Sleeping bag decision

Are you sleeping out in the open or in a tent/tarp? I have spent almost 800 nights out in numerous tents and under tarps and have never gotten my down wet. Of course site selection has a lot to do with keeping your gear safe.

Based on the bags you have listed, I would go with a Western Mountaineering Summerlite. Yeah it's a little more then you want to spend. But it is really an investment in comfort. It could be with you for the next 15 to 20 years.

I'll be sleeping in a solo tent with an eye towards tarptents after next summer. I looked hard at the Summerlite but can't justify the cost yet. Even the $230 was more than I had intended. I'll also be sleeping on a zlite.

Definitely don't worry about the down issue. The Montbell is a nice bag, and unlike Western Mountaineering, you can find Montbell on sale. Keep in mind with Montbell, though, that their regular bag is sized to 5'10", not the usual 6'. I'm 5'10" on the nose, and I've been in a regular MB bag, and I was told by an expert it was really too small for me. One thing about these bags is none of them are full-zip. I looked hard at the spiral down #3, but the lack of a full zipper killed it for me. I get warm feet and I need the option of venting. Otherwise, for the price vs the Summerlite, I would've chosen it. The Kelty Light Year is a higher-temp rated bag than the other two, (also heavier) but it also appears to have a foot vent.

Still, if those were my 3 choices, I'd go with the Montbell. If you wanted a full zip, the Super Stretch #3 has one for a few ounces more, and Montbell has almost as many fans here as WM. Also, the Summerlite is very narrow and requires a slim-ish build and might not be a good option if you are a restless sleeper.

If you really think you want to go light, be very careful about which bag you pick. It might be cheaper now, but in a year if you are looking to cut weight, you might be regretting it.

Really, do you think a wet synthetic bag will keep you "warm?"

I've been camping for over 30 years. The only time I had a wet bag was when I wet it some time under the age of 5 when I urinated in it.

WM bags rock. I dare you to find a bad review.

> WM bags rock. I dare you to find a bad review.

Challenge accepted!

OK, so it’s *very* unusual to read a bad review.

I'm with Dan. Wet bags are cold, down or otherwise. Sythentic is useful in certain conditions, but otherwise go with down, get all the benefits that come with it, and just don't soak your bag to begin with.

James

There is a 20% wm thing going on right now. that would take the price to $240 or so.

I cant make a fancy link but here

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=20637

It through a website

"> WM bags rock. I dare you to find a bad review.

Challenge accepted!

OK, so it's *very* unusual to read a bad review."

LOL. The reviewer was clergy, and I won't even pick on the denomination or go into religion, but I would probably guess he's made up a few stories in his day.

Thanks for all the insight guys. At 5'8" the length of the bag really won't be an issue but I do toss at night, which has made me shy away from quilts, but I do get "hot feet" which makes the Kelty bag quite attractive despite its weight, while the prospect of having a bag under a pound and a quarter may still be too tempting to pass up.

Regarding the "wet" issue, I'll focus the question a bit more and ask, Do any of you sleep in a bivy and has condensation ever been an issue with your down bag?

Sean, thanks for the tip. Is that deal through the manufacturer or a specific site?

Regarding the Summerlite, I am exactly 6 feet tall and on the slim side at 165 pounds. Anyone with the WM Summerlite have any experience on how well that might fit me on the 6' bag? Much appreciated.

I have the ultralite which is the same cut as the summerlite. I'm just under 6'1" and 160 pounds and I find there is plenty of room sideways BUT not enough length. I couldn't fit into the 6' bag and have the hood drawn closed at the same time without squashing either the down at my feet or the down on top of my head.

I honestly think their 6' rating is too optimistic and that it should be more like 5'11". You can make it work, but I opted for the 6'6" model instead… which is actually not ridiculously long on me. Certainly not 5 inches too long. I would say it is a most a 6'4" kind of bag (though again, you could stretch it).

Rob,

Lots of info here on bivies. One place to start:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=19906

I don't have experience with quilts, but many feel that a bivy and quilt work very well together- bivy retains heat and prevents drafts, and a quilt makes it easy to move around insulation overnight. I often end up using my full bag like a quilt inside my bivy.

Ultimately, bivy use depends on personal preference and your overall shelter setup. With a fully enclosed shelter, a bivy isn't necessary. Like many, I pair a tarp and a bivy with waterproof fabric on the bottom and very breathable fabric on top. This setup is versatile and light. The two most common knocks against bivies is that they are ill suited for hot temperatures, and they make people claustrophobic. This thread is a very thorough discussion of the pros and cons:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=18215

Condensation can sometimes be an issue, but with a little experience a minor one.

James

Condensation is only a real issue if you are staying out multiple nights, and you are not expecting any sunny weather to be able to air out your bag. One night of condensation is not going to ruin the insulation properties of your bag.

You'd really only be benefiting from a bivy if you were either using a quilt, or sleeping under a tarp/in a single wall tent on a wet, windy trip. For a summer trip, all a bivy would do is add a tiny bit of warmth in a double wall tent.

If you read the thread about Mike Clelland's winter camping gear list, he doesn't even use a vapor barrier in his bag, he just airs his bag out every day and has no problem. In winter, with lower dewpoints, condensation is a major concern over multiple days. In summer, not so much. The air is dry in the summer Sierra's. As someone pointed out one another thread, humidity was outlawed in CA in the late 1800s. Even on the coast, I think it would be many days before accumulated condensation became an issue, and that's only if you never aired out the bag.

What it comes down to with your concerns is, you have some residual 'conventional' backpacking thinking. (I know because this is how I thought last summer when I bought a lot of my gear) The thinking that says you need stiff, 2.5lb boots and a 1 lb 1st aid kit, and a full change of clothes for even an overnight trip, just in case.

The more you read these forums, the more you'll see the light. (pun intended)

I edited my post above to answer your question. As for wet bags, dont worry about it. I had a bladder burst in my pack the first day of a 5 day loop in the sierras one time, completly soaking the foot of my bag. After building a small fire and drying it for about 20 mins I was good to go. A wet bag is very hard to get. You would need to have an extreme malfunction of some sort or be very careless when leaving it out. A large trash compactor bag works as a perfect dry sack for inside your pack. I'm being kicked off the computer right now so will respond with more info later.

Thanks again guys. The thought with the bivy was that I would leave the tent behind and just use the bivy. I am trying to shake off some of the "convention" in my thinking but old habits die hard sometimes. So I'm no longer concerned about a wet down bag but am still trying to decide between those 3 bags. Mostly it's between the cost and footbox on the Kelty Vs the weight of the Montbell. I would go for the Summerlite but would have to find it on sale somewhere given my situation. (Pink slipped California teacher waiting to get rehired who has used significant "marital capital" just to get two trips to the sierras this summer and can't make the wife see the "value" in a $300 bag.)