Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags

“save your money for the ski trip. it will be better spent on good food, booze, and women. better still skip the microfiber and get a down bag. even the best synthetic bags are only as good as a cheap down bag. also, a good down bag will last longer (your lifetime if properly cared for). for most casual hikers (a few trips per month) the difference here will be a fine line. if you plan to use the bag a lot, however, don't expect the synthetic fill to be less and less effective as the years pass. it just doesn't take the compress/decompress cycles nearly as well as down.”

“..huh?! Spent my money on food, booze and women...?

I am a lady.”

“On WM the MF is outside of the bag, not the insulation. The MF is very water resistant and tough - I have it on the Bison (I think, 0 deg one anyway). I've not seen the DL version but the MF is pretty good, I'm not regretted not getting the Dry Loft.
Western Mountaineering also uses brand name fabrics and re-names them.

Their lightweight line is Pertex Quantum
I think the MF is a more durable pertex, but I'm not sure.
Can't remember what the dryloft version is.”

““..huh?! Spent my money on food, booze and women...?

I am a lady.”
Euro hike
6:10:16 AM
12/20/07

Even better :o)”

“hehe, you beat me to that one y2!”

“You guys are saying pretty much what I thought when deciding between the MF and DL. Dryloft seemed pretty unnecessary to me at the time, and still does. The MF does just fine at shedding condensation from inside a tent, which is probably the most moisture many of us will ever have to deal with.

Plus, the DL, if it does happen to get wet, seems almost impossible to get all the water out of. When Prowler's Platy bag busted in his pack, his DL sleeping bag was still 3 or 4 oz heavier a few weeks later.”

“I have the WM Apache DL bag (15 degree). But I have slept in it down to 10 degree weather and been plenty warm - and I am a cold sleeper. I spent four days in the pouring rain and then snow toward the end of this summer. I stayed completely dry, even when water started dripping on my feet from the tent wall on day 3. If you were to get the bag, my only recommendation would be - DON'T breathe into the bag. That is when you are going to have big moisture problems. Otherwise, I have never had any issues of too much moisture inside the bag. I have been very happy with it.

On the same trip, mountainrunner had his Feathered Friends 20 degree MF bag. He was damp by day one. He said he was ok, but once damp, down doesn't hold it's warmth like it should. So it all depends on the kind of conditions you plan to sleep in.”

“I also have a WM bag with DryLoft and love it. It's a winter bag and I use it in snow caves and my Megamid and Kiva. On 10 day trips, with NO sunlight I do notice a little dampness from condensation. All it takes though is a few minutes in sunlight to dry the bag. Like honeybunches says...do not breathe inside the bag!

It has had water dripping on it, been shoved up against the side of a wet tent and more than once I woke up with an inch of snow on top, with no ill effects. I used the bag extensively for at least 50 nights a year in the winter and only noticed occasional dampness from condensation....when there was NO sunlight to dry it in. That was after 7/8 days.

Quick note for anyone with a coated bag....it usually takes only a few minutes to dry the bag out in sunlight (unless it is soaked) if you turn the bag inside out. A bag with a black interior helps too.”

“With the MF version I've had the outside of the lower part of the bag soaked from condensation, with no dampness inside or in the down. So it's good. Sounds like dry loft is even better.”

“"it will be better spent on good food, booze, and women"

My climbing partner, Amy, has said that more than once ;-)
last edited: 12/20/07 7:27:35 AM”

“...your money or her money?
;-)”

“�...your money or her money?
;-)�

Climbing partners share everything........


There is a lot to be said for having a lesbian for a climbing partner.”

“I have the Sequoia with dry loft, and use it for cold weather and winter camping. I like knowing that I don't have to worry about touching a snow shelter wall, or about sliding off the plastic sheet onto snow. I've had no problems with the dry loft, and would get it again. With my summer WM bag, the mega lite or something, I don't have dry loft, and in Idaho's dry climate I don't need it.”

“i have the MF Apache and it's done great. Been caught in torrential downpours in a tent dripping with condensation, i've been drizzled on, and had my boots thaw out next to them and had the footbox sit in a puddle for a while....no problems!!

it is a bit tight...i might have to order a tree name next time.”

“This thread started with Wind Walker waiting for his new WM sleeping bag. You must have gotten it, so you do you like it, and where have you taken it?”

“Next bags I get will be WM. Do they do a quilt, by chance?”

“I have the WM Super Micro Fiber Antelope and I love it!!!”

“WW, what do you figure the comfort range is, compared to what it is rated at?”

“these sleeping bag comfort ratings are so subjective it's ridiculous. if i was forced to pick one brand that was "true to rating" (for my metabolism/tolerance/physiology) I would say WM would be at the top of the list.”

“I have the Aspen MF with a hood. I only mention that because it's optional, or was at the time, on that bag.

I've been wanting the real wide cold weather bag, the Bristlecone I think. As soon as I have a bunch of money and nothing to do with it......”

“Idaho Bob...I think WM is right on the money.
My Antelope is rated 5 degrees...I have slept in it down to 7 degrees...and been warm as toast.”

“Kodiak.... Kodiak is the MF bg I have, not Bison, not sure where that came from - oh, and with the overfill too.”

“i have a WM iroquois, it's a 32 degree bag, it has sewn threw seeams similiar to a quilt..i usually just unzip it and curl on top or around it.”