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Affordable cold weather sleeping bag?

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12K views 46 replies 28 participants last post by  tanderson 
#1 ·
I've been scouring the internet looking for reviews on zero degree sleeping bags. I was hoping to get one for under $200 and there are some out there. Does anybody here have any experience with budget zero degree/cold weather bags? Any recommendations or warnings? What bag would you recommend for winter boating that combines warmth with portability?
 
#11 ·
I swear by Wiggy's bags, Simply the Best! And they have a lifetime guarantee in my opinion there is no bigger bang for your buck available from any manufacturer not to mention he makes extra wide bags extra-long bags, you can customize it anyway you want oh, and if you actually go to the factory in Grand Junction the discounts are unbelievably deep
 
#5 ·
OK, that was a BS response.

I have a -20 Mountain Hardware synthetic and a 5 degree Western Mtn rectangular down for winter boating.

Please elaborate. Where are you boating and for how long do you plan to be on the river? It makes a difference which I would take.
 
#8 ·
First, for safety's sake look for a Synthetic Bag. It will keep you alive even when wet whereas down will not.


Second of all, don't trust any manufacturers published degree ratings. Look at the fill weight, size and shape to compare. Most Polyester based synthetic insulations used in all but the cheapest bags are plus or minus less than 10% or so of each other by weight of the insulation itself. Some manufacturers obfuscate it with their own names for common insulations.



Then look at shape. Tight Mummy bags are a little less and pack a little tighter. They are better in the 30 Deg. range. Modified Mummy bags have a slightly bigger toe box for comfort and to have more room to stow water bottles to keep them from freezing and some clothes to get into before getting out of the bag.


A Zero degree bag should have a hood which cinches down and draft flaps that cover the inside of the zipper. That will rule out a lot of cheap bags.



So, on Denver Craigslist right now is a North Face -20 Deg. Tundra for $ 180. It is size tall, uses Primaloft insulation, has a Hood, Collar that cinches down, Draft tubes on the zipper, a little larger foot box, is about 4# and packs to 10" X 19" for example. ( No affiliation )


Going for the -20 vs. Zero to account for the lying, the Tall vs. the Regular for the foot storage area and Primaloft for the compressablilty and being one of the highest quality insulations now.


If I had to sleep by a river in real 0 degree weather and had 2 - $100 bills to spend I would look for something like that.
 
#9 ·
couple of thoughts,

1) you do get what you pay for with sleeping bags, and having a proper pad to separate you from the ground is a big deal too. You can do things to "cheat" the range a bit, Like using a bivy sack too, but then you start having to deal with moisture build up.

2) if you have an REI near you, and you are a member, and you are willing to wait for a garage sale AND you are willing to be in the front 20 folks in line, you can usually score a pretty good deal on bags... up to 50-65% off, but final sale. you can see why it was returned, (usually hysterical... backpack was too heavy...) and decide if you are willing to drop the hammer. I have always had good luck there

3) Not sure if you have sierra stores near you, but they have crazy cold weather bag deals too, but not sure my level of faith in them. I think you are better off finding a used/deal/garage sale bag name brand, and go with that. It really does suck being cold at night.
 
#10 ·
As said before, you get what you pay for and the best product depends on your intended use....

For backpacking and self-support kayak trips I use the REI Magma 10 degree with water resistant goose down and a 3.5" insulated Exped synmat.

For car camping and raft support I prefer a 0 degree Slumberjack Downwind synthetic with a Paco Pad.
 
#12 ·
x3 - buy used if you're on a tight budget instead of new/cheap.


Agree with synthetic for river use.



Moisture is nearly as much a factor for cold weather sleeping as cold. First night is never too bad. Subsequent nights are what separate good skills and gear from bad.


Paco pads get stiffer when it's cold out, but they're still thick and separate you from the ground.



Also consider hot tents.
 
#13 ·
wiggys,com

He has a lot of sales

Made in America Grand Junction CO to be exact

I have several of his bags and super happy with all of them

The bags do not compress like the down ones do but pack down close
but
you do not get the cold spots like down bags do, you can toss the wiggys bag into the washer, Wiggys bags excel in damp situations. wiggys last decades

I have a bunch of down bags and wiggys bags. the go to bag for river trips is one of the wiggys models.
 
#15 ·
Couple things to keep in mind when buying a sleeping bag.
All of the bigger name brands all follow the same testing guidelines for their temp ratings.
TNF, Big Agnes, Marmot, Kelty etc. they follow ISO testing guidelines to ensure that the way they come to their temperature ratings are the same every time.

Your less expensive brands do not follow those same guidelines, ALPS, Coleman, Ozark Trails etc. The one caveat is companies like Slumberjack who do not ISO test their bags but are part of larger companies that have brands that do test and share best practices to ensure enough fill is used.

So when people say you get what you pay for is true in that regards because the companies not following the standardized testing can fudge their tests and state pretty much whatever temp rating they want.

