Greetings,
I was looking for some advice for a new bag for my winter/spring sleeping system while backcountry skiing.
I ski primarily in the California (Tahoe, Mammoth, Shasta) but may be doing trips the Cascades this year as well. Temps at night usually range from 0F – 30F.
In the past, I’ve used my old 4lb, 20F bag on top of my winter, 3/4 Ultralight Thermorest. I always take my BD firstlight tent (I’ve had some interesting weather experiences over the past years and feel happy in a tough, single-wall tent). This system has worked fine, although often I wore long underwear and mid-weight fleece tops and bottoms to bed and a hat. I tend to sleep very warm.
However, this past winter I bought a Patagonia DAS jacket and Mountain Hardwear Chugach pants. I discovered that they are MUCH warmer than my old fleece layers, and I now look forward to being able to shed some of my sleeping bag weight.
So I’m looking for a synthetic, breathable bag with the room to wear my insulating layers. I think for my needs, I only need a 35-40F bag. The parka and pants, along with softshells and a lightweight top should keep me warm down to 0F. Down is out because it sometimes rains in the Sierras, and I need to be able to dry out the entire system while sleeping.
I have comtemplated the Marmot Pounder, but worry that it would be too constrictive and neutralize the clothing. I’ve also considered a quilt, but have heard complaints that they create too many cold spots during the winter.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Aaron
