What is your sleeping bag rated ?

[Genesis]

I am in the market for a new (another) sleeping bag for all season use in TAS and I wanted to get a feel for what other people have.
As per the poll I am mainly curious about other members bags and their supposed LOW rating but if you could also make mention
the following it would be greatly appreciated:

1. State (Tas, Vic etc)
2. Shape
3. Fill (Synthetic, Down etc)
4. Brand & Model.

Any other comments relating to robustness, functionality and performance versus actual manufactures rating/claims are very welcome.

Thanks

Genesis

[Genesis]

I will kick off,

I have supposed -5 rated synthetic filled bag, it performs ok all seasons in Qld however here in tas it is a summer bag only.

1. Bought it in Qld but Now live in Tas
2. Mummy shape.
3. Some sort of Du-Pont Synthetic.
4. Westrooper Ranger ultra-lite.

This bag light (900g) ,compact and is well suited to Queensland not TAS, I took it to WOJ in March and had extremly good weather and I felt the cold early morning. I am also quite broad in the shoulders and this bag is restrictive on the upper body which is annoying sometimes hinders my sleep. Any of you out there are also broad in the shoulders what bag are you using ? I am looking for one that is generous in the upper body area.

Genesis

[Macca81]

Mine is supposedly rated to 0*C however i have had it below that (unsure what temp, but it snowed and the water in my water bladder froze...)

1. Tas
2. Quilt with sewn in footbox
3. Down
4. Nunatak Arc Specialist, with factory customisation

Weighs 800g with silk liner and S2S drysack, so i estimate 650-700g alone. I have never had a cold night in it and find it wide enough to not fall off me even with my often violent tossing around during sleep. I have 2" rather than 1.75" baffle height, and some extra fill to accommodate, as well as totally removable straps. The quality of the manufacturing is top notch!
http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/arc_products/arc_specialist.htm

[Tony]

I have a few sleeping bags but the ones I use are both rated around 0C

1.ACT/NSW mostly walk in high country.

2.sleeping bag and quilt

3.down and synthetic

4.Western Mountaineering Summerlite sleeping bag, 525g, BPL 180 synthetic quilt 490g. (total 1015g)

I have used both bag and quilt on their own in sub zero temps and been happy, in the snow I use both together and have been very comfortable in sub -10c temps.

Tony

[JohnM]

Depends on too many things really.

How much do you wear when you're in your bag? Some peeople like to wear nothing, others dress top to bottom.

Do you use an inner sheet?

Double wall tent, or tarp style arrangement?

What kind of mat? Say a Prolite vs an Exped Downmat makes a big difference.

And then, are you a warm or cold or 'average' sleeper.

I have 3 bags that I regularly use. An old Mont that was rated down to -10 when new. A Rab Nuetrino 400 that I think is rated to -5 or -7, and a Summerlite that's rated to 0.

For the way I set up, unless I'm in the snow, I reckon the Summerlite is hands-down the best all-round bag for Australia. Best warmth to weight and size ratio of any bag I've ever owned.

But for winter in tassie, I wouldn't use it. I'd go one of my other bags. Personally, if you take snow and a cold tassie winter out of the equation, I could easily get by with one bag for everything. Add them into the mix, and I reckon a second bag is needed to give you the flexibility you want. But that's because I hate lugging around a warm bag when I don't need it.

For one bag for everything, I think you go something rated below zero, but with as close to a full-length zip as you can find, so you can easily use it quilt-style in warmer weather.

Although tony's Summerlite + quilt setup sounds like a ripping idea. Together, they weigh no more than a good winter bag. Wonder what the bulk on the BPL quilt is like though?

[Dale]

+1 to everything John said. The Summerlite also gets my vote for most versatile bag, certainly for NSW conditions. Just don't neglect other things like quality of sleeping mat. For colder winter camping I have a Western Mountaineering Apache with microfibre shell. It is 850g and rated by WM to -10. Those two bags handle all conditions for me so far using a single wall shelter and synthetic sleeping mat. I'm planning on switching to a light down filled mat (Kookabay) which should extend the temps without a big weight penalty.

[Tony]

Although tony's Summerlite + quilt setup sounds like a ripping idea. Together, they weigh no more than a good winter bag. Wonder what the bulk on the BPL quilt is like though?

Hi John,

I also agree with what you have said about clothes, mats and tents and their effects on sleeping warmth.

I have a top quality 1050g -10c bag and it is nowhere near as warm as my two bag system, another advantage with my two bag systen is that I can regulate my warmth a bit easier, I have also tried a silk linner, I have a MacPac Snowflake down linner bag which I have used inside my -10 bag and I still do not think it is as good as my current system.

Tony

[byrnesy8]

1 - Victoria, Tasmania
2 - Mummy shaped
3 - Down
4 - 700 grams
5 the bag is quoted as going to -8 based on the European test N13537
5 Malachowski - 300 Ultralight

I have only used these bag several times. I have slept on the snow at Mount Stirling and it got down to -3.

The bag has tremendous loft and the build looks good - I guess time will tell on the quality side.

