What’s a good, compressable 3 season sleeping bag?

I need more details,

Down or Synthetic?
Expected Lows?
Body type?

The more details the better for you. Also, try the search function, while it is not always super helpful I have a feeling that with thi subject you should find a wealth of information.

Happy trails!

also, more info on price range would help.

Since you didn't provide any real info, my default suggestion for a basic bag is a North Face Cat's Meow. It's a good, durable, synthetic that weighs less than 3 pounds. They cost just under $200 (sometimes as cheap as $150). I have a matched pair that are over 20 years old and a good friend just bought a new one. It's not the lightest, smallest packing or cheapest bag out there, it's a workhorse that should take just about anything that a cross country trip will throw at it. You can spend more money getting something more specialized, but with the general nature of your original question, I'm guessing that you're not up to that specialized stage yet.

Jace: As far as down or synthetic, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm aware that down compresses better than synthetic, so I guess I'd prefer down as price isn't really much of an issue. Regarding temperature, I don't see it getting much lower than 20. 10 at the coldest. As for body type, I'm tall (6'5") with a pretty big frame, but on the skinny side. Sorry for not clarifying earlier, thanks for asking!

Aidan: Price range doesn't really matter.

Eric: Yeah, I'm not looking for anything too particular. As I said before, the most important thing is how compressable it is (and fairly warm when I need it to be). Thanks for the advice!

Sierra Designs has a couple fairly light synthetic bags. Usually pretty reasonable prices too.

I would check out the Western Mountaineering Ultralight bag.

Great bag, I love it and from a stand up company. It is a 20* bag, no reason that you couldn't push it with additional layers if you had to.

I've got a WM Ultralite too. It's a great bag, but that performance comes at a price that isn't just about money. According to Western Mountaineering's website, "Our ExtremeLite™ series features 7 speciality bags that range from 14 ounces to 2 pounds total weight! These bags are designed for special applications where compressed volume and weight are critical factors. Although some durability is sacrificed with these lighter fabrics, our ExtremeLite™ bags are perfect for the lightweight specialist…. Extra care should be taken to avoid tearing or abrasion damage to products made with these specialized lightweight fabrics."

So, I'm not sure exactly what you meant by "backpacking across the country", but an ultralight down bag will take more attention than a sturdier synthetic bag.

I'd expect to have a weight in the 2 lbs category or more, especially since you are tall and have a big frame.

I have the WM Alpinlite, which is a 20 degree rated bag, and it is in the normal 6' length and it weighs 2 pounds. It's a little wider than the Ultralite, and gives a bit more shoulder room, which I needed, and you might too.

To stuff it, the smallest I can get it into is a 15" long by 8" diameter stuff sack, and that is packing it tight.
And this is one of the lightest and packable 20*F bags around.
It fits perfect into a Gossamer Gear Rik-Sak. Perfectly.

So, expect weights and pack size in that range, or more.

Someone above mentioned a TNF Cat's Meow, also check out the Gold Kazoo.
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-sleeping-bags/gold-kazoo.html

My kitchen scale verified 861g for just the bag. the included compression sack weighs 123g, totaling 984g. (also verified on a scale)
Compresses down to just a bit larger than a soccer ball. I'm terrible at estimating volume, so I won't guess at liter value.
I got mine at Backcountry.com for $200 and am pleased with it, having spent 6 total nights in it, one of which was around freezing and stayed warm in just baselayer and wool socks.

It's pretty small volume bag if you like that sort of cut, the hood almost fits like a large parka hood, really a close fit.

Edit: I missed the post about you being 6'5", but you still might find a long bag (2 more oz) comfy. if you really need a big bag, you're limited to Big Agnes, or some of the roomier Kelty bags.

“… highly compressable is a huge plus.”

My 20F Zpack regualar quilt with zipper compresses easily to 7” diam x 12” tall.

So for a tall thin guy a 30F Zpack tall (special order for 6’5”)— I’m predicting it should still compress to 7×12; and probably smaller. However a WM HighlLite or SummerLite will compress even smaller (6×12) for their 6’6” guy.

-Barry

So compressible means high-loft 800fp or 900fp. 3 season means at probably 500g/18oz of down, then how many features your looking above basic.

This will be annoying because its a UK make in a US context but what you described would be this
http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/product_info.php?cat=79&products_id=335

450g of 800fp down in a 780g/28oz bag, rating 25F, if you add a zip it will become a little more quilt-like. To get to 10F will need some down campwear clothing to worn to sleep in, that's a wider bag to fit lofting clothing inside. Order long for your height.

I've ordered one to go over my existing 30F rated down bag, to get to -5F is a total of 750g of 800fp down, its being delivered to a UK relative and I can get it to USA either in April or June or September. You'd have the same problem, someone who is doing UK/USA trip in next few months. They do ship to USA directly but hideously costly.

So compresses to around 5L. So that's 3L 615g/21oz 30F for Minim 300, 5L 780g/28z 25F for Combi, or combined 8L 1395g/49oz -5F.

I'd also recommend Western Mountaineering. The WM Caribou is a 35 F bag, but if you want a highly compressible bag, I'd go with a lighter bag and just wear a jacket etc on those cold nights that require more insulation. The Caribou is cut a little wider which would accommodate both extra insulation and your larger frame. The size you'd need [6'-6" model] weighs 1 lb 7 oz. On warmer nights, you can just fold it open like a quilt.

I'm usually carrying a synthetic vest as an overlayer for stop in damp conditions. It fits perfectly over the foot of the sleeping, zipped up. The external width of mummy foot of the bag is about the same as the internal width of the vest. If its damp I must wear it til it dries obviously.

Also its down there that touching of the bag to damp tent wall more commonly occurs so a bit more protection but that obviously depends on your shelter type.

Good idea to have a bit of width in the upper section to fit some clothing in. I also for warm nights when having torso bare inside the bag is too much insulation, use clothing on torso and stop the bag at my waist, for the "just right" insulation. A silk liner helps keep drafts down in the gap that forms in that method.

I have a Montbell SuperSpiral #1 Long.

Highly recommended. I love this thing – good 800 FP loft, warm, well made the spiral-thing -=absolutely rocks=-.

I'm 6'6" 240 (which is why I got the Long, even though it says 6'4") and it's EN tested to 25. It's 2lbs, 5 oz and packs down well.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=795&p_id=2321153

Did I mention that the spiral thing -=absolutely rocks=-? Oh, I did? Good. Because it does.

-mox