WM Lynx – Overkill for most of lower 48?

It really depends on where you’ll be going. It sounds like you won’t experience temps. below ~10-15 degrees. It’s nice to have a bit of a margin for comfort, though. I have done several trips in the Uintas in the middle of winter when it was below zero every night. One night we didn’t know how cold it got because our thermometer only went to 20 below zero. I use my WM Puma for those trips. It definitely can and will go below zero in a lot of areas in the lower 48. Just be realistic about where you plan on using the bag and go from there. When you’re pushing your sleep system to the limit in cold temperatures it’s definitely worth the ~$900 or so for a good bag from Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends, etc. I spent $700 on my high altitude mountaineering boots because I decided that amputations and hospital stays due to frostbite was a more expensive and inconvenient option. Same goes for your sleeping bag. Hard to put a price on survival and comfort when the mercury drops.

Nothing wrong with the Lynx if that suits the camping you do, and in some parts of the country could get used a lot.  I’m from Southeast Tennessee and my “Winter” bag is a 0* bag, and it did get used quite a bit but over the past few years with two kids playing basketball at their schools and so much other stuff going on, I haven’t gotten out as much, particularly in the winter.

If you want to do some SW stuff in the winter and do some SE camping in the winter, it’s not a bad choice.  It’s a 3lb bag, so not heavy for a -10*bag.

BTW: Liners usually aren’t worth the weight.  I would rather have cap 4 underwear, etc.

And BTW: Welcome to the forum

I think a 0 or 10 degree bag would better suit you.  I’ve done quite a few winter hikes on the Cumberland Plateau and on the AT, and I have hit single digits a couple of times, but never below zero.  It got close to zero around New Year’s last year at Savage Gulf, but I stayed home :)

Of course, it might be different if you were to start actively seeking out some serious winter hikes, but if you live in Middle Tennessee, unless you have tons of vacation time to burn, I don’t think you can do it enough to justify a $950 bag.

FWIW I use a 15 degree Sawatch quilt in winter and have been fine into single digits with thermal wool baselayers.  This quilt got me through the Smokies AT the week after Christmas several years ago.

A -20F bag is recommended for the ADK’s. Often it goes much lower, so it is not out of line at all.

“I’d like to do the Grand Canyon and other areas of the SW during the winter, and temps early this week in the GC are in the single digits,”

I’m flying out with the kids later today to hike in the Grand Canyon.  Those single digit temps are during a cold snap, on the Rim, and are the low temps.  Daytime highs on the Rim will be in the 20s then 30s.  So, on January 1, 2019 camping on the Rim (it could be 0F) – yeah, you’d want a -10F or -20F bag.  But if you’re going to hike IN the Canyon, there aren’t any places to camp until you get down to the Tonto Plateau and it’s going to be 30-40F there, at lowest.  And 40-50F along the River.

If, OTOH, you’re talking about getting a backcountry permit and skiing in along the closed road to the North Rim, then a -20F bag would be very appropriate – it’s a 1000 feet higher, you’re going in for longer (so your weather intel gets stale) and you can’t just pop into your vehicle, a lodge, or the campground shower house to warm up.

Thanks for the input everyone.  A 0 or 10 degree bag was mentioned, and I thought about a 0 degree bag, but the Kodiak is only 6 ounces lighter than the Lynx.  Of course that kind of logic applied across your entire gear list can result in several pounds of extra weight, but my thinking was that the 6 ounce compromise was worth the extra versatility of a -10 degree bag, should I end up in single digit or slightly below zero temps.  Having said that, the Kodiak has a lot more room inside.  IMO a 10 degree bag is too close in temp rating to my 20 degree bag to justify it as a separate purchase, especially if I’m going with WM.

Re: Brad’s comment on bag liners.  Are even the “best” bag liners actually worthless in terms of adding a solid 5 or 10 degrees of warmth?

Do any of you go with a longer bag for winter?  I’m 5’11 and I purchased the 6ft bag.  It’s large enough for me, but I’ve read that some people get the long version for extra storage in the bottom, though it requires more body heat to bring that dead space up to temp.

I’m still on the fence on keeping the bag, but you’ve definitely given me helpful input.  Thanks again.