It does include a nifty temperature gunge inside the bag.

cheers

Paul

[wayno]

1. NZ
2. Mummy
3. Down
4. Exped , Lite 500

lightweight model. stitching is invisible
Temperature rating according to EN13537:
Max: +15°C/+59°F; Comfort: +3°C/+37°F; Limit: -2°C/+28°F; Extreme: -18°C/0°F

[tele-whippet]

1: NSW
2: Mummy x 3
3: 1 x synthetic, 2 x down
4: One Planet Sac 1, 4*C synthetic, 930g,
: Western Mountaineering Versalite, -12*C ?, 850+ fill, 565g fill, total 905g,
: Mont Mainrange, -20*C ?, 750+ fill, 950g fill, total 1650g

[Genesis]

Thanks for all your replies so far, Some good feedback and ideas in there too. I am thinking of getting a liner for my current bag which should help. This seems to be a cheaper option at this stage than a new bag.

Genesis

[ILUVSWTAS]

I have 2 bags so wont place a vote cause there was only one option.

my summer 500gram bag is rated to 0.
my other bag is 1.3kg rated to a comfortable -9

[etrangere]

1. WA
2. Semi Rectangular
3. Down 600+
4. Mont Zodiac 500, 0C, 1100g

I'm a reasonably warm sleeper and have used this bag down to -5C in combibation with:
StS cotton liner
Thermarest ProLite + R size pad
Outdoor Research Highland Bivy

First trip I used it I was cold a couple of nights because the down had shifted to the underside of the bag leaving very little down in the top layer due to the continuous baffle arrangement. Once I figured that out and arranged the down back to the top layer i was warm as toast again.

[Moondog55]

Victoria
Ultra Tulip No zip
White Polish Goose down 900+
J&H Ultra Flouro -5 ( minus 35 if wearing the down suit inside as it was designed to do )
680 grams if fill ;weighs 1050 grams in stuff sac

[Son of a Beach]

Firstly my old bag (which after nearly 20 years of faithful service died in a large cloud of down, which I wore in my hair and clothes all the way home)...

1. Tasmania
2. Mummy
3. Down
4. J&H 'Winterlite' (-12°C ... I think?)

That bag was rated to -12°C or something like that, and was always too hot, even when sleeping outside on the verandah of a hut surrounded by snow. Excellent bag, but too hot for Tasmania. (I've since done a quick repair job on the large tear and it is now a backup or loaner bag).

Secondly, my current bag...

1. Tasmania
2. Semi-Rectangular
3. Down
4. One Planet 'Zephyr' (-7°C)

This one is rated to -7°C and for me appears to be just right for a wide variety of conditions in Tasmania. It rarely gets any colder than this in Tasmania (occasionally down to -9° or -10° I think). On the very few occasions where I have gotten a bit cold in this bag, I just get up and put some clothes on, which resolves the problem (I don't usually wear anything to bed apart from undies and/or silk liner). I still get too hot in this bag more often than too cold.

I've decided that although the mummy shaped bags are theoretically better in terms of warmth-for-weight, they are way too restrictive for my restless sleeping style where I need to be able to separate my legs some times in order to get comfortable. So semi-rectangular works better for me. I also like a bag that has a full-length zip, as well as a separate zip for the foot box, so that I can stick my feet out the end (I suffer from hot feet at night quite frequently, even on cold nights), or use it like a doona/quilt on mild or warm nights.

[Moondog55]

Just so ever body can visualise mine, the J&H "Winterlite" will fit inside my bag as a double,
The "Winterlite is a great bag for the snow in NSW or Victorias high country for most people

[Wingnut]

For pretty cold weather I use this bag, temps down to -12.

1. Victoria
2. Tapered
3. Down
4. One Planet - Bush Lite 850

When I travelled around Oz earlier in the year I took a synthetic as I din't think it would get that cold with the cooler summer and my suspicions were correct.

1. Victoria
2. Tapered
3. Synthetic
4. One Planet - Sac 4

[Tofu_Imprint]

For cold weather:

1. State VIC: (Used in alpine areas & snow camping), also used on recent trip to NZ.
2. Shape: Mummy, Regular Length.
3. Fill: 800 Fill Goose Down
4. Brand & Model: Mountain Hardwear Wraith SL

Extra Info:

I get cold easily, not in this! It is amazingly warm. I recommend buying it from an overseas retailer though, as quotes in Australia were around 800-1000AUD. You can buy it from the US for $469.95USD. Rated to -20 degrees celsius.

[phan_TOM]

Current bag (fairly new only used ~10 nights)

State: NSW/QLD
Shape: semi-rec
Fill: down
Brand: Western mountaineering sycamore mf

Bought to replace my old army issue bag which was over 2 kilos (unsure of temp rating).

Rated at -4 which I've been close to with long thermals on and been plenty warm enough. Echo most of what Nik said in regard to shape etc. It has a full length zip and a separate zip across the footbox so has lots of venting options and can also be used as a quilt on warmer nights and for in my hammock. And funnily enough the bag I almost got instead was a one planet zephyr as it's pretty similar but the wm bag was half the price shipped from the US, easy decision and happy so far