Good sleeping bag

[MarbleEye's]

Well I guess its time to start assembeling the gear for my winter boundry waters expedition, and I need a little help picking out a sleeping bag. Im looking for a good mummy bag that is around $100 in price for backpacking/canoeing and camping. Im looking for a bag that will be good to around 0F. So far the best bet has come to be the Cabelas Base Camp II, but if you guys and gals have any better suggestions they would be greatly apreciate, MarbleEye's

[Rapaleye]

I think your cabellas choice is probably a good one. Try going to www.campmor.com. They carry more than anybody I know.
Here is something to think about. I have owned 5 different bags (Northface and Kelty mainly) and the bag I have now will be the last bag I ever have. I finally bought a down bag by Marmot. They cost more than your target (they are around $150-175)but there is no comparing the man-made fiber insulation and down. All of my previous bags were fiber insulation. You do have to be careful to not get the down wet but a good water proof stuff sack will take care of that. I have camped a lot in Northern Canada, Boundry Waters and out west. I only kick myself for not buying one earlier. By the way beware of the manufacturers temperature rating. I have found bags rated to 20 degrees that were warmer than 0 degree bags. You are better off buying a quality name (Northface, Marmot, Sierra Designs) as they tend to have a reputation to preserve.
Good luck.

[delque]

i second the Marmot down bag, and staying with quality names-Mountian Hardware in addition to names already mentioned. However, for winter camping where theres a good chance of messy conditions, i have an mummy army surplus sub zero synthetic fill-and be sure to get the canvas cap mummy that comes with it(important), and waterproof that with modern day waterproofing. $80 or so,plus $12 for the cap. By comparison to the modern day bags,its a litte more bulky&heavy for extended backpack trips,but throwing into the boat,or into a snowbank,island camping,hunting trips,its tough and always warm(no cold spots), and the trick is to carefully and forcefully roll&cinch it up in a military way tight for packing. Might be "old" technology,but the price is right, and the military might be wasteful, but it historically never has cut corners when developing proper equipment for a particular situation like sub zero combat.
enjoy the trip

[MarbleEye's]

Have you had any experience with the campmor gear? it seems they have a very nice down sleeping back that would fit my needs, thats discounted $80 because the wind colar is 6" below its normal position. Would that be a huge drawback or livable with?
Also looking at a sleeping pad whats the best option? A self inflating with or without open/closed cell foam? Or is there a better option out there?
Thank you once again, MarbleEye's

[Gunga Din]

There are advantages of both down and synthetic, and there are varying degrees of efficiency of both. Down is the warmest, lightest, and most compressible. But it is a poor insulator when wet. So if you're going to be camping in a wet, or even damp or humid environment, I'd steer clear of it unless weight and compressibility are very important. Down is also higher maintenance, requires annual washings, and should be aired out daily if possible.

That said, I prefer down. But I live out west where it is dry. I also climb big mountains and sleep in my bag weeks on end where the only heat is what my body generates. I prefer a 700+ down fill name brand bag (Feathered Friends [the best hands down], Marmot, Mountain Hardwear) with a Dri-clime shell. The shell is the material used in the bag's construction--not some bag cover or bivy bag add-on. The advantage of Dri-clime is that it is much more gas-permeable than Gore-Tex and breathes exceptionally well, but is only water resistant. It will protect you if you spill your tea on your bag, but you won't want to sleep in puddled water.

The warmest bag won't keep you warm without good insulation from the ground. So underneath add a closed-cell foam pad for insulation, like a Ridgerest. On top of that I add a self-inflating Thermarest pad, which is mostly for comfort. Which thickness of each pad you get depends on how light-weight you need to travel.

If space is a premium, get a good compression bag, like a Granite Gear. This will allow you to compress your bag to the size of a cantalope. Next, don't get one that's too warm, or you'll never be comfortable. You can always add a liner for +10 deg insulation, or throw your parka over top. Just make sure to get one that matches your requirements.

