Help me make a decision on bags… please!

I was in a hurry to buy a quilt about 2 years ago and picked a JRB Sniveler because it was readily available. It looked great on paper, not so great in reality. EE has a deserved reputation, as do many manufacturers cited on BPL. Choose wisely.

Well I might help you eliminate one- I have a Kelty Cosmic Down and found the footbox to be tight, my toes were jammed up against it at night. And it's not a true 20 degree bag, at least not for me. I stopped using it after one season and bought a used Western Mountaineering Versalite. MUCH better bag. I'm not a quilt person but for bags I look at Western Mountaineering, Z-Packs and Feathered Friends.

This question comes up a LOT.
It is far better to save your money and get a quality bag. Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends and a few others (our esteemed cottage industries included) provide bags that last decades.
Quality and cheap are not usually something you find together.
Look on eBay for cheap(er) used or slightly used bags, and here on gear swap and other backpacking forums that offer gear swaps for second hand quality bags.
Folks used to come to my ranch and ask "I want a fully trained, experienced, kid horse for cheap". I had to tell them there ain't no such animal.

Edited for spelling error

"note that EE didn't make the list because I not a patient person & don't want to wait 4 weeks."

Tom did you check out EE in stock and garage sale offerings.

"Patience is a virtue" It can also get you a deal on a warm quality bag/quilt if you have a little time to shop. Jumping on the first piece of gear IMO will end you up in that scenario of being stuck with something you have to live with as apposed to a piece of gear that you will be happy with for years to come.

Its a big spread between warm and cold sleepers and true and sketchy ratings on bags and quilts so I cannot recommend anything specific. Unfortunately I'm a cold sleeper and have to add 15degF of performance value to any sleep system to break even with a true rating on a bag/quilt. I also have a WM versalite for the shoulder seasons and an EE quilt for warmer months. If I HAD to pick from one of the above it would be the Burrow but it wouldn't keep ME warm to 20*.

good luck, jimmyb

PS. Dena, I would be interested in what temp you can sleep comfy to in your versalite with a dry mid base layer.

Look at the Montbell bags. I have a SSL 3 and love it. The bags have a lot of give and are great if you're an active sleeper like me.

I picked up a used Western Mountaineering Megalite on Gear Swap and it is another great choice. It has plenty of room for moving around but it's likely above your price range.

I should clarify by saying that I'm not looking for a high quality, long lasting bag….. I'm looking for the best value at the $200 price point & opinions on the bags in the list along with other similar recommendations that I may of over looked.

I make 1 or 2 trips of 2 or 3 nights each into the backcountry a year & a $400 bag that will last forever doesn't make sense. I'm always open to upgrading once my free time to hike & salary align.

I do appreciate the input here but I see it as a bit ridiculous to spend $400 on a sleeping bag when I barely pulled $3500 out of my ass for my wife's ring that she wears every day and just over 1k for the mattress we sleep on every night. If I did such a silly thing as spending $500 on sleeping bag then I doubt I'd be allowed to even make the two silly trips I make a year.

Also to clarify on the time frame… I've been looking & researching for the better part of a month have looked at used bags and new bags, big stores & cottage industry… Unfortunately I need to get a new bag before our trip (1 of 2 this year) in mid march.

If it makes any difference, I snagged a Kelty Cosmic Down bag on Sierra Trading Post for $75 a week ago. Tons of coupons and sales there.

It's not the world's greatest bag, but I couldn't pass up the deal. Plus I had to buy a bunch of other gear so this one just made sense for now.

Clarification understood.

You still have several good options.
Here are a few:

– Rent a bag instead of buying.

– Have your wife sell the ring, she can wear a $5 fake instead, use the money for a better mattress. Rent a bag for short hikes.

– Sell the ring and the mattress, ditch the wife, buy a quality bag and pad, use them every night at home, and go hiking more often.

– …..

It's a really endless list of alternatives.

It is a sleeping bag and a quilt. The perfect solution.

