Ultralight Three-Season Down Mummy-Style Sleeping Bags: State of the Market Report 2010

Craig,

Just wondering what you had under you to sleep on.

I had my Summerlite out last weekend too. (Mt Samaria out the back of Mansfield) No problems for me, and I was in just my softshell jacket and pants with a midweight thermal top. I used an Exped Downmat 7 for the first time. More comfortable than my IAC and MUCH warmer. Sleeping in the 'mid with the two kids.

I'll take this combination up Bogong next weekend and let you know how it goes.

I have slept on snow before in my belay jacket in the Summerlite. A bit cold on the IAC, but plenty of room. It is a bag for skinny blokes.

Hi Graig,

Thanks for the WM summerlite bag report, I have been seriously looking at the WM summerlite for winter but will stick with my old Fairydown bag for now.

Glad that you fished well last weekend, due to illness I was unable to get out, hope to be fit for the season opening.

Tony

Tony,

You might like to check the Apache. Under a kilo, and too warm to zip up when sleeping in the snow. Not a lot more expensive than the Summerlite, and better value when they come up on Gear Swap. The Ultralite also looks pretty good.

" I just checked on the local price of the Summelite at A$700 US$645 I think I will be looking elsewhere."

Tony,

I just checked a couple of websites here and the Summerlite is available at US$315. I don't know how much shipping would be to Oz, but I'll bet it wouldn't run the price up to US$645. I can find out how much UPS or Fed Ex charges if you give me an address-just a postal code will do for calculation purposes. If you're interested, let me know and I'll pick one up for you. We can settle after all the costs are in and the bag is on the way.

Tom

Oops, looks like the Summerlite has been eliminated from consideration. Same offer applies to Apache and Ultralite, both of which I have used. The Apache is a great bag, but I would go with the Ultralite if it were me. I still have one with 2 oz of overfill, and it's good down to ~15 degrees F without layering up.

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the info on the Apache bag, it is available in Australia for A$899, and it is around US$420 inthe US but it is very similar in ratings and weight to my old pre 'Macpac' fairy Down UL bag which is rated -10C and weighs in at 1050g.

Tony

Hi Tom,

>Tony,

I just checked a couple of websites here and the Summerlite is available at US$315. I don't know how much shipping would be to Oz, but I'll bet it wouldn't run the price up to US$645. I can find out how much UPS or Fed Ex charges if you give me an address-just a postal code will do for calculation purposes. If you're interested, let me know and I'll pick one up for you. We can settle after all the costs are in and the bag is on the way.

Thanks for the offer Tom, it is much appreciated but I just had a major operation and I am a bit poor at the moment, (my wife would complain more than usual if I got more gear at the moment) I will keep your offer in mind.

I do have some US addresses that I can have gear sent too and if I am patient I have a friend that goes to the US 4-5 times per year and will bring gear back for me for free.

Tony

" if I am patient I have a friend that goes to the US 4-5 times per year and will bring gear back for me for free"

Far and away the best alternative, Tony. If it doesn't work out you can always let me know. The offer doesn't have an expiration date.

I hope you are up and about, and back to your old ways, soonest.

Tom

Hi Tony,

They discontinued those right around the time I started moving to a lighter pack, but before I had the readies to pick one up.

I think I paid about US$350 shipped for my Apache about 18 months ago. They are much more likely to go on sale than the Summerlites. Hermit's Hut sometimes offers free international shipping.

Rod

Hi Tom,

Thanks, I am doing my best to recover as quickly as possible, I hope to be back to normal in 2-3 months, I am planning a snowshoe trip then.

Tony

The Apache is a great bag, it replaced my Ultralite which I thought was too fragile to use w/o a bivy in the Rockies. Another great bag is the FF Viero, 18oz with EPIC and rated 25-45F with 8oz of 800+down. That said it supposes that you will be wearing your insulation to sleep as Rodger suggests in the article. Its too bad it wasn't included in the review, great bag

If the UL Super Spiral is only 2 more ounces than the UL Spiral, for more girth, and otherwise identical, how did it fall so far behind the UL Spiral in the review?

Are there other differences I am unaware of? Seems to me they are virtually the same bag with the exception of more girth for 2 ounces.