Within the rating system there are 3 different ratings, Extreme, Limit and Comfort.
To overly simplify this, if you see your bag rating to 0 at extreme it means you will survive, but that's about it.
Comfort is the warmest rating, generally used in women's bags as women sleep 10-15 degress colder than men and limit rating is basically for men that sleep average.

If you are looking for the warmest bag, look for comfort ratings.

Whether to buy used or not is up to you and your budget but keep in mind that improper care and storage can kill your bags insulation and even though it might be rated at 0 comfort you might not get that, so ask how the bag was stored and washed.

Keeping it in a compression sack all the time will eventually crush your fill and the bag will not loft up to its fullest therefore will not provide all of its warmth.

Someone else nailed it with the pad is just as or more important for cold weather, use a good pad that will insulate you from the ground. When you lay in a bag you compress the fill and receive basically zero R-value from the bag, it is all coming from the pad.

Regarding getting moisture in your bag, and using only synthetic for rivers can get complicated.

First use a good dry bag, that will eliminate everyone's fear of getting a wet bag from your boat. The reality is if you have a soaking wet bag, that is going to suck and you are going to be miserable no matter down or synthetic.

So again use a good dry bag or even get a compression dry bag to store your bag inside of your big bag, giving you double protection.

good luck on your quest.

Or you can just get a tent and put a woodstove in it and sleep in a sheet.
 
#16 ·
Some good advice showing up here (make sure your pad is min r-6.5). I'll add three things based on my cold weather camping experience. One, always have a clean, dry pair of long john's and socks for sleeping in only, to put on at night (I pack them with my sleeping bag). Two, pack some 18 hour hand warmers and toss one in the bottom of your bag every night when needed (they can be a life saver from hypothermia). Three, before going on your trip I recommend spending a cold night sleeping out to test your level of comfort/safety with the gear you picked.
 
#17 ·
My experience with sleeping bag ratings for warmth is none of them work or at least for my comfort range.

Just too many variables. In a tent or outside, on the ground or on a cot, what kind of pad are you sleeping on, as Bighorn stated - are you sleeping in dry fleece and heavy sox, do you have a heat pad, is your bag damp or dry, is it fluffed up, did you eat a snicker bar before going to bed. the list goes on and on.

I have one of the wiggys over bag rated to 40 degrees. Which is about right for me on almost all my river trips up and down the rockies. Add in a good pad, dry fleece top and bottom, fleece hat, wool sox and that bag has went down to below freezing with me comfy. Wiggy does have the system that is buy the overbag then buy one of the 0 rated bags. Both combine takes me way down in temps where I do not want to get up till sun heats the area.

Bottom line is the manufacturer's comfort rating is a best guess on their part, most likely your experience will vary usually resulting in a cold night sleeping for you. I have been sleeping outside for many decades. Never found a zero rated bag that kept me warm and happy below freezing. I can get by pretty good down to freezing in most any bag but when it gets below 15 degrees, I need all the insulation I can get.
 
#18 ·
I'll preface this by saying that I have literally lived in a sleeping bag in both the high rockies of CO (a full winter above 10,000') and two years in MT while building my cabin, not withstanding all of the various adventures over the years.

Fuel yourself
Use a liner in your bag. Silk works well. If you have the room, a thin layer OVER the bag is nice.
Wear a hat
Wear some fuzzy loose fitting DRY socks
Find the happy balance between staying hydrated but not so hydrated you are laying there fighting the urge to go relive yourself because it is cold outside of your bag.
Have a comfortable pad. You can sleep ok when cold so long as you aren't tossing and turning because something went tingly.
Every bag is a compromise. Make your compromises and live with it.
Be efficient in getting out of your bag and getting moving in the morning.
Once you have gotten to a certain level of gear and layering, it's more mental than anything.
I've felt colder at +20 than at -20 due to various combinations of all of these factors.
 
#25 ·
Find the happy balance between staying hydrated but not so hydrated you are laying there fighting the urge to go relive yourself because it is cold outside of your bag.
A pee bottle goes a long way toward getting a good night's sleep. Just make sure you can't mistake it for one of your regular water bottles. ;-)

-AH
 
#26 ·
I live near them. I've purchased two bags. I didn't care for either of them. Nowhere near intended temp range. Plus they are *enormous* when packed. More than double (not exaggerating) the size of a similar (actual temp) down bag.

When I tried, politely, to inform them of my dissatisfaction, and to return the bags, I was threatened, verbally assaulted, and ultimately shouted out of the place by Jerry, the owner.

I wouldn't wish the bags on anyone. I wouldn't wish the owner on an enemy.

I'd shop craigslist and find something good/used.
 
#21 ·
As an aside on Wiggy's....

Many years ago I had an instructor for my college's outdoor program who swore by Wiggy's. He said that they were the exclusive provider of sleeping bags for the military special forces. That may or may not still be true but he was definitely a fan. He basically said he wouldn't even bother buying anything else.

