What's you hunting sleeping bag?

[mtnwrunner]

I've got a couple of decades of mountaineering and rock climbing experience on two continents and a fair amount of backcountry hunting experience and it's always been my experience that, if the down bag is rated appropriately for the conditions your in, sleeping with little on keeps u drier and more comfortable overall. This with -30F rated custom made Feathered Friends bag to 30F rated down bags of high quality. To each his own. You can lighten your overall pack weight doing what u r talking about, something very important for climbing.

Also, I'm not sold on the DWR goose down yet. Keep it dry and it shouldn't be a problem, but I saw what appeared to be Patagonia crashing and burning with their recent attempt at using it in their new 'Belay' parka, I think it was called. Reviews were horrible in terms of consistent long term lofting and the pictures of such (lights used to shine thru the jackets so u could see how the down was distributed) clearly bore that out. That nearly $700 parka is no longer on the market from what I've seen. Granted there is different technologies for that out there and those will likely improve, but I'm not sold on it yet. Just me. Regular down still works great and many agree if you start digging on reviews.

Jon, have you tried a quilt yet? They look intriguing to me but I just have not dropped the dough yet. My current bag is a valandre bloody mary and it's been working great although as I stated above, I've been thinking about a quilt. Been toying with a quilt in conjunction with a half bag which would be similar in weight to the bloody mary. I'd also use the half bag to keep warm on some of my long range hunting areas as I'm glassing. I can sit for a long time as long as I'm warm.

Randy

 

[jmden]

Jon, have you tried a quilt yet? They look intriguing to me but I just have not dropped the dough yet. My current bag is a valandre bloody mary and it's been working great although as I stated above, I've been thinking about a quilt. Been toying with a quilt in conjunction with a half bag which would be similar in weight to the bloody mary. I'd also use the half bag to keep warm on some of my long range hunting areas as I'm glassing. I can sit for a long time as long as I'm warm.

Randy

Randy,

That Valandre looks like a nice bag.

I've thought a bit about the quilt and looked at a couple of half bags here and there. Maybe I'm too 'mainline', but I still tend to think that a purpose made mummy bag is going to keep me warmer and be less drafty, but I really don't have any personal experience to back that up. I do see what you are saying for staying 'on station' for long period of time spotting for lrh.

 

[Danehunter]

JMDEN,

That's nice to know about down DWR (at least Patagucci's version). I have an Eddie Bauer 850 fill down vest with Down Tek DWR treatment and an older EB light down jacket with no DWR. I'll compare how they do as time goes by and they have repeated stuffings.

I'm returning my EB Karakoram 0 Down Tek bag because its collar is a "nipple collar" instead of a neck collar. WHY would anyone design a collar like that? Plus no drawstring, no Velcro to hold the zipper side ends together, etc, etc. The entire collar is a total screw-up.

The Western Mountaineering -10 F. bag is looking very good to me right now.

 

[Tim in Washington]

When Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering start using that new down I would have confidence in it but not until than
Tim

 

[mtnwrunner]

When Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering start using that new down I would have confidence in it but not until than
Tim

Yup, they are the best. My favorite pieces of gear are down filled. I've never worried about the treated stuff-----you just don't get them wet.

Randy

 

[WildRose]

I have a couple. I have one older -20F North Face bag and a 0-F Rated Gerry.

Have yet to find myself needing to zip either of them all the way up much less needing more.

 

[jmden]

That's one of the reasons I switched from a -30F bag to a +10F bag for my 'cold' bag. Just rarely every have to deal with even +10F temps when I'm hunting even up high in November or lower in December. Usually the extra weight and insulation just makes me work harder if packing with more bulk in the pack and too hot when sleeping.

 

[WildRose]

That's one of the reasons I switched from a -30F bag to a +10F bag for my 'cold' bag. Just rarely every have to deal with even +10F temps when I'm hunting even up high in November or lower in December. Usually the extra weight and insulation just makes me work harder if packing with more bulk in the pack and too hot when sleeping.

Yep but the most people don't realize either that a -20 rating means the bag is supposed to keep you comfortable down to such temps, only that it will keep you alive.

