September sleeping bag

[Cashris]

Hi all,

I'll be in the frank church at the start of September for a weeks hunting and i need a new sleeping bag.

Will be flying from Australia so size and weight is a major factor for me and i also have no idea how cold it is going to get at night.

Can anyone suggest a temp rating to go for and even a couple of brands to look?

I'm 6 foot 1 and fairly thin if that makes a difference?

 

[MT_Chad]

I would get a 0 or 15 Fahrenheit bag at the least. Get a tall for a little room. If you are thin there are lots of choices. Get a down bag if size and weight are a concern. I just got a new bag for the backcountry this year, it was a down big Agnes lost ranger, but I have a 54" chest so I had a he'll of a time finding a bag that fit me. What is your price range? Decent down bags start around 150 on sale and go up to 500+.

 

[belly-deep]

In the beginning of September you shouldn’t need more than a 20-25 degree bag. Fahrenheit, that is.

If it gets colder, you can always wear some clothes inside the bag. I’d get a down bag unless you know there is no way to keep it dry.

I like REI bags. They a pretty good for the price. There aren’t many secrets in bag technology. So mainly you are buying design and build quality. Kuiu’s bag design is my favorite, but they cost more. Marmot is another good one.

 

[Cashris]

No real price limits for the bag, buy once cry once sorta thing.

 

[Cashris]

I think your right about the down, i'll check out those brands as well thanks!

 

[Brian in Montana]

I have a couple of REI bags that have been great. A 0 degree and a -20. I've moved 2x in the past year and now I can't seem to find the -20. Not happy about that. But anyway, my 0 bag 8s what I usually take for a September hunt. Its usually not that cold, of course, but it does get down there sometimes. Better safe than sorry.

 

[MThuntr]

I use the Marmot 15 degree down bag for practically everything...I sleep under it when it's warm outside Get a long bag regardless of brand choice. Big agnes bags are often designed to have your air mattress in the bag with you so there is less insulation on that one side to save weight. Personally my next purchase will be a high fill power quilt made by Enlightened Equipment.

 

[NYSKIER]

I use an REI 20F bag and it seems to do the trick I got it one sale in the late spring. Check out REI's sight they should be having post Christmas sales

 

[Southern Elk]

I would go with a 0 degree bag. I've come to the conclusion that the rating is not for comfort, but for survival. I've never been comfortable while sleeping in a bag near the minimum rating. I always go with a colder rating than I expect to see.

 

[NoWiser]

I have a Marmot Helium (15* bag) and love it. I've taken it below 15 degrees with no base layers and was very comfortable. I've taken it down to -10 with a Kifaru Woobie lining it. The bag itself is actually too warm for me if it gets much above 20 degrees. I've never heard a bad thing about the Western Mountaineering Badger (also a 15) and, if I'd had some extra dough at the time, would have bought that instead of the Marmot.

If you are in the "buy once, cry once" mentality, I don't think you can go wrong with Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends bags.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I have a Marmot Helium (15* bag) and love it. I've taken it below 15 degrees with no base layers and was very comfortable. I've taken it down to -10 with a Kifaru Woobie lining it. The bag itself is actually too warm for me if it gets much above 20 degrees. I've never heard a bad thing about the Western Mountaineering Badger (also a 15) and, if I'd had some extra dough at the time, would have bought that instead of the Marmot.

If you are in the "buy once, cry once" mentality, I don't think you can go wrong with Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends bags.

Yep.

I too have the Marmot Helium 15 and love it but would have probably gone western mountaineering if I had the coin at the time.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

If money is no object: Valandre, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends. They're all excellent, just different cuts, finishes, and fabrics. PHD down if you want to go custom and spend $1K.

I'd use a Helium or MH Phantom any day though, solid bags.

 

[belly-deep]

I use the Marmot 15 degree down bag for practically everything...I sleep under it when it's warm outside Get a long bag regardless of brand choice. Big agnes bags are often designed to have your air mattress in the bag with you so there is less insulation on that one side to save weight. Personally my next purchase will be a high fill power quilt made by Enlightened Equipment.

One of my buddies and my girlfriend both have BA bags with no insulation on the bottom. Both complain about them being cold, but in all fairness, they both seem to complain about being cold often.

I haven't tried a BA bag, but until I hear from a trusted source who has slept though some cold weather with one, I wouldn't recommend.

 

[MT_Chad]

My big Agnes has been alright so far, haven't got out in real cold yet, but I got the foam self inflating pad for mine instead of the air mattress since it doesn't have insulation in the bottom. You have to be careful about the pad you select with the BA pads obviously. I probably would have gotten a conventional bag, but I literally couldn't find one under 500 that would fit me right. With two kids in daycare and a mortgage that wasn't going to happen...

 

[yacantski]

I have used a Big Agnes system since they came out and am a big believer, never had a problem being cold but I'm not a cold sleeper so probably doesn't count. My favorite is the lost ranger, it has lots
of room to move around and I sometimes stuff some clothes in there so they're warm when I wake up.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

I have to echo what others said that the REI 20 degree bags are a steal if you can find them at the right time. If you become an REI member for $20 (lifetime) things get even better. 20% off multiple times a year usually.

 

[brymoore]

I love my Western Mountaineering Versalite bag. I’d plan for temps as low as 25ish at night. I hunted the Frank Church in late September last year. The coldest we saw was 25 one morning.

Enjoy your hunt!

 

[jnagel32]

I have a Big Agnes Blackburn UL 0 degree down. I used it this year on our October Wyoming mule deer hunt up in the mountains and it got down to about 12 degrees at night a few times. I wasn't cold at all and was really comfortable. They are more of a semi-rectangular mummy bag, which give you more room to move around within the bag. I have a Kelty Lighyear down 20 degree bag and I feel so constricted in it. The BA is way more comfortable to sleep in. I also love how it has the sleeping pad sleeve built in. This keeps you from sliding off of your pad in the middle of the night. I used a Klymit Insulated Static V Lite pad with it and it worked great.

As far as others saying they don't have much insulation in the bottom of the bag, that is because in down bags the down in the bottom of the bag compresses and loses it's loft, which is how down insulates so well. Most down bags I've used or seen don't have much insulation in the bottom and are designed to be used with a sleeping pad for that very reason. I'd never use a sleeping bag without a pad to begin with.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

Agreed. A sleeping pad is probably more important in keeping you warm when it's cold than anything else. Even if you have a synthetic bag.

 

[Cashris]

Thanks guys, youve given me way more info than i was expecting. I've got some where to start now, will keep you guys posted.