Im looking at purchasing a new bag as a lighter weight option. Right now i have a military sleep system with the light bag and medium bag. You combined them to a heavy bag and then I have the bivy.

Not a bad set up..... But it is heavy and bulky. Two things that dont go well with back packing...

I have seen the Western Mountaineering Bags and really liked the antelope. But its out of my price range right now. I almost picked one up at a local public auction. But it only takes on person to know what something is. A room full of 500 people and i would have had it at $50 bucks if he wasn't there. That would have been a deal.

Anyways, does any one have any dealing with a Marmot Helium EQ. Found a good deal on one and might squeeze the trigger.

Also, any other recommendations?

Watch the classifieds and look at Feathered Friends as well

On a beer budget I can't recommend the Kelty cosmic 20down enough. Not the smallest/lightest, but a hell of a bag for a c note.

What about the Seirra Designs Pyro 15deg Bag.

Any one have this?

Really like Big Agnes for a couple of reasons. I don't slide off the pad, I can sleep on my side and it is a little roomy. I had to go from the 15 degree bag to the zero bag to be comfortable below freezing. Plus, if needed, you can get an overbag.

Twintips,

Look at it this way... Once you've bought a WM bag, you aren't going to need another bag for pretty much the rest of your life.

Also, take a look at the Badger. With that bag an an Exped Downmat, I'm plenty warm down into the mid teens.

I've used several SD bags and they are good quality.
Watch the Clymb for good deals.

Yes it is a great bag. I can only think of one complaint with them, if your small they are a big cut bag so maybe more room then you like. If your a bigger guy like me you won't be disappointed at all with it.

My wife uses a Sierra Designs 25 deg down bag and it is a very nice bag, I like it better than my WM Summerlite. We found the bag at a Sierra Trading Post store and got a very good price on it.

The WM Antelope is the bomb and you should hold out for one if at all possible or actively search out a used one. Try posting here in the classified, and backpack hunting, try Craigslist, etc.

I have a couple SD bags , rated to 5 degrees with a WPB shell. It's a nice bag and was not pricey at STP. It is 3.5 lbs (lower quality fill) but I would not hesitate to use it near it's rated temp range. It seems to sleep a little more clammy, but that is the tradeoff. I could sleep with my feet out of a tarp or in a snow storm most likely.

Check out the Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 degree. It is an 800 fill down bag that weighs in at 2 lbs 12 oz for the long version. I've now used mine for the last 2 years on CO 2nd rifle season elk hunts camping above 10K feet and on a couple of deer hunts in OK during some fairly cold weather. I've not had a cold night's sleep yet. I do use a bivy sack with it just to keep it dry. The bag is fairly light weight, packs small, is one of my better investments.

The Phantom is a good bag but a little smaller cut then the Marmot.

I agree the phantom is to small for me. I end up loosing 10 degrees due o compression. I guess it depends on fit

Just tarped outside this past weekend and it got down to -12F degrees and I was fine in my WM Kodiak. One of the best gear purchases I have made.

Hey Ed,
I forgot to ask you what that was you had under your pad at Rondy? And does it slip around on snow?

Dan,

It is a Gossamer Gear Closed Cell Pad. I have several different thicknesses and widths of them. ProLite Gear in Bozeman has a similar pad in three thisknesses and 20" width.

http://www.prolitegear.com/site/xdpy/ssg/Sleep%20Systems/Sleeping%20Pads.html

They don't slip on the snow near as much as say the Neo Air.

Badass...

I'm convinced that when camping in snow, it's impossible to find flat ground to sleep on.

Most recently, I was too drunk and too lazy to grab a shovel and do ground work.

What was the reflective layer you had?

Just one of the bigger space blankets. I usually carry one of those in the winter because they are bigger.

Pls share more info like this.






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I also have some, bought from Pro-Lite and directly from GG, these are the "Torso Lites", I think they are called?

I use these, across the width of my "bed" as an underlay to my BAIAC or my Esped Dam9 and they are really worth having. I have found over many years of use of the finest bags one can buy that it is absolutely CRUCIAL to do two major things to enjoy a good "bed" in the bush.

One is to make certain that NO damp or drafts can get to your sleeping arrangement and this is where a good bivy can be worth it's weight in diamonds. The second is to have enough insulation/padding UNDER you and of a type that does NOT move around.

I have come to prefer heavier and warmer underlay and lighter bags for my use and the GG pads REALLY do work in this regard.

I got a good deal on a WM Antelope for my wife and I a couple years ago from Eastern Mountain Sports. That's still the only place I've seen them on sale.

It's a great bag, and worlds above the MH 20 degree bag I had.

I got one of Kevin T's Draft Dodger quilts made by Enlightened Equipment last week and have one night under it so far. I'm gonna love that for warmer weather.

I ended up getting a revalation quilt. Havn't had a night under it but its coming up!!!

I can suggest not purchasing the Cat's Meow from NorthFace. On at least three occassions the bag has left me cold and shivering. The bag is rated 20f and each time the temps were above the rating by 10 degrees easily.

Either you sleep very cold, or you left the bag stuffed in a stuff sack for a prolonged period and destroyed your bags' loft. If that is the case, you deserve to freeze.

That or they just don't make 'em like they used to. The NF Cat's Meow was the first (and one of the few) to have actually been tested and certified on the Hatick Lab's "brass man".

I have a NF Snowshoe 0 and Cats Meow 20 and love them both. 20 bag for Sept and 0 for October.

I don't expect to ever get in a "real" mummy bag again. After using a Western Mountaineering semi-rectangular (got 3 now) I'm pretty much done with being burrito filler.

My only two remaining "mummy" bags are pretty spacious. Even at that I often sleep with them unzipped more as a quilt than a bag.

I was looking for a good sleeping too when I came across this post. There seems to be a lot of good info here. If anyone has a good quality sleeping bag in good shape they would want to sell PM me. I'm not really a backpacker so lightweight is not that important. I just want a good sleeping bag for once. I'm tired of these cheapos. I would prefer a rectangle shaped one. Thanks.

Nobody has a good bag they want to get rid of? See above post.

If wieght isn't an issue..... It is hard to beat the military sleep system. Have you looked at those? I have two sets and i have used them to 0 Deg's a ton. There just bulky and heavy.

I think i seen some on ebay for around $50.

Takea look at the Wiggy's Ultra or Superlight sleeping bags, tem ratings are different for both but they are both very good bags. Not the lightest out there but the temp ratings are spot on and they are roomy.

I'll check both of those options. Thanks.

Ordered a Wiggy's last week. It's the 0 degree bag called the Hunter Superlite. Also got a pair of their pack boots for $50 bucks when I ordered a sleeping bag -- and all free shipping. Hopefully I'll like both of them.