In some ways the Lynx is neither fish nor foul.

I can say with some experience, if you’re planning winter trips in Eastern Canada, you’d be better served with more bag. Before I moved West some decades ago I used to do winter trips in the Adirondak’s, Green and White Mountains in winter, and I preferred a -20F bag. The Puma is the one I’d pick for real winter. The bag offers a bit more room for margin of error.

We’ve had something like 7 WM bags at our house since 1992 when I got my first (prior to that starting in the 1970’s I used USA Made TNF and Marmot down bags). My current bags are an Ultralite and Versalite. I’ve used the Versalite into the single digits. If I wanted to add a winter bag to the arsenal I’d go Puma… larger girth to layer on clothing. I’m 5’10″/155 lbs, so fairly slender. I’m happy with a 59″ shoulder girth, but for a real winter bag I’d prefer 64″.

I’ve also had an Antelope with Gore Windstopper and did find that it made the bag clammy in less than really cold temps, and it seemed to limit its temperature range. I think I’d go microfiber, except in a bag dedicated to brutal cold, in which case I’d go with the GWS. Add a VBL to block body moisture for longer trips. You should have a VBL for really cold temps over extended trips. Body moisture is a real culprit, and will build up in the outer layer of the bag, freezing and reducing loft.

Another way to approach this is to get something like the Antelope, add a VBL and some sort of insulated Overbag (I have an older Chouinard/Zero Point synthetic fill overbag). With this “system” you’ll have a more useful bag for the winter areas you mostly frequent, but it could do in a pinch in colder areas in the -10F range.

I’d stick with a 6′ bag. Been there done that with the idea of a longer bag… takes too much energy to heat up the extra space, and you’ll find it’s chillier at your feet. The added girth of a 64″ bag will be enough to curl up with a water bottle.

All my WM bags have been ordered with overfill from Hermit’s Hut… I think overfill is a wise choice, and is free from Hermit’s Hut.

Stick with the Lynx!!  My backpacking buddy Patman uses a Lynx for winter camping and I consider it actually a little light for the conditions we often face in the mountains of NC.  -10F is common at higher elevations.  Here’s Patman on a very cold morning in Citico Creek wilderness wrapped in his Lynx—

For some weird reason WM changed all their down bag ratings because when I bought their Puma back in 2007 they rated it at -15F—and now the same bag with the same fill weight is rated to -25F.  So beware.

They rate the Lynx at -10F but knowing what I know I would disregard this number and consider it at best a 0F rated bag.  Here’s my Puma airing out on a recent December trip—Microfiber shell of course—

Btw, it’s hard to believe this bag has seen 11 hard years of use and still lofts up like it’s new—and has never been washed.

“the Kodiak has a lot more room inside.”

Which gives you the versatility to wear more puffy clothes inside (without compressing their loft as much).  You’re not going out in 0F temps without warm clothes for your trunk and legs, so in colder-than-expected temps or if you get somewhat hypothermic, leave everything on and get in the bag.  I, personally, also sleep a little better in a less-tight bag.

Of course, long before you’re wearing lots of clothes inside of a 0F or warmer bag, you should have seriously upgraded your sleeping pad, typically combining two such as a high-R inflatable plus a closed-cell foam (that can’t leak or have a valve freeze).

Yes, I’ve gotten 6’6″ bags for winter use (I’m 6′).  Frozen-solid shoes are just so demoralizing to put on in the morning.  An extra kitchen trash bag is helpful when placing them at the bottom of the sleeping bag.  Clothes, especially non-puffy clothes like fleece, I lay over the sleeping pad, under my sleeping bag so they stay warmer and maybe get a bit drier overnight.

Keep the Lynx, you’ll be glad you did as you get older  It has versatility per Tipi 

I have a WM Kodiak 0deg and Puma -25deg both long versions and microfiber shell. I’m 6-1” and love the extra length. I’ve never put anything at the bottom either. Have had the Kodiak to -10deg and have been toasty warm with just some 200 weight IB wool long underwear, and the Puma down to -29deg and felt the same.

