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What sleeping bags/quilts do you own and which do you take when?
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › What sleeping bags/quilts do you own and which do you take when?
- This topic has 30 replies, 28 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by Shane S..
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Dec 21, 2020 at 11:18 am #3690079
I’m embarrassed by how many sleeping bags our family owns. For some reason, I just can’t part with them. Hoarding my anxieties I guess. I live in Alaska and I hate being cold. I do tend to lend out gear, so it’s helpful to have some extras.
I only ever use my Feathered Friends Egret 20F. I often camp at overnight lows of 30-50 (summertime temps here). If it’s too warm for conditions, I just lie on top of it. I haven’t done a lot of backpacking in hot weather places anyway. But it’s the lightest bag I own, and that’s the major decision factor. Plus it’s just so nice and lofty; total comfort factor for deep sleeping! Once I’m able to do more trips in warmer places, I’ll have to think about a different sleeping system.
Dec 22, 2020 at 9:54 am #3690234Glad I’m not the only one who could buy a decent used car if I could magically get retail value for all the sleeping bags I’ve accumulated over the years! Here’s my list, with year of purchase included just for context:
– Marmot Pounder 40 degree bag (2009): An OK synthetic bag for very warm nights (50+). Made sense when I lived in the Southeast, but since moving to Montana I pretty much just have it always in my car as an emergency bag in winter, for car camping in warm temperatures, and for supplemental warmth when car camping in chillier conditions. It also works well when staying in USFS rental cabins in the winter when there is a woodstove.
– Marmot Pinnacle 15 degree (2011): A nice down bag that was good for winter in the Southeast and with proper layering I’ve used in the single-digits here in Montana. I mostly just lend this one out to friends now who don’t have warm sleeping bags but want to join me on shoulder-season backpacking trips.
– Feathered Friends Snowbunting 0 degree (2015): A high-quality bag for winter trips in Montana. I rarely go out when the forecast is below zero for the overnight low and this bag gives me good peace-of-mind for if the temps drop below that. I’ve supplemented it with layers and been comfortable at 5 below.
– Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 20 (2017): I used this bag for most April-October trips in Montana until I got the REI Magma 30. Now I mostly just use it shoulder season. Great bag.
– REI Magma 30 (2019): I tested this bag for Backpacking Light and it quickly became one of my favorite bags. I used it for every trip I did this summer as it is perfect for the Northern Rockies were it can get chilly, if not downright cold, overnight at higher elevations.
Dec 23, 2020 at 1:01 pm #3690418Just three:
EE Revolution Hammock Edition, 30 degree: Summer hammock.
Katabatic Flex 22: Colder weather hammock and tarp/tent.
FF Vireo (2oz overfill in the upper portion): Summer tarp/tent.
Dec 24, 2020 at 10:59 pm #3690784The oldest bag still in use is a Feathered Friends Hummingbird from 1994. It is 32ounces and I think it was rated 32 deg. F rated. It mainly gets used by my wife or kids.
My most used piece is a Hammock Gear Burrow in wide. I think it is the 20 deg. version so it is fairly heavy @ 26 ounces. I would NOT choose it for true 20-degree nights but I find it is a good match for most of my 3-season needs. For $200 it is a real bargain and I find a warm quilt is usable for me all summer in my stomping grounds.
I also have an Enlightened Equipment Enigma in the 30-deg variety. It is another 3-season option in the quiver about the same weight as the Burrow but not as warm.
I don’t winter camp.
Dec 25, 2020 at 6:18 pm #3690838I use an EE apex revelations 50 for summer use and just recently switched to the larger western mountaineering bags for colder temps. Have been using a WM sycamore for fall temps down to freezing. For really cold trips I have a WM bristlecone. Having the extra space is amazing. I then use the EE quilt for temp adjustments.
I use a neo-air and then a xtherm Max in the winter. Also adding in a thermarest air head pillow has been getting me a great night sleep.
Dec 28, 2020 at 10:09 pm #3691196EE Enigma 30 degree, 900 down. 16.58oz
The Enigma quilt is several years old now, I don’t think the temp rating is accurate as I get cold using it during the summer, wearing all my cloths and a Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 jacket. I’m thinking about or ordering a new quilt like a 20 degree or maybe I can send my quilt in to EE to have some down added to get it warmer. I’ve heard that the early EE quilts like mine were not as warm as stated.I also have a WM Megalite and a FF Swift with a wind block shell…both at least 18-20years old
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