Synthetic Quilts and Sleeping Bags

I own a Lim 50 and love it. It's what I use all summer pretty much. Not sure about 3 season bags of theirs, but if they are of the same quality as this one, they ought to be good.

Here it is:
http://www.haglofs.com/en-us/products/sleeping-bags/1-season/unisex/lim_50_en-us.aspx

And here is the Lim 100:

http://www.haglofs.com/en-US/products/sleeping-bags/1-season/unisex/lim_100_en-us.aspx

EDIT: Oh, and I am not sure about the fabric btw, so not sure if this answers your question, but hope it helps anyhow.

Wow thats a nice bag and pretty much what I was thinking in regards to using lighter weight materials. It uses a 20d shell but I wonder what kind of insulation they use…

You always hear people saying down bags are lighter and compress better then synthetic bags but its hard to compare a down bag with 10d-20d nylon to a synthetic bag with 40d+ nylon or maybe even heavier polyester.. The shell alone could be twice the weight.

Are there any other companies?

Arrowhead sells some

-Tim

the new NF cats meow uses 22D fabric and climashield apex at an attractive price (when on sale for ~115$) …

http://www.lacordee.com/eng/product/the-north-face-cats-meow-sleeping-bag/nf2-catsm11

I think there is a real void in the market for a synthetic sleeping company like Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends. I mean I can't be the only person in the world that prefers them to down.. Or maybe I am.. Who knows.. Either way, I think Tim is on the right track by offering lightweight shell materials and good quality synthetic insulation. Keep up the good work : )

Thanks man, but don't yell too loud Climashield has only approved my for 30yds a month of APEX, 12 quilts or less. Lots of HL though.

I use synthetics a lot too, I don't like them better but I do tend to use them a lot.

-Tim

I think there is a bit of a void. There are lightweight down mummies but there doesn't seem to be much effort at a synthetic 3 season mummy.
I use a BPL Quilt at 23 oz. I add a bivy to control drafts (6.5) and two hats if its cold (4oz). So the weight of the total system is 33.5 oz.
That is still lighter than any 3 season synthetic mummy bag I've seen but its not the most efficient in my opinion. I have basically 2 pounds dedicated to my sleeping system. I'm pretty sure 2 pounds of pure sleeping bag would be a lot more thermally efficient.

I've been thinking about the same thing recently. I've considered making some for sale as I've made a few mummy bags recently with a design I'm pretty happy with. I've got some apex in the garage, maybe I'll put something together this weekend.

Lawson, you are not the only one. After using down for 4 years on long trips and dealing feather clumping a lot I have started to prefer synthetic as well – but I face the same problem. There is not much of a choice on the market, especially for UL quilts and bags. Hope this will change!

Sierra Designs seems to do this. Compare their Nitro series (800 down) to their Lazer series (synthetic).

That's odd, I wonder why they only let you have 30 yards a month?

Is Apex better than HL?

Its either that or a huge order I can't handle. APEX is better but not so much so that I would stay away from HL.

Just saw the Sierra Designs Lazer 30. At 2 lbs. 5oz. it looks pretty good. A question to consider would be whether there is room in it to layer on extra clothing.
I like Synthetics too. I have just one down quilt that I like. Since it will last for a long time I'll probably keep it around. I'll use it on shorter trips but on longer trips or trips with bad weather I like my BPL quilts better. The extra weight and bulk is worth not having to fuss with down as much. I'll probably start making my own once I wear out my BPL quilts.

Use some of that 8d 0.67 ounce fabric from Titanium Goat. That stuff is cheap.

I made a synthetic bag using it for lining, feels very nice. Doesn't seem like it would wear out too quickly.

Say 3 square yards for quilt. 5 oz Apex. 0.67 oz lining and shell. 19 ounces total. or 11.5 oz if you used 2.5 oz Apex.

Thanks for the info Jerry. I'll keep that in mind when its time for a MYOG project. The great thing is you save a chunk of money making your own as well.

