WM Alpinlite or Megalite as 3 season bag for warm sleeper?

I have owned the Megalite for about 3 years, and it is my "go-to" 3-season bag. It's kept me comfortable to 25 degrees with a light base layer.

Both bags are excellent choices, built well with a little wider cut (nice for stretching out and getting comfortable). It's really a matter of weight vs. warmth. If you are a warmer sleeper I would suggest the Megalite.

The only thing I dont like about my megalite is its too heavy. I wish it weighed 16oz so I wouldnt always be eyeballing lighter alternatives.

If you have a good zero bag I would go with a 30 deg bag I own a megalite myself but only have maybe 4-5 nights in it so far. Like you I am a warm sleeper it has taken me below freezing with just a base layer and I was plenty warm. B4 this I had a UL spiral 3 which I really liked better until I had to deal with the MB warrenty dept. I really dont like the way WM makes their hoods, if they are not cinched tight around the face they are drafty to me. I would like to see the bag round around the shoulders more b4 the hood starts. More fitted to the head, neck and shoulders would be real nice. The megalite bag is warm to me and I think I could go down to 20-25 with just base layers but its the 35 to 40 deg temps and above that I need to open the hood to keep the heat down and the bag is cut so wide above the shoulders in the neck and head area parts of me freeze. The shoulder and waist girth is great but im not built like humpty dumpty. And the M.B. bag killed the megalite in the weight dept. 20 oz verse 26 oz, If M.B. would pump in 2oz more down it would still be 4 oz lighter and a lot nicer and warmer bag.

"Most of my trips are in the high country in Colorado, camping between 9000ft and 11000ft. I want to keep it to two bags – Kodiak for winter and "one other" for the rest of the year. Between the Alpinlite and the Megalite, which is going to give me the most usable range?"

You sound a lot like me. Except I don't think of myself as a warm sleeper. Or cold for that matter. I have a Kodiak for winter and an Alpinlite for the rest of the year. Although I don't think it matters what your winter bag is, I wouldn't take my Kodiak unless it was winter and for me there's a distinct cutoff between winter and 3 seasons. If you are a warm sleeper, you'd probably be fine with the Megalite. If using it like a quilt when warm and like a bag when colder, the Alpinlite will have a greater usable range. Whether you need that range or you don't mind the weight penalty is totally up to you.

Since you are adding a Trailstar and are used to fully enclosed tents, you should consider the exposure to wind as well as just temps. I haven't used one but like other tarps, you can pitch it low, of course, but I only do that in reasonably strong winds. A nice breeze also has a chilling effect and the additional warmth of the Alpinlite might be worth it. I've been in mine in a Tarptent (think wind tunnel) with the foot pitched into VERY strong winds around 12000' in September and the temps well below freezing and was perfectly comfortable.

Sounds like the Alpinlite would definitely meet your needs but the Megalite might. Decisions, decisions. :)

I use a Megalight for everything above 20ish. I have used in over 10,000 feet in CO and WY for several years. For me it had worked very well. I mostly like the extra room of the Megalite. The alpinlite is noticably narrower.

Ben

Ben, are you thinking of the Ultralite? The Alpinlite and the Megalite have the same dimensions. That's why I chose the Alpinlite over the Summerlite (same rating) as I like to turn inside the bag instead of the bag turning with me.

Edit: Actually, I totally messed that up. I meant to say were you thinking of the Summerlite and that I had chosen the Alpinlite over the Ultralite (same rating), Alpinlite being the wide version of the Ultralite and the Megalite being the wide version of the Summerlite.

NM

I was listening to an interview yesterday about the likelihood of Apple releasing a smaller iPad. The interviewee, John Gruber from Daring Fireball, commented that perhaps the biggest reason not to release an iPad Jr was the fact that it would add confusion. When there are too many options for the buyer, it's more likely that buyers will take another choice altogether – to not buy anything.

