Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Sleeping bag/pad system

What pad and bag are you guys running for backcountry mountain hunting in the early-mid and mid-late seasons? I have a mountain hardware lamina -30 for late but think it’s overkill for early to mid season. Looking for an alternative and after researching, I’m more confused/undecided than I was when I started. My bag is 5.7lbs. I’d like to cut that in half-ish...

My quilt weighs about 25oz. 10F, long, wide from Underground Quilt. I would go with 0F if I was getting another one. I'm getting old enough to feel the cold more. You always want the widest they make to keep it tucked in, especially if you're a side sleeper like I am.

UNDERGROUND QUILTS

I'm a big fan the the Big Agnes bags and pads. I'm a side sleeper and a bit restless, having the bag attached to the pad helps a bunch. I'm also not skinny, so like their classic bags as it's a bit of a modified mummy shape. I use the Lost Ranger and either the uninsulated or insulated air core pads.

Early/mid-season I'm using either a Feathered Friends Flicker 30 or a 20 (with 3 oz of overfill making it closer to 10-15F)- the 30 gets used more early, the 20 more mid-season. The Flicker is part quilt, part sleeping bag- use it either way.

I used to have a pretty wide array of pads, but have settled on Thermarest's Xtherm- w/ a r value of 7 and a pretty light weight, it quickly reduced the number of other pads I owned.

Mil patrol bag, doubled if it's cold, poncho liner added if down < freezing... in a gore-Tex bivy.

Pad is a mil closed-cell foam, with a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite if the ground is hard.




GR

This system is bombproof if a bit heavy. I do the full system with both bags and the gore-Tex bivy. I cut a closed-cell pad to fit inside the bivy so I don’t slide off of it. Can put another pad outside the bivy.

UGQ 0 degree F Bandit quilt with Exped Downmat 7. If I need more I add clothing layers.

This. A quilt is a good way to achieve the OP’s goal. I have EE and UGQ down quilts, and they are both excellent. A 10F quilt with NeoAir XTherm MAX pad makes a pretty good setup for the conditions you describe.

Watch Dan Becker on YouTube

Yep.

Opted for Two patrol bags, instead of One/ea. patrol and medium.

There are more hunts and adventures in the 50's to 40's than in the 20's on down, so the flexibility pays off.

The poncho liner makes up some of the difference, and makes for a generally lighter and more compact kit.


That foam pad inside sounds like a neat trick, but generally find a spot for an improved bed, at least scalloped out, if not bough lined.

A hip-dip/rump-slump goes a long way to a good night's sleep, especially on thin foam padding.




GR