The Clever Backpacker

alright cool ill have to check that site out. I am pretty new to the whole backpacking thing and just bought a 65 liter pack and have been looking for a light sleeping bag that packs small that doesnt cost 400 dollars, does anyone have any suggestions?

The first thing that you need to descide is the temperature range and then go from there.
The second thing that I would consider is if it is likely to get wet. That will help you choose the fill material.
There are a lot of gearologists on here that I am sure will chime in and help you out.

Good Luck

30 degree would be perfect, and i am not to concerned about getting it wet with a good shelter. what do you use?

This is what I use. I like it very much. The only issue that i have is that it is a little narrow in the shoulders but then I am a big fella.

As far as sleeping bags there are many varied trains of thought. What may work for me may not for you. I recomend
that you do LOTS of research. A very good place to start would be HERE. This is a very good web site for doing
research for anything that you might be considering purchasing. That being said this is what I use:

For down to aprox. 32 degrees I use THIS

For anything lower in temp I use THIS

The Big Ages bags might or might be what you could use. Remember that the bag is only PART of you sleep
system. You will need a good insulating pad also.

The Campmor bag is probably over kill in most situations and is a little heavy but the price was right at the time.
By the way the Big Agnes bag was bought at a good discount at the time just shop around.

By the way I am a believer in down sleeping bags. I have never had a problem staying dry.

Bags is like women.. one particular one may not be best for you. But will take years of trial and error. I personally steer people tword the Mont Bell... Especially if your a large. As for temp ratings, take them with a grain of salt. Usually I tell people to take 10 to 15 degrees off what they rate them down too but this will depend on if your a warm or cold sleeper. Also if you can get a good hot meal down just before bed helps this as well.

Alright thanks guys for all the info, i have been researching on the internet for some time and i am starting to get the feel for all the equipment im going to have to aquire before going off the grid for a few days. That sleeping bag that you have Ed looks like it might be a winner affordable and appears to be pretty lightwieght.

I agree that there is "no" perfect bag for everybody.

I have a 3#, synthetic fill, NorthFace Thunderhead (long) that has worked flawlessly for me down to about 16 degrees.

I have a heavier bag that is good to about -10 but it is a monster to carry (about 7#). One of these days, I will come off some money and get me a Western Mountaineering sub zero bag.

casimir1011 wrote:Alright thanks guys for all the info, i have been researching on the internet for some time and i am starting to get the feel for all the equipment im going to have to aquire before going off the grid for a few days. That sleeping bag that you have Ed looks like it might be a winner affordable and appears to be pretty lightwieght.

You defintely do not have to have it all today. As with sleeping bags the distinction between luxury and necessaty varies from person to person.

I would like to point out that for winter camping in Arkansas I wouldn't even consider a bag rated less that 20 degrees.
Sat morning we got down to 14 degrees here. I have seen it down to zero. And I would purchase a down bag.

Down is great but the reason that I did not opt for down is because

A:you can not get a down bag wet
B: you can not leave a down bag packed tightly for ling periods of time.

Both situations will cause the down to loose it's loft and therefore cause it to loose it's insulating ability. I also understand that thorough cleaning of a down bag is almost impossible.

I think that a newbie should have this information when considering a purchase.

Uh Ed... about a few points there.

A: A down bag can get no more wet than a syn. Neither will be insulated in the field
B: Even Syn bags will loose loft when packed tight in for long periods

Down bags CAN and SHOULD be cleaned. Just use the special wash stuff you can buy. A simple Tennis Ball will bring back the loft in Down in the Dryer.
Most Down Bags use a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) material in their construction. If not, don't buy it. Be informed.
The cheapest Down Bags will outlast the best Syn bags by years if not Decades.
Now having said all this, there are times I will choose syn bags over Down. Summer Bags is one such occasion. I have 4 bags that I use. Each is for different Temp and time of year. I would not consider ANY other way. There is no way I would use a sub 0 bag in the summer or even spring or fall for that matter. Just as I would not use a 50 degree syn bag in Dec through March. Maybe I am wrong but I have yet to spend a single cold night in the woods in well over 35 years of using this system. You just have to be prepared for the conditions your in.

Sorry.. after rereading my last post.. I did not mean to say that you need 4 bags. Only that my point is I have never seen any ONE bag do it all. Depends on When Where and How you are camping... Car camping would be different than in the backwoods.

I like TM in all of my years of backpacking have never gotten a down bag wet. I have cleaned my bags on occasion and didn't have any problems doing it. That was back in the day when you didn't have anything special to wash them with, I just used Woolite and didn't have any problems. Now I would get something for down.

I have been in some very wet situations, just check my webshots page, and never got my bag wet. I know for a fact that a down bag is a investment that will pay off over time. Synthetic bags will naturally lose there loft over time, compressed or not. I store my bags in the large cotton bags that they came in. I never put them in a stuff sack till I am packing for a trip. I have two bags at the moment. The zero degree Campmor for extreme situations and the Bag Agnes Horse Thief bag for up to about 32 degrees.

