Need Help in Sleeping Bag Options

Assuming the two bags are the same size & cut, 30 ounces of 800 fill will be warmer than 29 ounces of 600 fill.

The fill number is how many cubic inches one ounce of down will occupy. With down – more loft equals more warmth. So if the bags are not the same size & shape you can let each one loft up and then see which one is taller. A half inch of extra fill is very noticeably warmer. The higher quality fill will just weigh less and take up less space in your pack – but cost significantly more.

Regarding bag size: A little extra space inside the bag gives you room to wear a puffy jacket when you are extra cold. TOO much makes it harder to heat up the extra space and makes you carry extra weight around.

My recommendation is to try wearing a 200-300 wt fleece jacket (or equivalent warmth puffy jacket such as something with 300 gsm primaloft), expedition weight long johns (ie: approximately 100 wt polartech fleece), warm fleece socks and a hat. The extra insulation will probably make your current bag warm enough that you don't need a heavier / bulkeir winter bag. Also, since the extra cloths can be used around camp in the evenings when you aren't generating a lot heat from hiking, the total weight of your sleeping bag + cloths will be less using this option- making the hiking part easier.

Yes both bags total weight was 3 lbs 8 oz one was made by Marmot the other by Sierra Designs. Both were the long and the same size in girth etc..

Thanks John for your suggestions and information.
I will go with the 800-fill then :)

What kind of sleeping pad are you using?

I blamed my bag(s) for years until I got a Downmat 7 for cold weather sleeping. Night and day difference.

-Philip

Hi Philip,
That is so true, and yes I did learn the hard way the air mattresses are not great at keeping you warm, but plenty comfy.
Last time two times I was in the High Sierras
I was using a GG Thinlight Pad 1/4 and then a Therm-a-Rest Pro3 and lol a piece of Z-Rest extra under the hip (side sleeper)since it was pulling double duty in my Mariposa Plus.

I also had a MontBell U.L. Down #2 Bag and wore mid-weight thermals top and bottoms, with fleece socks, gloves, and hat.
I froze….same thing happened with my Big Angnes Bag 15 degree bag. Both times I even had to wear my down vest…and I was in a single wall tent with ground cloth.

I am just so tired of being cold and not getting any sleep trying to stay warm. I figured it was time to try out a big heavy winter bag, I ordered one. So next week heading up the slopes of Haleakala it is suppose to get down to 24-26 degrees again. I am keeping my fingers crossed :)

Look at Stephenson's Warmlite Triple Bag/DAM. I did the astro bivy last night on a ground sheet in the snow at 26 degrees and watched the moon disappear behind the earth's shadow. The only thing cold on me last night was the tip of my nose and my eye lashes – and I only used the thin top. The DAM kept me warm on the bottom, the thin top warm up top. Weight – 3 lbs for the bottom and thin top, 22 oz for the DAM. http://www.warmlite.com/bags.htm

There are still more things you can do to increase your comfort in the bag. All based on experimentation…trying to solve the same problem you have.

1. If you haven't experimented with vapor barrier liners, that is an option. Something as simple an a mylar emergency blanket will warm you up immediately. It uses the same vapor barrier tech as the warmlite mentioned in the previous post. You'll sweat and saturate your sleeping clothes, but you can also sleep naked. People say they can get used to it….

2. Boil some water and sleep with your hydration bladder. Or carry a chemical based heating pack. They are fairly lite.

3. Stuff all loose gear into your sleeping bag. The idea is to cut down the volume of space in the bag so that you're body heat has to heat less volume.

4. Get a sleeping bag with a draft collar. When you move around at night, you force hot air out of your bag via the bellows effect. I have a draft collar on my 0 degree bag which keeps the hot air in the bag when I shift in my sleep.

5. I assume you've tried wearing a balaclava. I always wear a head covering. Helps immensely since 47% of your body heat escapes from your head.

6. Does your shelter have too much ventilation? I use a standalone tent with less ventilation when it is cooler and drier out to cut down on the evaporative cooling that occurs when I use a well ventilated tent like a squall 2 or a lunar solo.

7. Eat about 500 calories of cheese or complex carbs before going to bed. It will increase your metabolism while you are sleeping and you'll generate more heat.

8. Add still more ground insulation with another pad. It's winter. It's ok to pack in more weight.

I know there is a lot here. Hope this helps.

-Philip

Thank You Luis…I know many say that is a great bag, I especially love that it is not a mummy bag. Just out of my price range at the moment, unless I sell my scooter :P

When I was younger we always slept in the nude in our bags, so maybe this is what is needed. I just followed everyone else in wearing all this new High-Tec undergarments, because backpacking had changed so much over the years.

I may have made a mistake with my tent…its huge!
Of course I just love it (Luna Duo) perhaps when I am solo I should use a smaller tent.

I do wear a wind bloc fleece balaclava. I know I am spoiled by so many years living here on island, so I am not acclimated to colder weather anymore. That is why months before a trip, I spend as much time as I can afford too (winter months) in windy, cold, rainy weather, but it rarely drops below 24 degrees.

The Big Agnes I am pretty sure it was due to being too big, but loved the room. It works great in my hammock, so not too disappointed there.

The MontBell is a sore spot with me…it was under filled and I am getting zero answers from my emails with customer service. It is just too easy to say I live in Hawaii so therefore that is the problem. I am sending photos with my next email, for I LOVED that bag.

Maybe I should switch to the ¾ GG pad bulky but so light.
I have got to find the method that works for me soon.
I will be in Yosemite in May and hope to enjoy some snow, well the children will I am sure. Bring on the hot chocolate and campfire for me!

Philip again thanks for all those suggestions and ideas.
There are a few there I have not tried, I will next time out for sure.