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Big Agnes Torchlight UL 30 – any reviews/feedback?
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Big Agnes Torchlight UL 30 – any reviews/feedback?
- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 6 months ago by JCH.
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Sep 1, 2021 at 4:09 pm #3726480
I’m looking for a new 3-season sleeping bag. My current “good” sleeping bag is a Moonstone Muir Trail 20 that weighs in at 3 lbs.
I’m looking at a long Big Agnes Torchlight UL 30. It weighs in at slightly over 2 lbs:
https://www.bigagnes.com/Torchlight-UL-30
My 20 degree bag is too warm and heavy for most of what I do. I have a 45 degree Big Agnes Cros Mountain that has left me cold and is closer to a quilt than a sleeping bag (no insulation on the bottom). I’m hoping a 30-35 rated bag is “just right”. This Torchlight UL 30 is not the lightest option out there but the expandable features are interesting and is at a decent price point if found on sale.
Outdoor Gear Lab was not that impressed with the women’s version; I find very few independent reviews that aren’t also trying to sell it. I’m just curious if anyone has tried one.
Thanks!
Sep 1, 2021 at 9:24 pm #3726499Buy nice or buy twice (i.e. buy once, cry once). I recommend investing in a Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Nunatak, or cottage gear bag/quilt (Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear, Zpacks, etc.). They’re pricey, but worth it for the warmth-to-weight and longevity. IMHO.
Sep 2, 2021 at 5:02 am #3726501^ That. Every word of it.
Sep 2, 2021 at 6:21 am #3726503Exactly. I like how BA’s description of the bag starts out by saying: “Designed for those gram counting backpackers”. Yea right, a 28 oz 30 degree bag with 11 oz of down fill. That means the shell weight is 17 oz! And the “expandable side panels” are certainly a gimmick. Oh, but it’s “patent pending”. I’m sure other manufacturers would be so ready to copy it if it wasn’t, lol! If width is a concern go with one of Western Mountaineering’s wider cut bags.
Gear makers can call anything UL. It’s like all of the apartments I’ve lived that say their workout facility is “state of the art “. “Fast and light” is another one mainstream companies frequently use to describe the heavy gear they get cranked out in China.
S Long is spot on with the bags he(she) listed above. You might also consider Montbell.
Sep 2, 2021 at 8:25 am #3726507If you really want a wide bag, take a look at the WM Megalight. It’s a beautiful 30 deg bag. Remember that the more volume inside the bag, the more volume you must warm up.
Any of the WM 30 deg bags would be an excellent choice, and you can always open the bag up and use as a quilt if it’s warmer than expected.
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