Big Agnes Torchlight UL 30 – any reviews/feedback?

Buy 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.

^ That.  Every word of it.

Exactly. 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.

If 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.