What’s with Western Mountaineering weights?

[J C]

A friend just got a Versalite and it's a full 150g heavier than it ought to be. He says he doesn't care but if it were me I would be pretty unimpressed. 150g is 15% more than the advertised weight. I guess if it's overfill then that's kind of nice, but then it's heavier and warmer than expected or needed. In my view this just means there is no way to know what sort of sleeping bag you are getting from WM without weighing before you buy it.

Why does WM have such a problem with this when other brands don't? My EE quilt is within 5 grams of the advertised weight.

[M B]

They dont generally.

Your friend should subtract the wt of the stuffsack im guessing.

And run the bag thru a dryer cycle.

They often weigh about 1 oz or so more due to humidity pickup. I could see that being more with a bag like versalite.

These things can account for 3-4 oz easy.

[Brad Rogers]

I have owned two WM bags a 2003 Ultralite and a 2006 Summerlite. Both were within half an ounce of advertised weight.

[Aaron D]

My WM Flash XR at 13oz for a medium is nearly 2oz heavier than advertised. Maybe this is due to overfilled down? If so, I wouldn't be disappointed. Hard to know for sure though.

[Christian Edstrom]

My 2005 Summerlite and 2011 Apache are bang on spec.

[Alex H]

My 2004 Ultralite is actually under specs. and my 2011 Highlite is .9 oz. over specs.

[JCH]

My 2005 Megalite long was/is/shall remain I suspect, dead on spec.
If your friend is dissatisfied, I suggest returning the bag. WM is a stand-up company and will "make it right".

[Stuart .]

Not a lot of details to go on here – perhaps your friend could let us know the bag's history.

Was it new or used? If new, was it "new old" stock, stored in a humid environment? If it's been used for several nights in a row in wet shoulder season or winter conditions, there's a good chance that the extra weight is from condensation. Have a look at the loft – it will usually compress as the down gets damp. If it's less than 6" / 15cm, then that could well be the culprit. That's what happened with my Alpinlite over the course of a couple of seasons' regular use. Run it at low or no heat in the dryer for a while and weigh it again.

Did the vendor mention anything about overfill? For the Versalite they'd add 3oz / 85g to the bag, and optionally 1.5oz / 42.5g to the footbox. That's close to the 150g you claim it's overspec by. For example, Hermit's Hut order all their WM bags with overfill, so if you want one without it is a special order. The Versalite with overfill is lighter than the Antelope, but both have the same effective temperature rating. And it's so much narrower than the Kodiak that in real world conditions the former would be warmer for slim people, at a big weight saving.

WMs bags are hand made at a single facility in San Jose, CA. I've been there and was impressed by the care and attention paid. Is there some variability from one bag to another? I'm sure. But 150g is a massive variance and should have been caught by QC before it left the factory. We're missing information here, and it's a stretch to cast doubt on an entire brand based on your sample of one.

[USA Duane Hall]

WM has great bags.
What does the label say? Style, length? Reputable company purchased from or discounter?
Duane

[Stephen M]

I normaly find WM bags are about 3-5% more than their listed weight.
I have 4 and they are all a small bit over overweight.

[Greg Mihalik]

"A friend just got a Versalite and it's a full 150g heavier than it ought to be."

5.2 ounces is a lot.

Is the scale accurate? Zeroed. Level. Etc.

If it's a "resale" from Hermit's Hut, it may have been intentionally overfilled.

[Cameron M]

My Versatile was 3-4 oz over, I can't remember exactly now. I talked with the owner's son and he said that this was normal, that they err towards overfill, and that most people don't mind this fact. It is and can only be extra down; you will have to decide if this is what you want, or return it to the store for a lighter one closer to published spec. Many people are willing to pay more for overfill.

[EndoftheTrail]

I tend to be more forgiving when it comes to insulation weights — jackets and bags — within reason, of course. Assuming the company has a reputation for accurate specs — then a little extra weight should mean a little more warmth (shell/liner material probably don't fluctuate much).

