winter bag

[HADU]

time to replace the old winter bag, a big decision i've been fretting over for a few months now, so i'm looking for some guidance.

it must be a down bag.

use will be backcountry skiing and winter camping in the cascades and points north (until this winter i had been alaskan)

my current bag is a marmot -5 that's done me well, but i'm considering getting a bag rated lower. top contenders now are the the moonstone liberty ridge -5, or the moonstone cassin ridge -20.

anyone with experience with these bags?

suggestions, comments, words of wisdom, long-distance dedications, etc welcomed.

thanks

hadu

[rbw1966]

I've got a western mountaineering bag that I love. Its the Bison DL rated way warm for this environment with the gore dryloft shell. Been fabulous. Expensive but worth it and you can get a discount if you and a buddy guy at the same time.

[HADU]

so, you've never been out in the winter in these parts and wished you had gotten a bag that wasn't such a furnance (lower temp rating)?

[Skisports]

Why would you want a warmer bag then 0 in the cascades. if it is that cold out you can alway sleep with your clothes on.... Forget buying the bags from off brands get a Feather Freinds bag. I use the ibis 0 for winter and I got it overstuffed and there is not reason I would want a warmer bag

my two cents

[JoshK]

Yeah, the FF bags rock and you can customize it as you see fit. If I'm going to pay for a high end bag already (FF, WM, etc.) I'd rather pay a few extra bucks, get it done right and exactly how I want it.

[hasbeen]

If you can scrape together the cash, get a Feathered Friends Snow Bunting with 2 ounces overfill. It will be all the bag you need for winter around here and points further north and for spring and fall as well, without the collar and with the down shifted to the bottom.

[Kevin_Ristau]

I have a new Integral Designs -20C bag. Very nice, and custom ordered like the Feathered Friends. They use a microfibre shell similar to FF's Epic shell. They also come with a cool silcoat compression stuffsack.

[tomcat]

Skisports said:

Why would you want a warmer bag then 0 in the cascades. if it is that cold out you can alway sleep with your clothes on.... Forget buying the bags from off brands get a Feather Freinds bag. I use the ibis 0 for winter and I got it overstuffed and there is not reason I would want a warmer bag

my two cents

 

Often the weight difference is negligible between a 5 degree bag and a -5 degree rated bag. That's the reason I went with the Western Mountaineering Dakota Super Dry Loft. It only weighs 3 pounds, 2 ounces and is rated at a very conservative -5F. The loft on this thing is amazing, and I use it all year round. Also, in the original post, he mentions he's looking for a bag for the Cascades and points north. A 0 degree rated bag may leave you feeling a little chilly on a Winter trip to Rainier. Then again, you may get lucky with the conditions and not need the extra down (as was the case last week). HTH.

[Lambone]

HADU,

 

I've got a Western Mountainering Puma that I like. Dry Loft rated to -20. Make me an offer, I'd be tempted to sell it at the right price. Bought it for a Nepal trip, I haven't used it in almost two years.

 

Matt

[skyclimb]

One of my best pieces of gear, and one of the most useful is the North Face Snowshoe. This bag is rated at 0. It has great loft, is baffled, and has never left me cold. Furthermore, this bag due to the material is only slightly heavier and less compressable than down. Synthetics retain 80 of insulation quality when wet, so this bag for winter is perfect for me. I always sleep in my clothes anyway cause it makes it easier in the morning, so in the winter is insulates fine. Hood that can be made into a pillow, light. Man i just have good things to say about this bag, but the best part. PAYED 167.50 for it brand new. check the internet. this was last year. NF was selling them for 210.00. found a liquidation.

[freeclimb9]

Consider a Big Agnes.

 

[Montana_Climber]

The top bag manufacturer is Feathered Friends. Marmot and Western Mountaineering, last I checked, came in at second. Then there's the companies below them like The North Face, Moonstone, Mountain Hardwear, Sierra Designs, etc.

 

I have a Marmot Col (-25F) and have had excellent results with it. I bought it directly from Marmot by calling a customer rep and asking if they had any seconds. It saved me about $200. It's worked for me in temps from 20 above to 60 below (although I did require wearing full clothes as well at this temp).

 

Whatever you get, you're going to want to get Gore Dry-Loft or something similar, especially in a wet environment like the Cascades. But even with it, you're bag will be useless within a week if it's down and it's wet.

 

Have you considered something synthetic? It's much more practical in wet climates. The disadvantages are that they aren't as compressible, light, durable, or have as much of a temperature range as down. The advantages are that they are MUCH less expensive, keep you cold when the material is damp, and (initially) less prone to cold spots from the material shifting.

 

I use my down bag for my longer expedition to high altitudes. For everything else, I use my 35+ F North Face Climber bag. It is made of polarguard 3D, has Gore Dry-Loft on it, and only weighs 1 1/2 lbs. For me, this bag covers everything but the high altitude. I sleep very warm and have gotten away with everything from the middle of the summer in the South (+80F) to the middle of the winter in Montana (-40F). In colder climates, I throw on my fleece pants and down parka to stay perfectly warm.

[max]

While it might be sacrificing fucntion for value, there are some pretty good deals on ebay for brand name, low temp bags. I saw a Marmot... it was there -40 down bag for something like $180! Pretty god deal... So if you're willing to sacrifice what you exactly want for a super good deal, check out ebay.

 

[HADU]

good call, scored a feather friends eider on ebay...

[Lambone]

The top bag manufacturer is Feathered Friends. Marmot and Western Mountaineering, last I checked, came in at second.

 

Just curious where you "checked" this? Who rates a manufacturer to be better than others? Backpacher magazine

 

I would say Feathered Friends and Western make bags equal in quality of construction and materials. However, FF does make some that are more climbing specific, like half bags and such. FF also uses Epic shell fabric which may be better than Dryloft in many circumstances because it breaths better.

 

However I love my WM Puma (although rarely need it around here).

[Montana_Climber]

The people I've received information from are testers that do report to magazines like Backpacker, Climbing, and Rock & Ice as well as people in R&D at The North Face. Even they admit that their down bags can't stack up to some of the competition (however, they contend that their synthetics are the best).

 

I was not implying that construction or quality is lacking in the other manufacturers. I am not sure if anyone else uses 36 SPI like Marmot. Feathered Friends, on the otherhand, cannot be beat for custom fitting and changing their templates. They all use the same quality down at 800+ and beyond. FF wins out for the features and customer service, not the workmanship as they are all damn fine bags.

 

I personally went with the Marmot due to cost but I spent countless hours deciding between Marmot, FF, and WM.

[Montana_Climber]

Lambone said:

I've got a Western Mountainering Puma that I like. Dry Loft rated to -20. Make me an offer, I'd be tempted to sell it at the right price. Bought it for a Nepal trip, I haven't used it in almost two years.

 

 

You could always try some winter mountaineering in Wyoming/Montana/Idaho/Utah (Uintas). It consistently gets down to -30 to -40 F in certain parts.

 

 

What were you trying in Nepal?

 

[Lambone]

I spent 5 winters in Montana. I'd like to do more winter suff, just been to busy with school to take full weekends off.

 

We went to Ama Dablam and the Lang Tang...fun place. Bag was perfect up high. It wasn't that cold but we were burning alot of calories so the extra warmth kept us stronger.