountaineering Antelope Super Gore-Tex.

However, Stephenson's has the most interesting catalog to look at. :eek: :)

--Mike
 
I just bought a new sleeping bag last week. It is a mountainsmith cypher. 750 down, weighs 2lb. 13oz., and rated to zero degrees F. Here in Idaho it is in the upper 90s so I have not had an oppertunity to test it. The bag compresses remarkably to take up little space. If igure it is good for almost year round and it save onspace and weight so it has got my vote as my fovorite bag, but there are many good brands with large varieties of bags just look for what you want.
 
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