That's the dilemma I face with the broad array of bags from WM. Offering 12 different bags (14 if you include GWS) rated between 35°F and 10°F makes it all the more difficult to decide on one. I was able to eliminate the narrow fit, the half zip, and eventually the semi-rectangular. But 7oz weight for 10°F difference between the Alpinlite and Megalite has me second-guessing myself like never before.

I'm pretty sure the Megalite would be enough for most situations down to the mid 20°s, but as Randy said, the TrailStar changes the dynamic after so many years in enclosed tents. Hence the consideration of the Alpinlite. Would a bivy like the TiGoat Ptarmigan or the MLD Superlight compensate for a bag rated to the higher of the two temperatures?

Pretty much agree with Randy.

I use a WM Ultralite (warmer I know) for three seasons (UK, European Alps) and a WM Lynx for winter (those 16 hour periods in a Scottish winter are looooong).

I've used my bag in a TS and the comments re. exposure are about right.

Full length zips and using the bag as a quilt work fine for those lowland warmer camps.

Thanks for all the input, folks. My head was telling me Megalite, but my gut said Alpinlite, if only because I'm moving toward tarp use (TrailStar) for all but the worst conditions. A 30°F bag would be great for summer but I do think I'd be pushing it in the shoulder seasons.

The one consolation, it's almost a full lb lighter than my current three season bag. I'm getting there, little by little.

I have a 0º and a 30º.

It's been less than ideal for spring and fall at high elevation.

Much appreciated Stephan. That was the final nudge I needed. Now to see if I can find one at 2011 prices :-)

I live in BC and have a similar set-up to you. I have a FF Ibis 0F and an WM Alpinlite with a Neoair and EXPED down mat 9. The Alpinlite is a freaking gorgeous bag – I absolutely love it. It's cut a bit larger which means: a] it's more comfortable and b] you can toss on an extra layer and extend it's range. The Alpinlite is pretty light so you need to be careful with the Pertex Quantum fabric, which is beautiful stuff. Anyway, I couldn't recommend the Alpinlite more … with a warm pad/mat, I can easily get away with the Alpinlite in the BC Coast Range during the winter.

I consider myself a warm sleeper as well but only to camping below 6K feet around the Northeast so take my input as you like. I used a 35* WM Caribou for about 4 weeks or so during the 18* to 40* nights last year during the start of my NOBO A.T thru hike. Bag worked awesome – but found that it wasn't really doing it for the 20* range. I also have a 0* Kodiak for winter, and a MYOG 2.5 oz Climashield Apex quilt for the middle of summer. I sold my Caribou and picked up the Alpinlite 20* (all bags in long version) for my true 3 season shoulder bag. With the zipper open, I can use the bag (under a DuoMid or GraceSolo w/ or w/out a Superlight bivy) up to around 40* and then I switch to my quilt. For temps under 0* I use the Kodiak as I can comfortably take the Alpinlite down to around 0*.

After all that info — I'd get the Alpinlite and be able to use it comfortably (especially in your area and at your elevation) down to where you'd switch to your Kodiak. Good luck with your choice – all WM bags are great.

Reviving the thread after a 6 week hiatus. A quick recap – I sold a Big Agnes 15°F bag that I found too warm most of the time, and wanted something for three season use to complement my winter bag – a WM 0°F Kodiak. I consider myself a warm sleeper. Most of my trips are spent between 9,000-11,000ft in the Colorado high country.

Comments above were split between the 30°F Megalite and the 20°F Alpinlite. I was leaning toward the warmer bag but in early/mid April I couldn't find any Alpinlites in my size locally. I told myself I'd manage just fine with the Megalite and a down jacket in cold conditions. Fast forward a few weeks, and I spent a night in Indian Peaks Wilderness at 10,000ft where the temps dropped from 50°F at 7.30pm to the high 20°Fs overnight. Despite being inside a bivy, I felt the cold through my bag. I wasn't shivering, but I wasn't as comfortable as I expected. The passive down collar didn't do a great job of keeping the heat inside the bag.