I can't see the point of synthetic bags for backpacking. If you are a climber on a summit push, with one bag that can't get wet, fair enough.
I've never got a down bag soaked in over 30 years, so can't see the point in trebling the pack volume and weight.

"The great thing is you save a chunk of money making your own as well."

I've come to realize that saving money is almost the least important aspect of MYOG. Of course, perhaps that's after I've become used to saving $100, $200+ (super high-end down quilt) per project.

No, the real keys are (a) personalized custom design = function (weight); and (b) build weight. Note how weight shows up in both categories. The bottom line is this: there is absolutely no way a commercial, or even cottage manufacturer, can afford to risk their reputation by building something so light-weight that it may come apart within a year or so.

It seems only Joe @ Zpacks is right up front about expected longevity. But for MYOG builders, his guidelines are spot on. That is, why should a pack, tarp or even quilt last more than x number of days/nights? Don't your objectives, interests, regions, etc constantly change?

I mean, for any other participant sport like tennis, golf, surfing, biking, etc, getting new equipment every year or so is de rigueur. Let's take surfing – an avid surfer thinks nothing of getting a new board every year, maybe even two, and these babies cost a bare minimum of $500.

The crazy thing about MYOG is just how easy it is. Who here is going to make their own surfboards, clubs, etc? But to sew rectangles? LOL

Have a look at the Mountain Hardwear UltraLamina series.

http://www.mountainhardwear.ca/UltraLamina™-32-%28Regular%29/OU8462_R,default,pd.html

2lbs for the 30 degree bag. I believe these were EN tested but can't find the link now.

> After using down for 4 years on long trips and dealing feather clumping a lot I have started to prefer synthetic as well

If it's longevity you're after, I'm afraid synthetics are worse yet.

> After using down for 4 years on long trips and dealing feather clumping a lot I have started to prefer synthetic as well

sounds like that was a poorly made down bag, never had those problem if I take care of the bag (basically keeping it dry and fluffying it up before use). When I prefer synthetic its for other reasons (mostly less fiddling in soggy weather). Assuming everything stays dry I like the feel of down better becuase its softer and wraps around me better eliminating cold spots.

I was refering to Western Mountaineering sleeping bags which I consider very high quality. The feather clumping does not only happen after many years of use, but is a general problem in damp weather. Once the down bag has gotten damp and you cannot dry it out during the day the feathers start clumping and the bag's warming capacity deteriorates dramatically. As the loft comes back after drying this is not a big problem on short trips, but I am usually gone for months on end – sometimes with very little possibilities to dry out a damp bag.

I have now changed to a synthetic quilt and find it much more reliable. Synthetic can stand damp conditions much better than down. But of course it all depends on where you are hiking: In sunny California I would prefer down, but in Washington I would rather go with synthetic. On the long trips I am undertaking I usually traverse a lot of climate zones and find synthetic much more versatile. So far the weight punishment has not been too bad for me as I have changed from a down bag to a synthetic quilt.

No offense, but your concerns might not be the same as other backpackers'. If I recall your other thread about what breaks and why, you are worried about a bag that you spend hundreds of nights a year in–I think for 95% of us here, we'd love to spend 50 nights a year in our bags, and are intensely jealous of your hundreds. So the concern over down degradation is pretty apples to oranges. Your usage patterns are very, very different from many of us, except for the thru-hikers.

so weekend warriors need different gear than someone who is out for months at a time ;)

as to synth … quite a few "experienced" people here use or have used synth in the past … such luminaries as mr. jordan, skurka, etc …

each has their advantages and disadvantages … the trick is not to become a religious fanatic about down being the "only" UL way

what i think would be useful is a "make a synthetic quilt for dummies" article and patterns … something so simple even someone like myself can do it …

a BPL article on that would be great …

One reason I prefer synthetic is so if I get a tear or a hole in the bag, the synthetic fluff generally won't coming pouring out like down will. It's more rugged and connected in that way.