But shell jackets, backpacks, stoves, tools, etc. — I have a much lower threshold for inaccuracy and dishonesty.

[Warren Greer]

That's what I've come to find from many different sources.

Just purchased an overstuffed Megalite from Hermit's Hut. It is 25.33 oz and is the new blue material. Advertised per WM site is 24 oz PLUS 2 oz overstuff would be 26 oz total, so very close to spec. I am very pleased.

[Ito Jakuchu]

Cameron said:"My Versatile was 3-4 oz over, I can't remember exactly now. I talked with the owner's son and he said that this was normal, that they err towards overfill, and that most people don't mind this fact. It is and can only be extra down; you will have to decide if this is what you want, or return it to the store for a lighter one closer to published spec. Many people are willing to pay more for overfill."

This.
The fabric and other small hardware (zipper) are of a known weight and cut on a basic pattern. Extra weight is extra down, for the same price.

[David Moreno]

I purchased a 2011 Apache with the maximum overfill option, and it was within 0.25 oz of what it was stated for.

I've been very happy with the bag. Warmer and lighter than my North Face bag I replaced with it.

The North Face bag with the same rating was miserably cold, and only got used a handful of times for that reason.

My guess is at that weight is that is has overfill.

[J C]

It's not a sample of one. This is just the latest in a series of overweight WM bags I've seen. The Versalite is brand new and from a very reputable seller in Australia. The scale may not be 100% accurate but it is not a significant error. I owned an Apache which was about 50g (5%) over spec and a Summerlite which was 60g over (10%). I agree that 150g in a 1kg bag is a much bigger difference.

Like I said, I assume the extra weight is down fill and yes this is the mother of first world problems, but seriously, how hard is it to put the right amount of down in?

[Cayenne Redmonk]

It sounds like your friends sees a lot of over weight bags. Maybe your friend needs a buddy to show them how to use a scale correctly.

[Stuart .]

Does the Versalite (and I assume you mean Versalite not Antelope as you mention in your reply) have a green outer top and bottom? About 18 months ago WM switched from a black outer underneath to match the fabric on top.

[Cameron M]

Actually I own the green and black, and my wife bought an all green one exactly two years ago. I have never checked the weight of her bag; don't know if it matters.

[J C]

>It sounds like your friends sees a lot of over weight bags. Maybe your friend needs a buddy to show them how to use a scale correctly.

If you read carefully, Willie, you will note that two of the bags were mine and one was a friend's. All three were weighed using two different scales by me (not my friend — like I said he doesn't care much). One was my electronic kitchen scale and one was an expensive analog postage scale. I weighed my friend's bag because I had noticed the earlier discrepancies in my own bags. There might be systematic error but I doubt it is significant. A litre of water comes in at pretty much bang on 1000g on my scales so I trust them to show ~1kg weights accurately.

>Does the Versalite (and I assume you mean Versalite not Antelope as you mention in your reply) have a green outer top and bottom? About 18 months ago WM switched from a black outer underneath to match the fabric on top.

Oops, yep that's been corrected. I meant Versalite. I can't exactly remember the colour but I think it's all green. The bag is new — I know because it was ordered specially from the US for my buddy (the Australian stockist doesn't normally stock Versalites).

[Mark Ferwerda]

I know this is an old thread but I just bought a new long WM Versalite. When I wieghed it on my scale (in the stuff sack), it was 4 oz heavier than spece’d at (38oz vs 34oz). I contacted WM and they replied the same day (pretty cool huh?).  They said that the stuff sack  (1.5oz) is not included in the weight of the bag. The remaining discrepancy is most likely extra down, since they stuff the down in by hand.

[Roger Caffin]

Amazing stuff!

So the Versalite has more down in it than advertised (without any cost increase). How outrageous! How can one be strictly SUL if the vendor gives you more than expected?

Me, I would be grateful.

Cheers

[Brad Rogers]

Unless you get the one that has less down!

[Mark Ferwerda]

Oh, I should have completed the note that I’m not planning to return it. Hope to try it out this weekend!

[Author]

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