Western Mountaineering Material

I know they do change material from time to time.  I had an Ultralite bought in 2002 and bought a Summerlite when they came out in 2006 and though they both had their “extreme lite” shell, they were obviously not the same fabric.  The material on the Summerlite had the softer hand, but both served me well until I switched to quilts in 2008.

I suggest contacting WM.

TEL: 408-287-8944
FAX: 408-287-8946

Hi, didn’t want to open a completely new thread, but I was wondering –

How accurate would you say are the Western Mountaineering Temperature Ratings on their bags?

Thanks!

“Our new 20 Denier MicroLite XP™ microfiber reduces the total weights of the bags in this series by 15 to 20 percent! It is the highest threadcount fabric we have ever used with over 400 threads per square inch. We have worked closely with our supplier to develop this new fabric which is highly water resistant, highly breathable, and very light weight. Its hard to imagine a more impressive combination of performance characteristics in a shell fabric.”

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/product-details/materials/

Phillip,

I have a Highlite and a Versalite. Both seem to be accurately rated but note that I am a warm sleeper. Also worth noting is the fact that both of my WM bags are pretty slim fitting which surely contributes to their warmth (WM bags not in the Extremelite series can be much roomier).
By comparison, I have a 32 degree rated Mountain Hardwear bag (Phantom? Or the one before it?) that starts to feel cool at around 40 degrees. I also have a zero degree EMS down bag that is much colder, has significantly less loft and is quite a bit heavier than the 10 degree rated WM Versalite.

You hear people say that they are conservative in their railings but about ~10 years ago they adjusted their raitings and I would say they are pretty spot on now. I had a Highlite that was good to the mid to high 30’s, a Summerlite that was good to near freezing, and a Ultralite that was good to the high teens.

great, thanks for the info!

Franco:

It wasn’t the outer material I had issues with, it was the inner. Anyway I returned it. Partially because of the inner fabric and partially because I’m a side sleeper and don’t like hoods.

I’m looking at the EE Convert, and the Katabatic Flex now, to avoid having a hood. It’s disappointing no one makes a decent mummy bag with out a hood.

Good all around info above.Not to derail the thread, but had some questions on WM.

Does anyone want to comment on the water resistant (or not) of the fabric used on the Ultralight? I know it is not waterproof, but can it stand up to some condensation or water drips without soaking it up?

Any idea how that fabric compares to what FF uses on the Hummingbird Ultralight? That is Pertex Endurance UL.

Thanks

Shawn,

I too have noticed the difference in their inner linings, as I have an older WM bag with the silky soft taffeta type material and a newer bag with the more crinkly stuff.  By the way, since you are now looking at quilts, the inner material of the Katabatic quilts is very similar to the older WM inner material…I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same stuff.

Thanks for the info Rob. I was leaning towards the Katabatic anyway. I live in Texas, and after a 5-7 week wait for an EE quilt, winter will pretty much be over here.