Down Sleeping Bag???

“Question to All out there?? I'm looking for a down sleeping bag rated to around -5 or -10 for some winter hiking in the dampness of Western North Carolina?? Never used a quailty down bag. Money is an issue. Any help in what brand, special sales, power fill, etc will be greatly appreiciated!”

“The high end bags are typically Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering. You're probalby looking at $400.

-10 sounds really low. Are you doing winter hiking at 6000 feet?”

“I will be hiking pretty high, and it area is really remote, not alot, if any winter activity as for hikers. I've only seen maybe 10 folks in the summer time on some of the trails I hike. Weather has a tendency to change drasticly so I'm adding afew degrees to the bag as insurance/safety margin. Plus I have a tendency to go solo alot. I do leave detailed plans with someone though. Western Mountaineering is the Company that has been getting my attention and research.”

“The folks out west will probably start chiming in soon with real advice. I'm just sort of following along since I hope to start doing some Smokies trips in the winter starting next year. Don't have the gear for it now.”

“I got everything but the bag, I'm currently working as a US Government contractor in Korea but will be back in the mountains of western North Carolina, near Waynsville mid Dec and hopefully will be able to sneak out alittle”

“Ahh, good locaion. Uhh, Waynesville that is and not the 34th parallel (correct number?)”

“Something like that, Retired from the miltary, as a world traveller to go back to the mountains I grew up in just to find out there aren't alot of marketable jobs in the area with a background like mine. So I had to take another world traveller job to buy that house my wife and I are looking for.”

“Some friends of mine recently built a weekend cabin in Waynesville. I was pretty jealous.”

“How often does it get below zero in North Carolina? If you have never had a decent down bag then you might be looking for a colder rated bag, because you froze in your last cheaper bag. A good down bag will work down to it's coldest rating.

I have a Western Mountaineering 25 degree bag that I have slept comfortably in when the temps were below 20 degrees.”

“I always end up back there! But real property has gone thru the roof”

“Thanks bbw, I have froze several times. I'm also a cold sleeper, But I love the cold. I also have been to a military extreme cold weather survival course in Norway. So I knoe some of the tricks to keeping warm in a bag. -45 for weeks at a time get old no matter how you manage your diet”

“The higher the fill power the better. I think the manufacturers are up to 800 now. It makes a difference. If you need something at a lower price check out ebay for used stuff or REI for their brand down bags. I have an REI -10°. I'd say it probably would keep you alive at -10° but it wouldn't feel toasty warm. It's probably comfortable to 5°-0° more realisticly. But I've never had it below 13° so what do I know?”

“I've got a Kelty down bag that's rated at -15... which means I could probably go down to 20 degrees in it. Yeah, I sleep that cold. It's somewhat heavy and doesn't compress down very small. That's the trade-off for a cheaper bag.
last edited: 11/29/04 7:23:07 AM”

“HPM has a North Face Superlight Endurance down bag rated at -5, and that thing is comfy. It's been on wet and slushy trips with no problems at all.”

“Here is a -7 degree that's on sale. I've never bought from this site, so I don't know anything about their cust. svs. I've read some good reviews on this bag. And the price is right.



Montbell Ultralight
Alpine Down #1
Weight: 2 lb 2 oz / 963g
Temp: -7° to 16°
Color: Orange

http://www.argear.com/gear/grmontbellalpinedown1_sleepingbag.html

I own a Marmot Lithium (900 fill power) 0 degree 2 1/2 lbs I think. I love it.

Good luck.”

“The Mont Bell temperature ranges always look at little wacky to me. Note that the bag is 2 lbs 2 oz. No way it would be a legit -7 degree bag. Notice the range says -7 to + 16 degrees and it's described is a "warm three season/winter" bag.”

“I have a WM Antelope SMF ($350) that is a five degree bag. I also have a Mountain Hardware bag that is rated at five degress.

I have used the MH in temps @ minus 20 and the WM at minus 10 degrees. I am a very cold sleeper. The MH is probably the better bag in this case but it fits too perfect and I am unable to slide down inside. Whereas the WM is big and roomy - enough that I can also take a fleece liner. Now that is cozy.”

“I have one of the most beautiful winter bags ever made, a Marmot Gopher with 6 ozs. overfill. Rated to -20 deg. I just recently replaced it with a North Face Polargard 3D bag rated to -5 deg. I got tired of dealing with moisture all the time, condensation will get you everytime. Synthetic bags have gotten down to the same weight range as a similarly rated down bag, are much cheaper and will keep you warm when wet. They don't compress as well but a good compressor sack will take care of that. I still use down in the summer, but synthetic is much more carefree in the winter. I will be going synthetic for summer soon so I can leave my bivouac cover at home. JOMO”

“I have a marmot-never summer bag. 0° rating. I've slept in it, under a tarp at around 6° and was toasty warm. It is a 600 loft fill. I bought it before there were 700-900 fills available. It weighs a little less than 4 lbs I think (it is a long bag.) I like it. I also camp almost exclusively in the Smokies or Virginia mountains. In the winter, moisture has really never been a problem. I take this bag when it is so cold that it is either gonna snow or nothing (no rain.) I think a paid about $250 for it about three years ago. Probably cheaper now since the new higher fills have come out.”

“Some down bags have a water repellency added to their exterior finish. Look for that if you want down.”

“In sub-freezing weather the moisture comes from within, you are your own worst enemy. I recommend a vapor barrier liner and bivouac cover with a down bag.”

“I have a down bag with a water resistant shell and liner "built in". I camp in western North Carolina a lot and haven't yet had any trouble keeping warm. Mine is a convertible rated 15/0. I have stuffed a down vest in between the lid and the body and stretched it below that. I've seen them rated lower than that.