I think the Megalite is a keeper for summer trips, and I've done many more of those than shoulder season trips in the last few years. But now I'm considering a third WM bag to split the difference between the Megalite and the Kodiak, so that I can do more trips in April/early May and late September/October. I like the girth of my two bags, and I want to keep the weight of the new bag as close to 2lb as possible. That rules out WM's 15°F bags – the Apache is too narrow for my tastes at 59" at the shoulder, and the Badger is heavier than I want at 2lb 8oz.

So, now I'm considering either the 20°F Alpinlite or the 10°F Versalite. I'd appreciate any feedback from folks who've considered these two and chosen one over the other. What's a better mix – 30°F/20°F/0°F or 30°F/10°F/0°F?

If you're going to really dial it in with 3 bags like that, the Versalite would seem to be the more logical choice to me. I'm comfortable in the shoulder seasons (I add down booties) with the Alpinlite. But if you're keeping the 10 degree difference Megalite anyway, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money for only an extra 10 degrees for a few trips a year. Might as well make sure you'll be warm for those trips. You won't overheat in it at those times of year, that's for sure.

My buddy even picked up a Versalite for 3 season camping over the winter but he hasn't got out with it yet. I'm interested to see how it works out for him in summer.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply, Randy. A 10°F difference would likely have me second-guessing which bag to carry much of the time, so the Megalite / Versalite combo seems to make more sense from April to November. And to avoid such a dilemma between the Versalite and Kodiak, I think I'm going to send my 0°F bag in to WM for overfill, extending its range further.

One other factor in the decision is that my wife will likely use the true 3 season bag on the occasional summer trip. At 5'1" and 105lb she would probably be served best by the Ultralite in the short 5'6" length, but the extra girth and length of a 6' Versalite should be compensated for by its extra down loft. Or so I keep telling myself.

Off to Bent Gate to try a Versalite for myself.

I've had a Megalite (reg.) for four years. While at 8,000+ ft. in a high valley south of Olancha Peak on the PCT in August 3 years ago I experienced a 28F. degree and a 24F. night and was just "OK" but only with all my clothes on. I even shook the bag to get most of the down on top. That's what saved the night – the Megalite permits you to re-position the down. But unlike the OP, I do sleep a bit cold.

** Sooo… I had it overfilled by Western Mountaineering with 1 oz. of 850 fill down and now I know it will handle at least a 20F. night. That bag now looks like the Michelin Man. Cost> $37. plus about $5. shipping to them. Pretty good.

EDIT> Now that it's overfilled I can't move the down from top to bottom any longer.

What I still like about the bag is that it has enough internal shoulder and torso girth (hence the name "Mega") that I can add insulated clothes, like my down sweater and pants, without defeating the loft of the bag. I did this in late September in Colorado's Indian Peaks range at Arapahoe Pass at 15F. and slept very well in a drafty TT Moment tent in all-night 35-45 mph. winds.

I'm heading out for a couple of quick trips in the next week, so I'll try shifting the down to see how well the Megalite performs for me in forecast lows of high 20s and low 30s. What surprised me was how drafty the bag felt first time out. I don't know whether it was coming in from the collar – which I had trouble keeping cinched closed, or actually coming through the shell. That was also my first night under a Trailstar when I've been used to doublewall tents, so there are additional factors to consider.

Eric – when you had the overfill on yours, did you contact WM directly or arrange to do this through a WM dealer?

I contacted WM directly. They were very courteous and helpful. I had it done in the fall, not their busiest season. Took 2 weeks for turnaround.

I like my megalite just like it is. With the majority of the down on top, its loft is about 4" in the middle of the bag, and easily 7-8" at the neck and foot areas.

If you are on a decent pad, it should be suitable to mid 20s. Ive had mine down to lower 20s comfortably. Ive had ice on the outside of mine a couple times while I was comfortable inside.

Ive also been cold on an insufficient pad.

The bag is large and roomy but will billow and exchange air with the outside if you dont keep it cinched up, with your face plugging the hole. Or, stick neck out and sleep with head outside, Ive done that at 28F and been good with a hoody and hat.