[chrism]

Good post Gunga!
I agree with matching the bag to what temp you will be sleeping at. Too many times I have seen people use too warm of a bag - they sweat, the bag fill gets wet, and then they are cold after the first night and they blame it on the bag, Not too bad if you have a synthetic bag, but it ruins the efficiency of down. Regardless, do air your bag out daily. My own feelings are to avoid the gore bags as they don`t breath as well as the nylon derivatives - but dont get them wet.
I went with down many years ago and have never looked back.

[TBO/MN]

This sounds like a pretty good deal for the money.
http://www.andysgarage.com/cgi-bin/bv.cgi/templates/AndysGarage/AGS_Product.jsp

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[RANGER]

I second, third and FORTH Gunga Din's and TBO's posts. I love my down bag and won't trade it for anything! It is a Marmot, pricey , but worth it when you need it!!! However, they are relatively high maintenance. Drying and airing them out every day, several cleanings annually (sometimes more), etc., etc.

I have another bag that I like almost as much, and as Raplaeye said - campmor.com. They have a "SlumberJack" series that are second to none for synthetic bags and resonably priced. These bags may be the ticket for you. It is worth a few keystokes to check them out.

As Gunga Din said, get something between you and the ground. Closed cell foam with a self-inflating pad on top to shield you from the uneven ground is the best way to go. Can't function during the day if you didn't sleep well the night before!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[Nick(Ia)]

Gunga Din is THE expert on these matters and we are fortunate to have him on this board. I own four bags and would join in the recommendation of a down bag. I would suggest that you check out REI stores and online. I picked up an REI down bag on sale and I really have been impressed. It has performed as well or better than my other below-Zero bag from a name brand mfg. Good luck and stay dry.

[Chad]

Dont forget to bring along and emergency space blanket just in cawe something happens. Put this right under your sleeping bag and it will help reflect back you r body heat. If you get too cold you can put it inside and be wrapped up like a ballpark hot dog. Only problem is that you may start to sweat since the fabric is like saran wrap. It doesn't absorb any moisture.

[GORD]

Whichever bag you choose, I'd suggest that you use a regular cotton or flannelette bed sheet inside it as a liner The sheet will conform to your body and fill in the cold gaps. It can be pulled up to form a hood, or scarf to keep the heat in and keep out cold drafts.

[Gunga Din]

They sell fleece bag liners, which add about +10 deg of warmth. Fleece is better than cotton, as fleece doesn't retain the moisture and it adds insulation.

[Gunga Din]

I don't mean to get too chatty on this post, but your mention of REI bags reminded me of a funny story.

We were in South America climbing Aconcagua and were camped at 20,000' on the second day of a raging blizzard. The tent was pitched in a narrow, kind of parabolic depression, and we were having a miserable night. There were three of us in the tent and the guy on the far right kept rolling down into the guy in the middle, and I was on the left crammed against the tent wall. In the middle of the night I was in a deep sleep when the guy in middle rolled hard into me and jabbed me in the ribs. I had my REI mummy bag zipped up and cinched tight so only a small opening for my nose and mouth were visible. When the guy jabbed me I jumped upright and exploded out of my bag and feathers went everywhere. There was nothing we could do, or felt like doing in the night, so I went back to sleep breathing feathers all night and coughing them out of our throats. In the morning we woke up and there were feathers in everything. We were pulling it out of our fleece, hair, whiskers, mouths, and noses for the rest of the trip. I wish I had felt like taking a picture that morning, but it wasn't funny at the time.

I taped up the big rip in the bag with duct tape and took the bag back to REI after the trip--they replaced it!

[MarbleEye's]

Well the decision has been made. I went out to REI and looked at the selection of bags, and armed with the info I was given by you great guys/gals I picked out a Kelty Clear Creek, with holofoil insulation thats good for +20. A very nice bag (in my opinion at least) and affordable (plus a lifetime workmanship guarantee). Because of the maitnance of down, and the fact that I hope most of the camping will be on trips where lakes are surounding me and I know the rain will be pouring down for some of the trip i went with a synthetic bag. An all around bag that should last me for years to come.
Thank you for all the great advice once again, that is why I love this place so much, MarbleEye's.