Looking at a ZPacks 30* bag for my wife–summer hiking in the Cascades. Your thoughts?

I use a down hooded 8oz puffy jacket with my 30*, put the hood up and your jacket is part of the sleep system. The Zpacks bags have zippers so its going to be pretty easy to get used to this quilt.

Very lightweight, I think at her 5'3'' height I would go with the 5'9'' medium bag just because you will be able to use it at 5'6'' and its only a 1.3oz difference. The extra length is nice to burrow under on cold nights.

I am 6'0" and got the long, It just borderline works, If I were any taller I would size up. I hope this helps, I have tried other bags and when I got the Zpacks one I was happiest with the full zip. The materials and construction are top notch.

The warmth will definitely depend on when you're planning on doing the Wonderland. I did it last September and happened to catch a great weak where it hit 80 between Indian Bar and Summerland, but most nights were in the mid to low 40's. For most a 30* bag should be plenty, especially with extra layers. If she sleeps on her back and steadily, a hooded sleeping bag may be the way to go.

FYI, walk up permits (free) are pretty darn easy to come by on the Wonderland, consequently if you don't get the permit through the lottery. If you're flexible on where you start and the camps you stay at, I would highly recommend it. I've been told by rangers the only walk up groups they can't accommodate either need a group site, or simply aren't willing to be flexible. If it doesn't work out, you also have Glacier Peak, Alpine Lakes, Goat Rocks, ect within a couple hours drive.

I live in the Northwest (Oregon specifically), have backpacked all over Oregon and Washington section hiking the PCT, and have found that a 15 degree bag works great (for me) for three season backpacking in our area. I also use an Exped Synmat UL 7 (although I just purchased an Exped Downmat UL 7 for shoulder season use). I haven't used a ZPacks 30 degree bag, per se, but have found that I prefer a warmer bag.

I would go with the zpacks 20 degree, it only weighs a few oz more and if your wife isn't used to backpacking then you don't want her to have a bad experience and sleep cold one night. If it's warm out you can unzip it and use as a quilt.

Also the zpacks bags in my experience do not have as warm a footbox as say the FF Vireo so a good investments is $9 fleece socks just to wear at night in the zpacks bag.

Get a warmer bag, the 20° just to be safe. My fiance is a very cold bodied person, and she wasn't happy in her 30° bag, so she got a 15° Marmot women's Helium, and she has been a very happy camper since.

women require a bag that is 10F warmer than men generally …

for the various reasons why go here …

http://www.mammut.ch/images/Mammut_Sleep_well_pt1_E.pdf

;)

If she is a side sleeper, I recommend getting the wide.

I also prefer a warmer bag. When men say take a 30*, to me that means 15-20*. So go warm and wide. Not much weight penalty but it makes a huge different in comfort.

+1 To Going Warmer

Personally, I'd suggest having her use the WM Ultralite as you already have it. Though not nearly as light as the ZPacks, it is much warmer and overall is not only one of the lightest, but one of the best 20F bags on the market. Better error on the side of being too warm vs cold……as the old saying goes: Happy Wife, Happy Life :-)
As you know, weather in the PNW can change suddenly. In late June six to seven years ago, we took a trip to Upper Royal Basin in the Olympics and the day time temperatures were in the mid-high sixties with night time lows at the ranger station forcast to be in the 40s……but we woke up to a very heavy frost. In our 3 person group (2 male, 1 female), all using high end 30F bags, the only one who didn't sleep well because of cold was our beloved female friend.

FWIW, there's a good review of the ZPacks 20* bag in this month's TrailGroove – link below:

http://www.trailgroove.com/issue13.html?autoflip=75

I hike mostly in the PNW, primary in the Olympics and North Cascades, and have been snowed on in July and August. Lows in the upper 20's to low 30's above 6000' are not uncommon. I would recommend a bag for a female of 20 degrees, which is what my daughter uses in the PNW. I did the Wonderland Trail last season in mid-September and got snow and low's into the upper 20's at the Sunrise camp site. Later in the season then your planned trip, but that kind of weather can strike in August too.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. As some of you said, it seems like my wife using the WM Ultralite we already have will be the simplest (and likely warmest) option. That will put her base weight right at 9#, and with food caching and abundant water, total pack weight never more than about 15-16#.

Of course, I might have to get the ZPacks 30* for myself…