Two bags zipped together

[Joshua Billings]

I went out with my wife and kids last weekend and had a great time in big sur.First time backpacking with my wife and 5 month old. We have some REI fat cats that zip together for car camping but they are about 3 1/2 lbs. each so they are heavy for backpacking. Our baby sleeps between us so he needs to fit in there too.(cozy style)So my question is do two western mountaineering alpine lites zip together and would this be wide enough for us and the babe?
Thanks Josh

[Rog Tallbloke]

Joshua, I believe WM do a 'coupler' which would give you the room you need.

[Joshua Billings]

I think the coupler works with their semi-rectangular bags. You unzip the bag and zip the coupler underneath. The coupler is just a flat piece of material with zipper. I don't own a semi-rectangular bag so I would have to buy the bag and the coupler. I already own one Alpine lite. Let me know if this isn't correct or if there is another coupler I don't know about.
Thanks Josh

[Rog Tallbloke]

You're right, my mistake. Couldn't you get another alpinlite with the opposite hand zip? They are extra wide bags anyway I think. If you go for something else, let me know. My WM ultralite is just slightly tight round the upper body for me when I'm fully zipped in.

[Sam .]

>Couldn't you get another alpinlite with the opposite hand zip?

Edited because it needed edited. Response below was incorrect.

"A right zip won't mate properly to a left zip."

I zip a Summerlite to a Megalite often. In warmer weather the Summerlite goes on top. In cooler weather, the Megalite.

[Joshua Billings]

I would have thought that I would need a right and a left. I would think that the bags would stay oriented the same way just zipped together otherwise how do the foot boxes and hoods work. I like the idea of the lighter bag on the bottom, though. You use this system with a partner,correct? (Silly question)
Josh

[Sam .]

Joshua,

You're right! Shame on me! I guess I went right to the light / heavy topbag configuration and didn't try the side by side.

We just use this for MILD weather! I wouldn't join bags in extreme weather. Too drafty a setup.

[Joshua Billings]

So not to beat a dead horse but do you zip a left zip to a right zip or what?

[Sam .]

Joshua,

Left to a left. The footboxes are perfectly normal, and the the hood has never been an issue. All you see of Deb at night is her nose anyway ;)

Sorry for the confusion. Mine that is.

[Joshua Billings]

I just called some stores today and they said that a left would mate with a right. Maybe I'll have to check it out for sure before buying the wrong thing again.
Josh

[Jason Brinkman]

Most manufacturers make their bags so that a right zip and a left zip will mate right up. But of course it's always safest to check first – you should be able to get WM on the phone for a quick answer like this.

Awesome that you are taking your 5 month old. My 2-1/2 year old loves sleeping between us in mated bags. I use two different temp REI bags for this purpose. I sleep in a 30 degree bag, and my wife in a 0 degree bag. I keep our little furnace (err, our son) toward her side!

[Author]

Posts