Sleeping bags

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BMW1987

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Looking for suggestions on light weight sleeping bags. There are so many to choose from the question is how light do you go? Sacrifice warmth for a pound or two? Buy a warmer weather bag and a emergency blanket insert to keep weight down?

Any brands or insight would be great. This will be for a fall goat hunt in the Rockies. Most definitely falling below zero and a 30km round trip.

Thanks
 
While you're shopping,check out the "high end" bags to be sure they can breathe and still hold in body heat before you plunk down big bucks. The Chinese made bags are the worst. You wake up feeling like a cold sponge. My favorite are the Trekk III made in Canada. They're around $90 and good for -10C before you need to wear thermal underwear to sleep. Canadian Tire used to sell them. I'm not sure where they're sold,now.
 
Unfortunately your not going to find a high end bag for $90 or anything at ctire.
Marmot, Big Agnes, Western Mountaineering, feathered friends, kuiu to name a few. If it's going to be wet you might want to go with treated down or a lightweight Bivy like tigoat. A good quality down bag for your hunt will probably weigh around 2-3lbs.
 
Bag is less important than getting yourself off the ground. Depending on the weather conditions of course, but off the ground is key. There are light weight solutions.
 
I got a few nice down sleeping bags. They roll up to smaller than a soccer ball and are good down to -15 for my best one. None of them were under $500. If you want to spend $90, just go to canadian tire and buy the smallest one you're able to find.

I'd also look at a good sleeping pad. I have an Exped 9 which has an R value of 6 and good down to -40 I think. Wasn't cheap though.
 
I detest mummy bags, I need room. So, I have two, one is a woods down bag, 46 X 76 IIRC. I've had it for decades. Just leave it unzipped if it's too warm.
The other is an ultra light Thinsulate, also the biggest one I could find. It's fine for summer to early fall, both were bought from S.I.R. years ago. (Store bought out by Cabellas)
 
BMW1987 said:
Looking for suggestions on light weight sleeping bags. There are so many to choose from the question is how light do you go? Sacrifice warmth for a pound or two? Buy a warmer weather bag and a emergency blanket insert to keep weight down?

Any brands or insight would be great. This will be for a fall goat hunt in the Rockies. Most definitely falling below zero and a 30km round trip.

Thanks
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If you are looking at light sleeping bags you don't have to sacrifice warmth for weight, just money, and lots of it.

Western Mountaineering makes incredible bags(with incredible price tags), as do Feathered Friends, Valandre, and some others. Montbell makes really good bags at a competitive price compared to the brands listed above.

Beware that cheaper brands almost always have very optimistic temperature ratings while the brands I listed above are typically spot on. The W.M. bag I have my eye on is about $850+ after taxes, not cheap but if you take care of them you'll likely get decades of use from it.
 
I have 4 that each compress smaller than a bottle of water. amazing tech out there. check out big Agnes. get the right version in a 4 season and you'll love it.
 
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John Y Cannuck said:
I detest mummy bags, I need room. So, I have two, one is a woods down bag, 46 X 76 IIRC. I've had it for decades. Just leave it unzipped if it's too warm.
The other is an ultra light Thinsulate, also the biggest one I could find. It's fine for summer to early fall, both were bought from S.I.R. years ago. (Store bought out by Cabellas)
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Ya , I don't like sleeping in the mummy bag either but there as warm as expensive bags their efficient and cheap $80-$200
 
I'm with Kiethjohn. Comparatively inexpensive, multi-layer, only take what you need (aka: options). Have yet to be disappointed.
 
Keithjohn said:
Army surplus mummy bag and a thrmarest
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Oh no, no, no.
Some of the cheapest made bags in existence are named, Army Surplus. Many years ago, when genuine military surplus equipment was available, a friend of mine bought an, "Army Surplus, genuine Downe filled." That's right, "down" had an "e" on the end of it that tipped me off immediately that it was fake. It was actually filled with fairly coarse feathers.
The best thing about it was when we were hunting together in cold weather he always got up in the early morning and lit a fire in the stove in the tent, because he was so cold he couldn't stay in his sleeping bag any longer!
 
I had a high end mummy feathered bag and used it once on a fly in moose hunt.
Jest 'bout froze me bawls off.
So hot I started to sweat and the sweat turned me cold.
Never again.
Good Lawrd wanted me to sleep with feathers he'dda gift me wings.
 
Thermarest and Thinsulate for me.
I sweat heavily when I sleep and found down very cold, the rest of my family love down though.
As mentioned; an insulating pad is where things are at for comfort and warmth.
 
H4831 said:
Oh no, no, no.
Some of the cheapest made bags in existence are named, Army Surplus. Many years ago, when genuine military surplus equipment was available, a friend of mine bought an, "Army Surplus, genuine Downe filled." That's right, "down" had an "e" on the end of it that tipped me off immediately that it was fake. It was actually filled with fairly coarse feathers.
The best thing about it was when we were hunting together in cold weather he always got up in the early morning and lit a fire in the stove in the tent, because he was so cold he couldn't stay in his sleeping bag any longer!
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Well, at least the feathers still weren't attached to the chicken' The real cheapies are that way. Makes for a lumpy sleep. :)
 
BMW1987 said:
Looking for suggestions on light weight sleeping bags. There are so many to choose from the question is how light do you go? Sacrifice warmth for a pound or two? Buy a warmer weather bag and a emergency blanket insert to keep weight down?

Any brands or insight would be great. This will be for a fall goat hunt in the Rockies. Most definitely falling below zero and a 30km round trip.

Thanks
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i wont downgrade the bag to save on weight. some earlier mentionned the down but if you are around wet weather: down and wet are not working well.

you have first to find the bag that will fit you, too big and it will take a will a while to warm it and too small and your sleep will be a nigthmare. then find the filling that you will need. a -10 to -15c may be your bet.

rating of bag is strange and there is no international rating so always take with a grain of salt and if you can try one colder night it may help to know your tools.
 
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