Bag hunt

[sbennett3705]

I’m looking for a new sleeping bag for 3 season use, mostly at altitude. I’m a cold sleeper, and a side sleeper, so I’m thinking a 10-20 degree bag with more generous shoulder dimensions. I filtered my search to five bags and put the specs in a spreadsheet, then heat mapped the results. Seeing the cost per oz. fill gives an interesting view of overall value. I’m favoring the FF Raven, comments welcome! Am I missing any gems? (Sorry, quilts not considered. I know, I’m not cool.)

[kpeter]

I have the Western Mountaineering Ultralite, not the Alpinlite. It is extremely well made and I love the zipper, which never snags. It is not a roomy bag, but that is the point. I no longer remember the difference between the Ultralite and the Alpinlite.

Many on this board will recommend various quilts. They almost persuaded me, but I chickened out. After two years I am thus far happy with my choice. Also, there is a board member here who can get substantial discounts on some bags. Hopefully that member will PM you to determine your interest.

This was my thread about the same question:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=20352

[sbennett3705]

Thanks kpeter. Seems the ultralite is a step up from the alpenlite. Beautiful bag, heard their zippers are bomb proof, but it’s too narrow for me unfortunately. I’m open to any discounts, prices have gone up recently….

[gary c.]

I've had a WM Alpenlite for for I think 4yrs now and love it. The zippers are incredible. But so is the rest of the bag.

[austex]

I too have a WM Ultralite; love it even when warmer, just leave it unzipped. Also a EE 20* quilt, like it very much.

[michaelzim]

Well, you can see that I went through a similar process last fall and ended up with a UGQ "bag"...The full zipper makes it pretty much the same as a sleeping bag though technically it is a quilt. You can also get them made with a 3/4 length zipper and fully enclosed footbox, so basically a sleeping bag. I just looked at the "wide" 20 degree 800 fill Outlaw price with the added $25 for the 3/4 zipper option and it pulled up at $379.95, so maybe you could check out their offerings. Price will go up with added extras of course but I'm guessing will be very competitive with what you are looking at...I have not used my new UGQ yet (I'm not a winter camper) but build quality is great.

I sleep cold too and found my 20 degree EE bag was not warm enough for 32 degrees outside even in a tent. So I got the zero degrees UGQ. I would figure looking at a minimum of 20 degree 'colder differential' on the degree rating of a bag.

Pity you did not do the bag thing in November re prices as those Black Friday sales are really big savers on high priced items like this. However, I would suggest giving a phone-call to the company you choose (if a custom company) and asking if they have discounts in play. I think UGQ gives a standard 10% off for example if you sign up for their occasional newsletter - which you can promptly "unsubscribe", though I have received nothing from it yet so you don't get much inbox stuff at all.

Best ~ Michaelzim

[paul]

Either get the FF Raven and don`t look back, or add the WM versalite to your list and decide between those two. Both superb quality.

[sbennett3705]

Agree paul, it's down to the FF Raven or WM Versalite. The Versalite wins on weight, stitching, zipper and HST popularity (way more mentions). The Raven wins on space, fill quality, shell durability, fill weight and value. I think I'll go with the Raven and live with the slight weight penalty. Thanks to all for your views, what a great site.

[CAMERONM]

Well I have owned a Versalite for years, and yes, it is a great bag, but I am sometimes cold, particularly with the shoulder-season hiking I do.
If your primary concern is warmth, not price, weight or bulk, your tables do not reveal the number one concern which is loft height. Does not matter what fill type, higher loft is warmer. My Versalite is about 3", and I think I need to go to 3 1/2"
The second big concern is bag size relative to your body. I am thin and the Versalite is too roomy for me. Extra room in a bag means more cold air you have to warm.
I have found that one can indeed adjust warmth by shaking and pushing down to the topside, and in doing so I can increase down loft height and eliminate cold spots.
I have been considering modifying my bag by narrowing it, thus reducing cold areas and jamming the down into a tighter area. I am also considering lopping off the hood and using a down balaclava instead, essentially turning it into a quilt. I am a toss and turn side sleeper, and that constant toss and turn action is easier with a balaclava. The collar on the Versalite is substantial enough.
WM bags are ubiquitous. I met a woman on the JMT who also had a WM bag, and the two bags zipped together nicely for ten days...

[freestone]

The second big concern is bag size relative to your body. I am thin and the Versalite is too roomy for me. Extra room in a bag means more cold air you have to warm.
I have found that one can indeed adjust warmth by shaking and pushing down to the topside, and in doing so I can increase down loft height and eliminate cold spots.
I have been considering modifying my bag by narrowing it, thus reducing cold areas and jamming the down into a tighter area. I am also considering lopping off the hood and using a down balaclava instead, essentially turning it into a quilt. I am a toss and turn side sleeper, and that constant toss and turn action is easier with a balaclava. The collar on the Versalite is substantial enough.

I too am a long time Versatile owner who is thin and sleeps cold and considered also removing the hood and even contacted WM to do that...they wouldn't. Rather than invest in lots of tailoring I purchased a good pair of down pants and down sweater to wear inside the bag since the bag volume is generous enough to wear the down without it getting compressed. Works great for quilts too. The added benefit is better comfort after the sun goes down in camp and getting out of the bag on cold mornings.
The way I interpret bag ratings for comfort is to add 20 degrees to it. Just because they say 10 degrees doesn't mean you will be toasty warm at that temperature!