Montbell Down Hugger #3 or #5? For a child.

[Doug G]

Ok.  Just looking for some opinions here, as I am undecided on which bag to get my 7 year old.  Based on price and function I have decided to get the Montbell Down Hugger.   There will be a nice custom 20 degree EE Revelation coming up on the forum in the near future; I have found that my daughter is not a quilt girl yet.   The Japanese Montbell site has women’s sized bags that would be great for kids I think.  14.6oz 46F EN for the #5 and 19.3oz 37F EN for the #3.   Most our hiking is in the summer at between 3,500 and 5k elevation.   The #5 would do great in almost all situations.  She is getting older and I am more willing to take her in the shoulder seasons / winter.   I can slap her in some warm clothes to add warmth, or just get the warmer bag to begin with and take the weight penalty; about 4.5 ounces.   What would you do?  :)    The price difference is not a consideration here.  Just the function, size and weight.

[Rick M]

Not sure what the issue is with the quilt but if she is cold in the custom Revelation 20F she will freeze in either of the MB bags. Remember EN ratings assume an adult covered head to toe in lightweight fleece base layers in a draft free environment. The MB#5 is basically a thin sewn-thru blankey, it is not box-baffled. The MB#3 is box baffled and uses individual “Flowgates” to keep the down from shifting around but the amount of down is really not enough to fill them out so it has lots of cold spots, given the stretchy sewing. The most efficient MB bags start at the #2 and lower temp ratings where the amount of down is sufficient to completely fill the Flowgate baffles and with neck collars to seal in heat.

[Doug G]

Good stuff.   Thanks.    She’s not cold, she just likes a bag.  Looking for a lightweight solution and the Montbell looked like it fit the bill.

[Rachel P]

I bought my daughter a custom Revelation a few years back and then picked up a Sierra designs down bag on sale last fall. She tried that bag out once and has never used the quilt since. (I think it’s hard to keep the drafts out when you are a kid). Now when I’m trying to save weight I use her quilt which barely fits me.

In the winter we layer an Apex quilt over the bag for extra warmth. I find my 7 year old likes being really toasty while wearing minimal layers. The bag she uses is comfort rated around 15 or 20 but we are in the Rockies and it gets chilly at night.  Although she loves that bag even when the lows are the 40s. I would probably get the warmer bag if I were you but I have no experience with MB bags. I think women’s bags in general are a great idea for kids. Also, I often cinch up the bottom of the bag with one of the EE elastic straps so less air has to be heated.

[Author]

Posts