If it were me I would skip the GWS and get a bivy sack if you think you’ll be sleeping in the open. The microfiber will breath better, dry out quicker and it’s still pretty durable. My dog usually has long toenails and she (50lbs) walks all over it and not cause a problem, many times an evening as she lays on it while I’m out of the tent in camp. Even had the shell get caught in the zipper pretty bad many times in those frantic 2am bathroom calls and surprisingly never caused a tear.

Thanks, everyone.  I like Brad’s point about the bag not being warm enough for brutal winter, but too warm for the average winter climate.  I think there could be some truth to that, but of course that depends on how often I travel and where.  As far as eastern Canada requiring a Puma, the closest town to our cottage is Parry Sound, Ontario, and it looks like the average lows in Jan/Feb are around 8 degrees f.  I think the Lynx would be fine for this area.  While the Puma does brutal winters much better, I think I’d be limiting myself with a bag rated to -25.  I doubt I will be in conditions that would require a bag rated for such extreme temperatures.

Interestingly enough, the only consensus seems to be that I should switch to microfiber.  This is very tempting because getting the GWS into the stuff sack was a pain in the ass.  I tend to always drift towards those ‘what if’ scenarios, so the GWS appealed to me.  “What if my tent leaks and a considerable amount of water gets inside the tent?”  And so on.  I saw the GWS as added protection and peace of mind, but the governing opinion being so in favor of the microfiber has me second guessing my decision and considering an exchange.

David mentioned sleeping pads.  I rotate between the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm, a foam pad, and the Thermarest LuxuryLite Ultralite cot, which gets me off the ground entirely.  Sleeping on the cot is the most comfortable I’ve ever been while camping, but I usually don’t take it unless it’s a short/flat hike.

Late to the party here. Long time Puma and Antelope user. Recently acquired a Lynx MF as I find myself doing trips that are a bit on the cold side for my Antelope but don’t really require the warmth of the Puma-hopefully the Lynx will do the trick!

BTW: Liners usually aren’t worth the weight.  I would rather have cap 4 underwear, etc.

R1 military ECWCS GEN III L2  bottoms and my R1 zip top that’s there anyway.

I usually want a bag one notch colder than expected. It just depends on how much you plan to use it. The alternative is to layer up a wide quilt over a warmer weather bag and/or a bivy.

The Gore Windstopper bags go into stuff sacks much easier if you flip them inside out.

I have also pondered this question but here in Nevada camping at 9,000+ ft. can mean real sub zero temperatures I decided to get an LL Bean -20 F. 750 fill down bag with down DWR treatment. I really lucked out when I bought it online when it was on a double sale for $270. or so.

My 3 season factory overstuffed Western Mountaineering Megalite bag (larger girth, hence the name “Mega..”) can take me to about 0 F. or maybe -5 F. when I’m wearing a light down jacket and pants along with a light fleece balaclava and using my REI Flash All Season R 5.3 insulated air mattress.

But that is really pushing that bag’s envelope. Trouble is I can often encounter -10 or -15 F. in the mountains so I take the safer option of a -20 F. bag.

Quick question: I thought about replacing my Lynx MF with an Antelope MF – for those that mentioned the Antelope, what temp range would you recommend for it?

Looking at the current winters in Austria, it seems like the Antelope would be fine for up to 2000m (with a puffy, etc as a backup).

Christoph,

I’ve had good luck with the Antelope(mine’s the GWS version) from 20*F down to around -5*F.  Haven’t used it any lower than that, so maybe with a puffy and down pants you might go -10 or lower with satisfactory results?

Hi Timothy,

Nice, that sounds good!

At real low temperatures, I’ve very much preferred layering (strapping) a 40d or 50d quilt over top of my 5d bag. That way any condensation is more likely to get trapped in the quilt, which is a LOT easier to dry out than my 5d bag.

Perhaps that is something to keep in mind when weighing a singular solution to a potentially more versatile solution?

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/layering-quilts-and-temperature-rating/

Lynx user here with the exterior Gone fabric.   Just slept out here in CO last weekend, temps were in the high teens and I was snug as a bug with that bag.  I don’t think it’s overkill at all if you plan to sleep out at elevation.  I’ve actually been considering a puma for 10k’ overnights.