BA Edna -5, good deal for down bag?

It doesn't have as much down as I'd expect for a -5°F bag. I don't think it has down in the bottom of the bag, so maybe it's okay.

I don't know what sub-freezing means to you (30, 20, 10, 5?), but if you want to go to 20, you could wait on a deal for a good 20 degree bag or quilt that would save a pound to a pound and a half.

FWIW, my current 20 degree quilt weighs 1lb 5oz, and cost me ~$120 (MYOG). I don't know if you are interested in MYOG, but there is lots of good info around if you want to go that route.

Yeah, Eugene, I don't think the Big Agnes bags have bottom insulation. They say it's unnecessary because the bottom insulation would be flattened by laying on it. I don't know if that's completely the case, but it might account for the lower weight.

Ben, I have looked into MYOG for bags…I love the idea of it but I don't think it's something I'm ready to take on. My sister is a great sewer and might want to collaborate, yet for me alone it's probably not worth the savings.

I want a bag that I can use in 20F and be very comfortable – so, ideally, a bag rated lower than 20F. I have the MH Extralamina 20 and was not as warm as I would have liked in temps that can't have been below freezing.

The sizing on the big Agnes bags is generous. I have the horse thief 35 bag and it fits me even when I add a down inner jacket without crushing the loft. They definitely don't have down on the bottom but this works well with a warm pad.

Derek, have you considered that you could have a very wide, very thick (4") down quilt with a zipper & drawcord footbox that weighs less than 2 pounds with a net cost of only about $50? This should take you a little below 0°F.

Derek, if you’re unfamiliar, you should read the article below, it should help you understand the differences between quilts, topbags (ie. Big Agnes), and sleeping bags and how they all differ. If you are already familiar, my apologies- no harm no foul.

2006 Unconventional Sleep Systems Manifesto A Comprehensive Primer and Market Analysis of Top Bags, Quilts, and Wearable Systems

Well, I prefer a full down bag. The reason is because I cannot lay in any one position for more than a half hour or so. I am tossing and turning all night.

IFF, you can sleep in one position, and have a good pad (R6.5 or so) this will work fine for you. It might even take you down to -10 because women generally sleep a bit colder than men…not sexist, physiology. You could add another layer in clothing due to the extra wide cut at the hips/thighs.

Anyway, if cost is the object, yeah, $200 + the cost of a pad is good. I paid a bit over $500 for my 0F sleeping system (Montbell SS Down Hugger 0 + two pads.) The weight is about the same. I think my setup is a few ounces lighter…no biggie in winter.

If you want something for mostly 20F and more, I would hold out for a good 25F bag and plan on layering for another 10F. MUCH lighter yet filling your needs without unneeded extra's. One of the tennents of UL backpacking is don't carry anything unneeded, ya' know?. So a -5F bag for 20F weather just strikes me as being a violation of this principle.

No harm, indeed! I'd really like to read that article about the differences between quilts and bags, because I'm not sure what the distinction is (but I'm not a subscriber). I don't understand why a quilt could be lighter and warmer – and if it has a zipper, isn't it then a sleeping bag? I know these questions have been answered before, so I'll do some searching. If I can comfortably go to 0 for $50, I will be very happy indeed!

I probably won't get the Edna if it goes on sale again. I'll spend some more time looking for the best fit, something more appropriate for the conditions I'm likely to face, because as James pointed out there's no need to overdo it. For reasons of cost I do want to limit myself to two bags – one for warm weather and one for cold weather, and for that reason my cold weather bag needs to handle the unforeseen temps that may be thrown at it.

Thank you all for the help. :)

If I can comfortably go to 0 for $50, I will be very happy indeed!

First thing I’ll say is that you may experience drafts in a quilt when you move around. I’ve only taken mine into the high teens, but my frequent movements was starting to make the drafts annoying. I bet it would have been very irritating if it was 0° F. That said…

700 fp down from Feathertex. You have to order a minimum of 2 pounds, so that’s $78. Let’s say you use 7 yards of 1.1 ripstop nylon from Backwoods Daydreamer for $21, but I think you would only need 6 yards. You may also need to buy thread, a little grosgrain, some shockcord and some hardware, depending on the design you choose to make…so I can’t really come up with an estimate for that stuff. For the down and fabric you’re at $99.

With your dimensions at 54x42x78x4, you’d have a very wide quilt <2 lb for a 70″ tall person. My estimate is that it would be good down to -10°F. You would have a little over 6 ounces of down left. Hmm, my estimate was bad. I think that was based off of 3″ of loft and selling the spare down. I believe 3″ of loft would be good down to 0°F. If you’re slim and sleep on your back, you could go with a much narrower quilt that weighs less and leaves you with more leftover down.

One thing I like about this type of quilt is that you can build it very warm, but still open it up completely like a blanket to stay comfortable on warmer nights.

I have never used that bag, but have used many BA bags in the past. The newest 800 fill bags are the best quality yet in my experience (Pomer Hoit, Zirkel) but they really only work well for back sleepers. I am a side sleeper and they just did not work at the ratings for me. (I am now a quilt user down to 0 F.)

Also know that you need to have a pad that fits the pocket. They are made to use their own pads but some make them work with other brands.