850 or 950 for a winter bag

eric …

the big unknown is the durability part of the treatment … a DWR treatment may work when new … but after 10 washes or so who knows

as to not getting the bag damp … theres plenty of times up here in 100% humidity conditions where simply sleeping in a bag on a cold rainy night produces quite a bit of condensation on the inside by morning

in the coastal BC PNW winter/shoulder seasons we cant count on the sun being out

my personal preference is a synth overquilt for that

;)

@giachett, Which EE bag are you looking at?

Do you like your Sawatch?

If so, why not just get a synth top quilt to boost it?

I love my sawatch, but i want something a bit wider and warmer. Moisture hasnt been enough of an issue for me for the extra weight of a synth overquilt solution.

@porosantihodos I went with a zero degree 950 fill enigma with 3oz overfill (EE says it would make it a -10)

@giachett Funny I’m just seeing this, but I went with the same set-up. I’m wondering about what to wear on my head though. What do you find works at around 0F? -10?

You can get insulated hoods from several sources, but I find that they can be too hot sometimes. A fleece hat/hood is often better matched, at least above 0 F. Below that … good Q.

One big problem with the insulated hoods which come around the chin is that they tend to interfere with eating. I have had to take mine off at dinner time, or risk getting it kinda grubby.

Cheers

I use a layering system whose components can be mixed and matched to the temperature.  Down to ~45 degrees a Cap4 beanie seems to work just fine.  From there down to ~30 I add a Cap 4 balaclava over that.  Mid 20s and below I put a MH windstopper fleece beanie between the two. Even with all 3 together it doesnt seem like too much on my head, and I’ve always been warm enough.

<span class=”profile-data”>@porosantihodos</span>

Its a great quilt, eh.

For headwear I usually just have a buff with various hoods layered over that. In cold winter, I’ve got a micro-grid hoody, with a nano air hoody, and montbell mirage hoody layered over that, with an eye mask or sunglasses and sometimes a quarter buff over my nose. I own a down balaclava, but its def not necessary with all the hood layers mentioned above. The mirage hood is sized to go over a helmet, and cinches down to a small peep hole, so it ends up being a lot like a sleeping bag hood. For a winter parka especially, its good to have a hood with extra coverage to hunker down from the wind and trap a little air when sleeping.

To get back to my initial thread. I ended up sleeping on the divide in the northern winds at the front end of a blizzard this april. We dug out what seemed like sheltered platform into the side of mountain, but somehow spindrift was funnelled right into the tent. Each gust would blow spindrift in, which promptly melted onto my bag. I was pretty amazed at how quick my bag was losing loft and warmth. It ended up being fine, but I have a better understanding of why people opt for waterproof shells on their bags in winter. I doubt 850-900 would make much of a difference in this situation. Overall, I’m still happy with my purchase, since the majority of my backpacking is still 3 season, and this setup basically gives me the warmth of a 0 degree bag with the weight of a 20 degree one. My backpacking partner also owns an EE,  and we both noticed that the shell material breaths noticeably better which gives a broader comfort range in warmer temps and faster drying times.

somehow spindrift was funnelled right into the tent.
For that you need a genuine double-skinned tent. And sod cloths around the edge of the fly. That will keep you and all your gear dry.

Cheers