Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Sleeping Bag ?

Seems like the thread has migrated from answering the OP's question to the eternal struggle between low cost, quality, and made in America.

For what it's worth, I bought light down bag at REI (I'll have to look up the name) on discount and then 30% off and love it. My son has an REI synthetic and loves his.

I have a Cabelas bag rated zero degrees that I bought for a Caribou hunt in Alaska 20 years ago and its still running strong. The son's REI synthetic and my Cabelas synthetic are not light, but very warm.

All that said, I buy what Ed T said to buy. That man's a gear hound and lightweight guru, and he doesn't keep what doesn't work best. At least that's my observation of him.

Casey, are you sure your buddy's Puma is synthetic? I don't think WM makes anything but down bags. They even list why they use down on their web site .

Scott

According to their website, the Puma models are filled with down.

American made is great, but if you're looking to make money you should buy what sells. WM will almost surely outsell Valandre and FF with the hunting crowd. Montbell is right up there and the best value going in my opinion. People will buy Marmot, MH, and North Face right along and they are fine. BA bags are fine but many people don't like the fact that there is no insulation on the bottom (just a pad sleave). They just have a different feel. You won't make a living on Wiggy's, but if you're shooting for that demographic it might be worth it anyway.

Funny, that........... I know a guy that makes a pretty good living selling Wiggy's gear. What kind of "demographic" are you referring too?

I have a Cabelas boundary waters 0 degree mummy bag that I have used in colorado 3rd rifle season single digits to boundary waters camping lows in the 40s, Very satisfied with it !!

A tackle shop in Georgia might not typically have a lot of customers who'd be interested in a Wiggy's bag or know what they're about. If he is adjusting his business plan to market gear to cold/wet weather backpack hunters then that is the demographic I'm referring to.

Is he selling or renting them? I thought the latter.

Kifaru bags are made in the USA.

https://kifaru.net/slickbag.html

...Sorry...my bad...Kifaru's are only available from Kifaru...

Western Mountaineering - best quality all the way. Incidently, the Puma "synthetic" is most likely referring to their shell material. WM makes down-only filled sleeping bags (plus a bunch of other stuff). I have a Puma Gore-Wind-Stopper bag - rated at -20F when i bought it and is good to -30F (experienced on a winter hike up Mt. Marcy, NY).

Feathered Friends - tend to be optimistic in their fill-weights/temps. Excellent quality-made bags though.

Integral Designs (used to be Calgary, CA), now under their "Military" offerings, make quality equipment - down sleeping bags included.

+ 1 on Western Mountaineering bags,I've got one rated at 0 deg. that is just over 30 years old and still has plenty of loft and works like new.Just got a Badger to save a little weight and I can't recommend it highly enough
Tim

I have not found that to be the case. I own both Rock Wren and the Winter Wren and sleep comfortably at ten degrees below their claimed rating.

Huh.... I must disagree with this, although slightly on the heavy side, my Wiggys bag is neither bad quality or a cold bag down to its rated temp.

Bag stuff is highly personal. For instance, my mountain hardware bag is about 10 degrees cold to me, but not because it doesn't have enough fill, but because it is to small in certain areas, thus I often use it as a quilt and am fine as long as drafts are kept to a minimum. It also depends on how you sleep as well, do you wear long johns, are you clean or sweaty, do you breath inside your bag, do you go to sleep warm or cold , way to many variables not including our own comfort levels.

I have three WM bags for backpacking and they are excellent. When I looked at other bags, in my opinion, they didn't have the same quality. Also, the reviews I read suggested others were over stating their down quality.

Scott,
I must've been tired when I answered that post....
No, WM doesn't make a synthetic Puma--I meant North Face Puma. But I also forgot NF has just recently stopped making the Puma.


Casey

I'll admit that I'm not the backpacking expert like many of the folks on here, but I've been very happy with both of my LL Bean mummy bags. The 20 degree Basecamp model has been great for hunting camp, spring/fall camping, etc. I've had it for 10 years with no issues. The Katahdin 0 degree bag is newer. It served me very well down to 5 degrees on a Colorado elk backpack hunt this fall. Quality is good. Warranty can't be beat. However, the OP wanted made in the USA and these are both made in China.

..yes, please tell us all about your use of Wiggey's products...

I bought my first Wiggy's bag in 1995...a Desert, from BQM for a month long summer varmint hunting trip from Arizona to Idaho and back again. Had never heard of Wiggy's before but was really impressed with the quality of the bag.

In 1999 I called the company to order two more bags and when the phone answered it was the OWNER of the company...not a receptionist, not an automated system, but the owner...

In addition to the two sleeping bags I also purchased one of the companies "Sweaters" which is kinda like the old Bomber Jackets. And after that a vest...

The sweater and vest get washed, not dry cleaned, but washed in the washing machine 2-4 times a year...for now 11 years. They still look and are as warm as new even though they are worn daily from fall till summer. This is the same material and insulation that the sleeping bags are made of...

The Desert Bag has been washed in the same washing machine no less than 7 times in the last 16 years. The slightly roomier Nautilus purchased in 1999 is my most used bag and has been washed no less than 10 times...it is still like new. I just spent 21 nights in that bag at deer camp in October, November and December. Soon it will be hitting the washing machine again...try that with any other bag.

Wiggy's will also do custom orders. For mountain backpacking in the spring, summer and fall I called and asked Jerry if he would make a two sided Desert Bag, one 40* side and a 20* side...he said sure...he had only done it once before. When my friends saw my bag 6 of them had me order slightly larger two sided Nautilus bags in 40/20 or 40/0 from Wiggy's. Now Wiggy's advertizes this on their website.

As I said before one of my most used Wiggy's products is their vest. It is long and covers 1/2 my butt. I wanted a liner for my leather motorcycle jacked and called to see if they would make a short one for me...Jerry said sure...and two weeks later a waist length vest arrived... think the companies who have all their stuff made in china will do that.

Are these bags as compact and light as down...nope. But I've never spent a cold night in one either..

Sorry for the long post....but people like 39 whole posts Mr. WizzBag who bad mouth a product and offer no back up piss me off....

Bob Makowski

It is not the number of post penus breath it is the amount of experence. People from NH piss me off.

Thanks for giving me the opp to up my post count to 40.