I have been told that Marmot makes a pretty good bag.
I came across this the other night and it might be a pretty good deal.
Any one ever use this bag and would like to chime in?

http://www.campsaver.com/meteor-sleeping-bag

"I'm looking for the best value at the $200 price point & opinions on the bags in the list along with other similar recommendations that I may of over looked."

I have to agree with previous replies recommending a high quality used quilt or bag. You can score a EE, JRB, GoLite, etc quilt that will last decades in the gear swap for that price. Posting a wanted add will usually do the trick. Other options to consider if you're certainly not interested in quilts would be the Marmot Helium and Montbell Super Spiral bags.

I, too, was initially hesitant to start using a quilt, but I'm so glad I made the transition. Also, while I don't have direct experience with the bags on your list, I would strongly recommend down filll as it is superior in just about every way – weight, comfort, compressibility, value (considering lifespan).

Lastly, thanks for reminding me how lucky I am – if I spent $3500 on a ring, my girlfriend would ask me why we didn't spend the money on a trip to Patagonia together :)

If you do such a silly thing as invest in a really good bag, here is what will happen:

You won't get the wrong bag – a very easy thing to do – and shiver all night somewhere in the sticks. Then go home and look for, and get, another "cheap" bag. (This is my process, and that of many other backpackers, and we regret it.)

You will have an excellent resale value in the future – people buy Western Mountaineering bags that are 10 years old off craigslist for a 2-300 because those are THE BOMB. A well cared for down bag is a thing of wonder and beauty. Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Nunatak, JRB, any of the well made cottage gear quilts – you can sell 'em in forums for good return. You'll not get the same result with a cheap bag. I had to give away my first sleeping bag, in which I shivered all night at 40F and was rated to 30 (supposedly).

One can spend $500 on cheap crap bought repeatedly or spend it once in a lifetime and sell it later for $200. I don't anticipate selling my quilts – my will's executor will get that job.

In your list, I would grab the HG burrow. I have the 0 HG Burrow and it is a marvelous quilt. Grab a hat, neck gaiter and go.

Thought better of it.

Post a quick WTB here for an EE, or check out Massdrop, which recently had Revelations available for $200.

Additionally, Tim usually has some quilts in stock that are ready to ship: http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/in-stock/

I've got 2 EE quilts now, Prodigy40 and Enigma20 and luv-luv-luv these things!

The quilt concept distilled to simple perfection, IMVHO, of course.

edit for 'in stock' reccy

Thanks. I have posted a WTB and got very few hits none that were what I was looking for. The only thing EE has in stock right now in the 20deg quilts are shorts.

This is probably going to come across a bit more snarky that I mean for it to but I think your criteria here needs some modification. You've set some conditions and a budget that are a bit unrealistic for a sleep system that will take you below freezing.

From the OP, you've stated:

*You want something that you can sleep in down to 25*F
*At or near $200 although you've mentioned gear priced up to $269
*You can't or won't wait four weeks
*At or below 40 ounces

I think if you're willing to modify one or two of these conditions, you will get what you want.

My kids like their Kelty Cosmic Down but I'd only recommend it as a 32*F bag as I suspect it will compress down sweaters and whatever else you'd need to wear to actually take it to 20*F.

You can find some bags on Geartrade.com. I bought a like new Montbell ULSS#3 on there for $225. I haven't owned or used their 15*F bag so I can't speak to how true that rating is. I've had the #3 for two years and feel that it's certainly good for me to freezing and is plenty roomy. If you were to wear some down clothing while sleeping, or at least some rain gear and thicker baselayers, you could certainly take the #3 to the 20*s.

Another option would be to get a cheapie synthetic bag from Walmart, and drape your current bag over it like a quilt on trips where the temperatures are going to drop. This is potentially a temporary $30 solution that will buy you some time to find the deal of the century on whatever would be your ideal sleep system.

Marmot bag is for sale for $200 just a couple posts below.

