How many inches loft in an REI Sub Kilo 20?

It's warm and weighs less and perhaps has a nicer skin feel to the fabric. Other than that there is not much to appreciate that will come with time such as in wine or scotch. :) If you intend on backpacking for years to come a 20deg WM bag will get much use. It will also hold it's value should you ever decide to sell it and go another direction.

If you can afford it over the REI bag I would do it. I own 2 western bags and they're very nice pieces.

I was eyeballing the REI bags but they are all cut so narrow. I can fit in them but I can get panicky quick sometimes in the narrow bags. Definitely no layering room for me.

Especially the REI 750 down filled men’s bags. One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our times with where do the elephants go when they die and the location of King Solomon’s mines is why does REI cut their bags so cheaply narrow. At a hard 5’ 11” and 160 lbs. their six foot bag is a straight jacket and the six foot six inch bag is just a little bit better. I had to go the Mountain Hardware Phantom Series to get the needed dimensions in the shoulder and hip. The Phantom series is an excellent off the rack bag!

From looking at the specs, both the WM Ultralite and the REI Subkilo have the same shoulder width..

I know there is more to a cut than this, but the feet on the Ultralite is 38" and I would guess that the REI bag is somewhere around there too…

Can anyone who has been in both of these bags confirm how tight the REI one is? So far, I haven't felt TOO squeezed in it. Sometimes it's hard to get dressed or undressed in it, but that isn't ever very easy..

I had version of 1 of the sub-Kilo and don't recall that I had a problems with it's roominess. I returned it because I couldn't stay warm in it.

Hi Andrew. I owned an REI Kilo Plus for a while–this is a bag that's rated to 0* F (I should have read the fine print, which said zero dregrees-with all your warm clothes on inside the bag). I used that bag on several occasions in the shoulder seasons and I was shivering in the upper 30s. It's not that the bag wasn't somewhat performing, but REI fills their baffles with about 20% less down than even fills the baffles up properly, so the down would shift around in the night and cold air would seep in in the less filled spots. I bet if they had filled the baffles properly, it could have kept me warm down to the 20s (still untrue to its rating). Based on my experience with my REI zero degree bag, which had 6" of loosely filled loft, I'd suggest you return your REI Sub Kilo and go buy a Western Mountaineering Ultralight Super. I sold my Kilo Plus and bought a WM Versalite, which keeps me warm down to the lower teens, true to its rating.

So Robert, has the Versalite seen any temps lower than the teens? How did it hold out there?

I've always heard that WM bags are rated conservatively so that bag should definitely be good at zero and possibly even below. Any confirmation?

Well, I really want to order the Ultralite, but the one store that stocks WM only has a versalite and I don't want a bag that warm. I'm afraid to order a bag that costs that much offline because it's just one of those things I want to feel out first. Of course it's constructed amazingly, but I need to know if it works for me…

Wish a friend had one so I could borrow it!

The lowest I've had it down to was around 14-15 degrees. It felt like it would still be warm maybe down to 5, don't quote me on that though. I only have had it since this last spring.

If you're not sure about the fit and feel of the Ultralite, you should try out the Versalite at the store and see how you like the dimensions. WM makes bags in all different widths and lengths, and I'm pretty sure that there's a wide version of the Ultraite (I think it's called Alpinlite).

Andrew,

I love the WM line of bags. As stated earlier, they make several different dimensions of bags in the same temperature ranges. Depending on your size (and claustrofobic tendencies) one bag may be better than another. You mentioned the Ultralite which my wife uses. At 5'2" and 115 lbs. the trim fitting bag is perfect for her. For me, at 6'1" and nearly 200 lbs. it would be constricting.

Michael –

I'm 5'8" and 155. Everyone says the SubKilo is a tight bag, but I've felt alright it in so far. I generally sleep in my skivvies, if anything at all, so I haven't tested layering yet. I have slept in a pair of shorts and a long sleever base layer, but no sort of vest or the like. I think they would feet though, maybe with a slight compression of the loft.. I was looking at the alpinlite too, but would rather go tighter if possible. I'm not so claustrophobic, I just like to be able to turn on my side and any bag that moves with me is fine.

It's just such a big commitment. I talked to the store though and they said they will get more in spring…if I can just use my Sub Kilo for the next month or so I can just wait till spring to try one out. I keep telling myself…PATIENCE ANDREW! FOR ONCE, PATIENCE!!

To measure loft fluff the bag and lay a sheet of paper on top of two layers, measure its height and divide by 2. 2" loft will get most people down to 20'F.
BUT..! Theres another way to get down to 20F.. Carry a 1" thick bag and another 1" in insulative clothing which you will wear inside the bag. This gives you a lighter bag and the ability to walk around or belay while wearing insulation.
For this lightweight approach, Montbell (MB) super-stretch bags stretch to more than 74" wide at the shoulders (and proportionally less along the entire length of the bag). No worries about REI slim mummy bags; and used MB keep their value, just look what the used ones go for on ebay. (But I can not imagine selling one of mine)
For my winter sleep system I use a 1 lb MB #7 and an 1" loft suit (MB jacket and pants)