Mine is Sierra Designs but I've seen this style made by other manufacturers as well. It's a very versatile design, I like it.”

“I have a 20 or 25 degree down bag from REI and it's by Sierra Design. I can't say for sure what the temps were this one particular night, but I don't think it was near 20 degrees and the bag did not keep me warm. Freaking @#$% liars!”

“LIPS!! calm down!!! lol”

“carry on.”

“I heard from lizs, I heard from lizs!!!!!! Now I can't can't down, lol!!!!!”

“SSSHHHHH, I have to whisper this cause it wont be the most popular idea. Go to a army surplus store. Sounds like you have spent a night or two in a military bag before. I have one I bought for about 40 dollars. I use it for elk hunting in Colorado at 10,000 feet in november. I also have a artic bag. The artic bag is big and bulky ( but I have spent a few nights in it well below zero and stayed toasty). The regular down bag will keep you warm down to about 20. It compresses fairly well. I also have a pair of goose down long underware I will wear if the temps go down. They will add at least 15 deg to the bag. I have used goose down for years and love it. I'm already out on a limb here so I won't mention my wool blanket. No to be honest, I don't really care what is popular. I just know what works for me. I also have a high end low temp bag. It stays in the closet. I stay warmer in my goosedown.

BAMA”

“I meant I can't calm down. Gee, I was so excited. You know lizs writes for a living, so she doesn't just throw words around like they were nothing or for free.”

“:)”

“what material are vapor barrier liners typically made from? arent they like plastic?”

“LMAO!”

“I rather be rapped in plastic then cold. heeheehee...
I do need to get myself a warmer bag too though and appriciate this thread :)

hey...just real quick...
is anyone of you alergic to goose down? I am starting to wonder...almost everytime I come back from a trip i look like a walking zit in my face, and I mean hundreds of ugly zits. Only didn't happen once to me, and that time I don't think I had my face burried in the bag.”

“Vapor barrier is anything that will keep moisture from leaving your body and traveling into the bag. You don't want it on the outside of the bag. It must be on the inside, next to your body. I have used a "space blanket". The small, thin, cheap ones that cost a few dollars and only weigh a few ounces. The Idea is to keep moisture from getting into the loft of the bag.
I wonder if a tyvek suit would work. (Jump suit looking white ones that zip up the front.)”

“I have the Marmot Lithium 0* and I have slept warm in it down to -5* very light and really compresses. If it gets colder than -5* or -10* I would use my bivy sack and a silk liner, then if it is really freezing like -20*+ I would slip my emergency space blanket bivy inside and wear all my clothes.
A couple weekends ago i slept at about 5* with it unzipped and my head outside under the stars so I might not be the best judge for temperature ratings.”

“i don't think tyvek would work as a VB b/c tyvek only stops liquid. the moisture vapor you put off will go through it then condense to form water when it hits the colder air on the outside edge of your sleeping bag.”

“hey LT, you find your silnylon at your local wallyworld? if you want some of mine let me know before it's all gone.”

“It also helps to keep the moisture out of the down if you wash it in a DWR for down equipment. Tech Wash makes one called Down Proof. I've used it on both my sleeping bag and vest and I like the results.”

“I just bought my first down bag, a zero degree, 700 loft bag from REI, it was on sale for $169, weighs 2 lbs., and I was VERY comfortable on a super chilly, high wind night this past weekend. Don't think the sale is still in effect. REI is having a scratch and dent sale New Year's day though (only for members).”

“How often does it get below zero in North Carolina? bbw

you get above 5500 feet in NC and it can drop down below zero pretty often in the winter. Even in the summer the night time temps can get pretty cold.”

“I own a Marmot Lithium (900 fill power) 0 degree 2 1/2 lbs I think. I love it.

Tango
7:30:57 AM
11/29/04

yeah those cold Florida nights can be rough. Will a 0° work down there ;)


I have a -5° bag. It is a Backside brand. It weighs about 3 lbs. I paid $ 170.00 for it and that included shipping. Check out
http://www.overstock.com/ that is where I got mine. You never know what you will find on that site”

“I use my silnylon rain suit as my VBL, with large silnylon drawstring baggies for my feet. Can't beat that for dual-use (and light, top and bottom weigh a total of 8 ozs). You gotta have a layer of something wicking on between you and the VBL, or you will be soaked and not as warm. Fleece works great for this. Your body heat will force the vapor outward where it will condense on the inside of the VBL, but the inside of the fleece against your body will be dry.

As I reported on the New Gear thread a week ago, I traded up my Sub Kilo (20*) to the Kilo Plus (0*) during that same REI sale, rocksee. With my trade-in I paid $2.96 to get the warmer bag. Three times I took the Sub Kilo down to the low 30's and I froze each time, even when wearing long underwear and using a silk liner. Haven't tried the new bag yet except briefly in 40* temps. The sale ended on the 28th.”

“sacco - next year I plan on building a 0* or 10* down bag.”

“rocksee - what model bag is it. 700 fill, 0*, $170, 2#'s sounds too good to be true.”

“Dayhiker, see my last post, second paragraph.”

“I remember reading that. Sweet deal.”

“Yup, couldn't pass that up. The REI line may not be "top of the line", but the price was right for a 2 lb 8 oz. zero degree bag.”

“I just purcased a WM -5 Puma, last years model but who cares. Regular price $410 less 30% at High Country Outfitters in Atlanta.”

“If you're not sure about your skills,don't buy a down bag.When you get to the level of walking 20 miles a day,day after day,and have faith that you can keep that bag dry,then buy a WM bag .Otherwise,accept the weight' and buy a synthetic bag.You will be safer.”

“I keep mine in a waterproof bag, but sometimes you can't help it, condensation in the tent will make the bag damp.”

“I need a new bag. Has anyone tried one of those -20 North Face 3 ponders.”