But if you are strong and weight doesn't matter much and you want it quick, just look at what is on sale.

Don't be too offended by the advice you get here. This is a narrow group of ultralighters. People here are serious about their gear. Read a few posts and you'll get a better idea. To use your golf analogy, it's like a bit like you've asked Tiger Woods what are the best clubs for sale at Wal-Mart.

Don't take it too personally. Get a bag a get out.

As you can see from my list I understand that finding a bag to meet all my criteria is unrealistic so I've made compromises… Some bags are over 40oz, some are over $200. Also, I sleep with thermals so I'm flexible on the temp range.

Just keep in mind that you can sleep in all your layers if the bag/quilt is large enough.

I have a Marmot Plasma +15 and if I wear all my layers (including hooded down jacket and down pants) I can sleep comfortably well below 0F if I also have an appropriate sleeping pad. I'm 5'9"/170 but I got the long/wide just for this reason.

This is why the whole idea of "systems" is mentioned so frequently… clothing system, cook system, sleep system…

Tom, FWIW I don't think you will find too many elitists here. That is a bit of a slight to a great group of people trying to give you some GOOD advise. Its up to you how you digest the information given and to apply it to your own budget and needs.

You will find here a group of people that are so dedicated to their sport and investing time in helping other folks that they are willing to post several personal experiences in order to give you a better choice and approach to buying your gear. If you don't want or need the advises that OK too.

As for pushing "spend money" if you stick around for a while you will find that it is quite the opposite in many ways. MYOG, Deals, Gear swap are all topics here on how to SAVE money.

Also when you stick your neck out and recommend a sleep system you feel a little responsible for advising someone something that will not end them up spending very cold nights or suffering hypothermia. I would rather piss you off recommending a $500 dollar bag than cause you a dangerous trip in the backcountry.

Hope you will stick around and take advantage of all the good stuff here and take it with a grain of salt.

jimmyb

Again, I've been a real fan of my Montbell bag. I tried out a few Feathered Friends bags in their Seattle store and found that they weren't as comfortable. I'm a pretty big guy so that plays into this scenario but the super spiral system is just excellent. I have a lot of room to move but the bag snugs up to me so I don't have to heat up dead space. They've updated their bags since I purchased mine so I can't speak to the updates.

I'll start with their more affordable bags which have a lower quality down.

The Montbell Down Hugger 650 #1 (with 650 fill down) is $279, rated to 15*F, and is 45.5oz for size regular.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=3213&p_id=2321170

If you're willing to go with a 30*F bag and wear extra clothes when the temperature drops, you can get the Montbell Down Hugger 650 #3 for $199, it's rated to 30*F, and is 31.1oz.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=3213&p_id=2321171

I personally would recommend that you save your money and buy a sleeping bag with a higher quality down fill like the Montbell Down Hugger 800 #1 for $439 which is rated to 15*f and is 35.7oz.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=3212&p_id=2321166

Luck/timing have a LOT to do with scoring the best deals on GearSwap.

I picked up a used Western Mountaineering Megalite on GearSwap for $250 (more or less your price range). Great, wonderful bag — I later sent it in for overstuffing, and now it's good to about 30F for me (a very, very, cold sleeper, for whom a Marmot 15F bag is only good to 35F!). But you have to "pounce" on deals like that…

Unless there's a really good reason to not weight the 4 weeks, I'd go with an EE quilt, for sure. Best bang-for-buck out there. $200 is a very low pricepoint for a new sleeping bag these days, especially if you want decent fill-power goose down and a temp rating of say 20 degrees AND a long/wide cut. A lot of the bags in that price range are going to be somewhere between 550-750 fill duck down or synthetic and heavy. Or, stalk the forum and buy used–but again it might take you 4 weeks or more to find what you want. It's silly to spend $200 on something you may be unhappy with when you could have spent a little extra/waited a little longer to get exactly what you want and may well keep for a decade or a lifetime.

I had forgotten your price range when making my reply.