I've never slept in one myself.

My current quiver includes a 20 deg Rab ultralight. A 20 deg Big Agnes lost ranger with the pocket for a Q-core pad (losing faith in the BA pads... Different topic), and a 20+ yr old 20 deg North Face Blue Kazoo. Used to roll a cheap Peak 1 synthetic -5 but that thing filled a backpack all by itself. It went to car camping, then the zipper blew, then I dumped it.

Any of my 20's work for anything I'm ever going to be doing on a river trip, or any trip for that matter. I'm past the point where I will be doing anything that requires a warmer bag. I'm good with a 20 and a silk liner with normal cold weather gear right down into the single digits. Not comfortable in the single digits, but fine. For the few days a year I'm out when it is that cold it's not worth buying another bag. No synthetics for me, treated down and a good dry bag do the trick. I got a 30 deg synthetic BA for one of my kids and that thing takes up twice as much space as down.

My wife got a feathered friends bag this year, and it is amazing. If I do get another bag I'll save my money for one of those. Spendy, but it's on another level entirely.
 
#22 ·
For me I have used down sleeping bags 90% of the time, they are light and warm. Just my sleeping preference. I don't know what treated down is, during winter x-country overnights I used two down bags where one slips into the other, a pad or two is a must. My down bags did lose there warming properties after awhile though, down gets weaker and losses it's loft over repeated compression's, I guess. Don't let them get wet or you will be looking for a bed partner with a dry bag or a few warm rocks to sleep with. Your looking at more than a couple hundred though, for a decent mature goose down bag, nothing wrong with the new synthetic bags, they work great too.
 
#23 ·
Coated down is referring to what all of the companies are doing to down now.
They are coating each individual plume on the molecular level with a polymer that makes the down water resistant. If you swim your bag it is going to still get wet, but for normal use it is much better.

You lose loft i.e thermal qualities from your bag when you sweat during the night. Everyone is different but you can put 1 cup to 1 liter of moisture into your bag each night sleeping.

Over multiple nights without allowing your bag to fully dry during the day you are losing loft and therefore your bag is getting colder.

Dri Down, Down Defender or whatever the brand is calling it will push that moisture out of your bag and not allow the down to absorb it.
 
#24 ·
i have lost faith in Big Agnes...it was hip cause they were close in Steamboat. Their gear just isnt that good. I only post this cause i just got off the San Juan and MTLaz mentioned they didnt like their pads. I've owned (2) down bags and their Big House 6 (which folds like a cheap suit with any wind. 2X pole replacements, and all my poles look like serpentine snakes.)


I know its not completely sceintific but their 20 degree rating would be a 50 degree for Mtn Hardwear or Sierra. We own BA, North Face, Marmot ,Sierra and Hardwear bags (all Down)....and the other (4) are made 2 times nicer and what appears to be twice the fill (all 650).



I sleep in the BA and 50% of my back is on just 2 sheets of taffeta nylon with no down, you can see right thru it.
 
#28 ·
We have 20 years in Wiggy's bags and would buy more any day. If your looking for ultralight backpacking they are not.

If you want bomb proof at a great price point they are!!!

We use their square bags and zip together as a double. Our standard is to use one 40 deg and one 20 deg. Then you can choose which bag goes on top depending on the nights temps.

We also have the 0 deg but two of them are bigger than a Colorado watershed and not needed unless it's -20 or less.
 
#29 ·
Down vs. synthetic (jackets too)...have both, use for different trips

A pee bucket is wonderful to have at night, when it's snowing and blowing

Warm hat and neck gator (keep those carotid arteries covered!)

Wiggy's prices seem a bit high; everyone has their favorite go to sites
 
#30 ·
It would be nice if the OP would come back and clarify what he wants to use the bag for. I feel it's necessary to point out he posted this thread to "kayaking gear".... makes me think he needs something light weight and that packs small.

Hence why I recommended first and foremost the REI Magma 10 degree with the hydrophobic down. I have found it to be comfortable down to 20 degrees without having to wear multiple layers inside it, plus it has 500 grams of 850 fill power goose down that only weighs 1 lb. 14 oz's. and packs down to the size of a large water bottle with the Sea to Summit water proof compression sack. Closer to $300 than $200, but worth it.
 
#37 ·
Imyers is absolutely right. More info from OP required.

As Imeyers says, no way I could fit my synthetic winter bag in my Katana 10.4 and have room for much else. So if the OP is winter kayak self supporting he'd most likely need to buy a down bag and a down pad.Does he plan to self support on the Grand where he can dry his bag thoroughly most mornings or the Illinois where it might rain every day and never see the sun. Will he have a bivy sack or a solo tent? Etc, etc. As wet as river banks are in winter I suggest both water repellent down and shell but that is likely way out of target price range.

Imyers recommendation on the REI Magma looks excellent. Unfortunately tight mummy bags feel claustrophobic to me.
 
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