Suggest a new lighter sleeping bag please :)

[jennifer r]

Ive been all over the top 10 lists but I always wonder if those are paid to review. I have a 10 year old north face zero degree bag that is often too warm but I’ve never ever been cold. I’m a lean woman who gets cold and this has been fine down to 20 degrees. It also weighs 4-5 pounds and takes up way too much room. I have to lighten my pack asap i’m always dying carrying a heavy pack by day 4 and this is my last thing to upgrade (have a UL tent, stove, etc)

I would like it to be rated to 10 or 15 but also lightweight. Feathered friends and western mountaineering keep showing up but maybe i can get away with REI magma or something closer to $300. Also American Alpine has pro deal on Big agnes but they never show up on these lists. Maybe they are better for tents or something.

Warm, light, price the most important to me. Thanks!

[John M]

I was going to suggest the Magma.  It received a good review here on BPL.

FWIW….I’m thin and lean too and typically sleep cold.  I found quilts didn’t work for me.

[Nick Gatel]

I have found “ratings” aren’t very useful. I sleep very cold since I have lived in the low desert for over 40 years.

Consider WM products. Since they last for decades with proper care, the cost per year is low.

[Mike M]

Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends are both very safe bets.  Feathered Friends have woman specific bags (maybe WM does too?) that are more conservatively rated (and more appropriately sized)- basically more fill for the same rating as a man’s bag.

Both will add overfill if you think it’s appropriate too.

I’ve never been disappointed with anything from WM or FF and with care should easily last a decade or two.

 

[Robert Spencer]

Regarding the factors of buying a sleeping bag …

As the  saying goes:  warmth, cost and weight. Pick two.

I agree with the others who have suggested that a good down bag will last decades so it makes the steep price seem palatable. While the REI Magma is well regarded, I put Western Mountaineering at the top of the list. The Ultralite or Versalite will serve you well at 2 pounds or a little under.

[jennifer r]

I think it might be smart to continue hauling this one around and pray for end of season sales. It seems so much heavier since I realized it was NOT light and compared.

[Tim H]

I’ll throw my vote out there for WM as well.  Having said that, don’t underestimate the importance of your pad when it comes to warmth.  A WM Alpinelite and a neo-air X-Therm would most likely be as warm or warmer than a 10-15 degree non WM or FF bag with a less insulative pad.

[jennifer r]

I have the xtherm so I’m good there. Just need to decide whether I do a lighter cheaper bag for now or keep this till I can buy. I just can’t justify right now :/ I put a post on forum for WTB. I’ll take used !

[AK Granola]

I love, love my Feathered Friends Egret. I use it for winter and 90% of summer trips here in Alaska. I have never been cold in that bag. It is light, warm and expensive. It has lost no feathers in all that time, even with several machine washings and dryings. I have an old REI Sub kilo, which I liked but constantly sheds feathers. The quality of the FF bag is just outstanding. If you can’t afford it, you can’t but if you can get a used one, might be worth it. I can’t imagine ever selling mine. I’d like to be buried in it.

[David Gardner]

I have had two Feathered Friends bags for over 30 years, a winter bag and a 3-season bag, and they’ve seen a lot of use. The quality and attention to detail are excellent, and the durability makes them a good investment. I’ll never need to buy another bag for the rest of my life (though I might give quilts a try).

They do customized work too, like overstuffing, and sales & service are top notch.

I especially enjoy the Winter Wren, because it has a drawstring foot box and shoulder zippers, so I can wear it like a full-body puffy and bring less gear. And taking care of midnight business has never been easier or more comfortable.

[JCH]

“Warm, light, price the most important to me.”

I will suggest that you can pick any two of those, but not all three.

Since you sleep cold, I second the suggestion(s) that you go with Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends as they are both absolutely top quality and you will love your bag for the entire time you own it.

IMO, starting a “new bag savings fund” and waiting until you can afford the good stuff is a better plan than buying something now simply because you can afford it.  With either the WM or FF bags you will get a minimum of 10 years of use, and more likely 20 with proper care.  Looking to find something on the used market is also a good plan, but you may find people don’t often dispose of these bags…a testament to their quality.

As for which degree rating to choose, I am afraid no one can answer that question but you.

Good luck with your search.

[bradmacmt]

Apart from price, the WM Versalite is what you’re after.

[Brad Rogers]

Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering are probably the best bags out there but the REI Magma might be the best value.   You might look at the Marmot Xenon as well.  My wife has the previous version the Marmot Women’s Helium and finds it very warm.

[Dan]

For people who feel confined in a mummy bag, the MontBell Down Hugger bags are worth considering. For those who don’t know, the stitching is elastic … there is nothing quite like them, so try one out if you’re ever in a MB retail location. For 15 degree bags, the 800-fill is 32oz and 900-fill is 27 oz. Warning, the 900-fill bags are not cheap.

[Paul S]

The Northface bag the OP mentions: NF may SAY it is good to zero degrees, but sleeping bag temperature ratings, as they relate to actual warmth, are all over the map. I would not be impossible for the Feathered Friends Egret 20 (some have mentioned in this thread) to be just as warm as the NF bag.

The temp rating of a bag is somewhat meaningless, all that really matters, in my experience, is the loft. Or, assuming down insulation, how much fill is there wrt to size of the bag. I have seen, for example, a popular brand down quilt rated to 10 degrees only having as much fill as another brand’s quilt, of the same size, rated to 30 degrees.

[jennifer r]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>All so helpful thank you! I’m gonna suck it up on my extra few pounds and wait :)</p>

[Dan]

There is a WM Ultralite for sale in the Gear Swap forum at the moment.

[jennifer r]

Can you send a link? Didn’t see it.

[Turley]

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/fs-western-mountaineering-ultralite-6ft-lz/

[Erica R]

Dan, Thanks so much for the information on the Down Hugger. I dislike mummy bags in spite of their warmth because every time I turn over I have to take the bag with me.

Will the Down Hugger really let me turn over without taking the bag with me?

Thanks!

[Robert Spencer]

Erica, I share your frustration from constantly rotating throughout the night, but the solution for me was to move to a bag with no hood. I ordered one longer than needed so when I toss and turn, my bag stays put and then I just readjust the top to wrap around my face for warmth.

[Paul S]

Same as Robert, I went with a sleeping bag without a hood. I use the Goosefeet gear down hood when it’s cold. So I can turn, flip, anything, and the bag stays put and the hood moves with me. For me it’s way better than a hooded bag.

[Dan]

The down hugger bags do have hoods, so if you are flipping 360 degrees that will be an issue. However, I like them much more than typical mummy bags because they allow freedom of motion of your legs and lower body; for example, your knees aren’t pinned together. And personally, I do flip from side to side without rotating the bag. One way to say it is that they combine the comfort benefits of a semi-rectangular bag with the warmth and weight benefits of a mummy bag.

[Erica R]

Me too. I have the widest and almost longest bag ZPacks makes or maybe used to make. No hood. I can roll clear around without moving the bag. I can bring my knees up all the way. I guess it is pretty much a quilt with a zipper.

The downside is there is lots of space inside, and it is not as warm as a mummy bag. This can be partially compensated by bringing a loose puffy inside.

[Barry P]

Another +1 for Zpacks. They’re the lightest out there with goose down. If you’re a cold sleeper you may be happier with a 10F version. I’ve had my 20F quilt going on 12 years now and use it every single trip.

-Barry

The Rockies were made for Tevas

[Author]

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