As a rule I figure it's best to have a bag rated for 20-30Fcolder than the temps you plan to be in if you actually want to be comfortable.

 

[Timber338]

Yep but the most people don't realize either that a -20 rating means the bag is supposed to keep you comfortable down to such temps, only that it will keep you alive.

As a rule I figure it's best to have a bag rated for 20-30Fcolder than the temps you plan to be in if you actually want to be comfortable.

I totally agree with this. And as your bag ages over time it slowly loses its ability to insulate. I have found a 0 deg bag to work well for me. I sleep a bit on the warm side the first few years and then it's about perfect for a few years and after 6-7 years it's time for a new bag.

 

[jmden]

Yep but the most people don't realize either that a -20 rating means the bag is supposed to keep you comfortable down to such temps, only that it will keep you alive.

As a rule I figure it's best to have a bag rated for 20-30Fcolder than the temps you plan to be in if you actually want to be comfortable.

Hey...if that works for you, do it! I just haven't had an issue. All of my 'good' bags are at least 800+ (most 850+) down and manufactured by very reputable companies. I store them completely uncompressed and hanging in a large cabinet I made for that purpose. They get washed and dried once a year or that really seems to help restore their loft, at least for awhile.

For me, the temp ratings have worked out pretty well so far and I don't want to carry the extra or un-needed weight and bulk of a warmer rated bag. If I recall those temp ratings are typically calculated with the idea that someone is wearing socks, long underwear tops and bottoms and a hat. And, depending on your metabolism, and what you are wearing and how well the bag fits your body...just lots of variables. Temp ratings that work from person to person may vary widely is a what I'm trying to say. Just got to find out what works for you. It's obviously pretty important to sleep comfortably night to night if you want to hunt hard day to day. I've put a great deal of effort into being comfortable in camp backpacking in varying conditions so that I can hunt hard day after day...and that, I think, is one main point of this thread.

Sleep well, guys!

 

[Danehunter]

Re: What's your hunting sleeping bag?

JMDN,

I am going the other direction in bag temperature. I bought the Eddoie Bauer 0 F. bag (sending is back for reasons stated above) but now I want at the least a -10 F. winter bag and a -20 F. bag would be even better with -30 F. being overkill.

The Western Mountaineering -10 F. bag is at the top of my list but I'm also looking at Montbell's spiral chamber "Down Hugger" -20 F. bag as a possibility.

 

[moombaskier]

Re: What's your hunting sleeping bag?

JMDN,

I am going the other direction in bag temperature. I bought the Eddoie Bauer 0 F. bag (sending is back for reasons stated above) but now I want at the least a -10 F. winter bag and a -20 F. bag would be even better with -30 F. being overkill.

The Western Mountaineering -10 F. bag is at the top of my list but I'm also looking at Montbell's spiral chamber "Down Hugger" -20 F. bag as a possibility.

The problem with some 0 F and colder bags is the hood design. When it's that cold I want just my nose exposed. I really liked my Monty UL super spiral 0 F, but the hood sucked. Stick with Western Mountaineering..... lots of room, true temp rating, and a very comfortable hood.

 

[Timber338]

If I recall those temp ratings are typically calculated with the idea that someone is wearing socks, long underwear tops and bottoms and a hat. And, depending on your metabolism, and what you are wearing and how well the bag fits your body...just lots of variables. Temp ratings that work from person to person may vary widely is a what I'm trying to say. Just got to find out what works for you. It's obviously pretty important to sleep comfortably night to night if you want to hunt hard day to day. I've put a great deal of effort into being comfortable in camp backpacking in varying conditions so that I can hunt hard day after day...and that, I think, is one main point of this thread.

Sleep well, guys!

Jmden - I think you hit the nail on the head here. In the end it's all about having a great hunt.

 

[lazylabs]

I know weight is an issue but I can not believe no one is using synthetic bags. I have not tried the new water resistant down but traditional down scares me a bit. I know my buddys in zero deg NF bags were pretty cold in 20 deg weather.