If I ever get another bag I am seriously thinking going with not a bag at all but going with a quilt. I am having
the zipper mod done to our Hennessey Hammocks, we are having the mod #2, which will enable an easier entry in the winter time. Also we are now going to be using a SPE, segmented pad extender
which will enable a better way to insulate my hammock, even though I will eventually go with a underquilt and maybe a quilt inside of my hammock.

I agree that you have to buy a bag for a certain use.

I do alot of camping way up river in the middle of the wilderness all out of a boat. One night the river came up during the night faster than we anticipated and we woke up with water in the tent. My friend had kicked part of his down bag in the floor (sleeping on a cot) during the night while he was asleep. It got soaked and that bag was never the same again. I don't know what brand it was but I know it was purchased at REI and it was not cheap. Could never get the river water smell out of it either.

If your friend bought the bag at REI with there return policy he could have returned it!
Even though some don't agree with the policy that is the case.... I agree camping out
of a boat, were weight a lot of times isn't a issue synthetics would probably be better.
But if I am carrying my bed on my back I will try to get it as light as possible!!

I have had a down bag soaked and it was worthless while wet.

It dried out in time and continued in being useful. However, in the field, I have found synthetic to be a lot easier and quicker to dry.

But, having said that, I concede the shell material has improved to the point where you almost have to work on getting a bag wet anymore.

Amanda and I use 1.1oz DWR (durable water repellant) ripstop nylon for all our bags. The stuff is so good, that I have made some Summer tarps out of the stuff. It will keep you dry as long as you are not in a down pour, and if it works well as a light tarp, I know that it works well for bags.

Personally, I want a down quilt set, but Amanda will not make them for me until my synthetic bags have served there purpose. My 5oz. Climashield XP under/top quilts for my hammock weigh in at a little over 2lbs. for the set, and they keep me warm to a little below 20*. So I see no immediate need to have her make me new quilts just for a few less ounces, though they would be nicer for the better temp range. Nothing insulates pound for pound like down does, and if you are worried about getting your down wet, keep it in silnylon stuff sacks, and use a hammock so that you are off the ground

Yea i think i made up my mind will mostly likely go with this marmot atom, I have thought about getting a hammock setup but i cannot sleep on my back to save the life of me and worry about the bannana shape, so im thinking about just getting a solo ultralight tent instead.

Uh oh casimir you opened up a can of worms on this one.. I to do not like sleeping in a banana shape or on my back. At least not for long. Thats why I sleep on my side in my standard whipped end hammock. You may want to try it with someone that knows the ins and outs before you knock it. BUT having said that I can tell you I find nothing better at the end of a 14 mile day than to lie back in your hammock with your feet higher than your head and let the sleep overcome you. But at the same time I understand that hammocks are not for everyone, but the ground hurts to much. hahaha

To throw in another idea that has been mentioned, I use a GoLite Ultra20 quilt. It's down, and it's much lighter than carrying a full sleeping bag.

The caveat is that I use a hammock. This quilt was designed for use on the ground, however, so it may be something else to look into if you're serious about weight savings.

Thats what I like about my Preacha's Wifes Under and Top Quilt... they can be used just as well on the ground

Trail Monkey wrote:Uh oh casimir you opened up a can of worms on this one.. I to do not like sleeping in a banana shape or on my back. At least not for long. Thats why I sleep on my side in my standard whipped end hammock. You may want to try it with someone that knows the ins and outs before you knock it. BUT having said that I can tell you I find nothing better at the end of a 14 mile day than to lie back in your hammock with your feet higher than your head and let the sleep overcome you. But at the same time I understand that hammocks are not for everyone, but the ground hurts to much. hahaha

Man, you tree swingers sure are sensative about your hammocks so I figure that there must be something to it. It is something that I will have to try out before I buy one.

And yes Tom I know that you have offered to let me try yours many times. I am going to take you up on that one day.

ED wrote:

Trail Monkey wrote:Uh oh casimir you opened up a can of worms on this one.. I to do not like sleeping in a banana shape or on my back. At least not for long. Thats why I sleep on my side in my standard whipped end hammock. You may want to try it with someone that knows the ins and outs before you knock it. BUT having said that I can tell you I find nothing better at the end of a 14 mile day than to lie back in your hammock with your feet higher than your head and let the sleep overcome you. But at the same time I understand that hammocks are not for everyone, but the ground hurts to much. hahaha

Man, you tree swingers sure are sensative about your hammocks so I figure that there must be something to it. It is something that I will have to try out before I buy one.

And yes Tom I know that you have offered to let me try yours many times. I am going to take you up on that one day.

Not Sensitive.. just picky.. I don't plan on sleeping on the cold hard ground again unless its from a course of a accident.