sleeping bags - montbell

[kevino]

I'm looking to get a quality 3-season sleeping bag. Haven't bought a sleeping bag in over 10 years so I'm kind of unfamiliar. I was sort of using Rock and Ice gear guide magazine and came across this:

Montbell UL Alpine

 

Its light, 2 lbs 4 oz and goes down to 15, but its $241.

 

Looking some more I found bags cheaper but has 600 fill vs 725 in the montbell and weighed more. Any input how much of a difference the fill makes? Any recommendations? THanks.

[AR_Guy]

Most popular bags out on the PCT last year were Western Mountaineering, Marmot Hydrogen (~30 deg) and Helium (15 deg) and Feathered Friends. You can get a high quality 30 degree bag for about a pound and an half or a pound and 10 ounces and 15 degree bag for about 2 pounds. 2 1/4 is a touch on the heavy side for a 15, but I'm an gram weeine

 

Fill makes all the difference. The number is the number of cubic inches of down per ounce. The higher the number, the more fluff for a given amount of weight. Higher fill numbers are warmer for a given weight, since the 'blanket' is thicker.

 

Sleeping bags are one item where price and performance are more or less in direct correlation. The higher quality fills cost more. That being said, a quality bag, properly cared for, should last for years. If you spend the extra 50 or 100 bucks over a cheaper model, and it lasts for 5 years, what's that, an extra 10 or 20 bucks a year over the useful life of the product? In my mind, a small price to pay for a lighter, warmer bag.

[ericb]

Agreed - you can find a lighter 15 degree bag, but I'd question whether you need a 15 degree bag for 3 season use....sounds a bit toasty. If this is for the cascades, I'd think 25 - 30 degrees is plenty warm as you can wear your clothes to bed.

 

One feature of the Montbell line not addressed is the stretch....I've got a summer bag with the "hugger" feature and its really comfortable and less constrictive than other mummy bags. One other consideration - Montbell's stated rating is their comfort rating, they have a separate extreme rating, so their 15 degree rated bag may be warmer than other makes.

 

To your question, yes, fill quality matters - the reason all these bags are on sale for ~ 30% is it looks like they are going to 800 fill this year, vs. 725 fill previously.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2007 by ericb

[spotly]

I've got a summer weight Montbell. It's a quality bag but won't take alot in the way of abuse. I figured since I'm carrying (after last years unplanned bivy) an ultralight down coat and bivy anyway, I can get away with the higher rating bag. The stretch and the light weight make all the difference to me. Somewhat pricey but worth it. As far as fill....what they said.

[ambys]

I have the Merlin by Feathered Friends. I bought it because it was super lightweight and had a great reputation. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably upgrade to the Hummingbird model. The Hummingbird is effectively a Merlin that is slightly overfilled so as to produce an extra inch of fill, while adding only 3 oz to the weight and $20 to the price. Also, it brings the official rating down from 30 degrees to 20 degrees.

 

Now, I have to say that I've been very happy with my bag, and thus far I really haven't needed the extra fill; but I figure for the $20/30oz different, it could be nice to have in the future, depending on where I am.

 

Like virtually everyone else on this board, I've had great luck with FF service--very helpful and they don't try to sell you stuff that you don't need. I'm about to order a bag for my Denali expedition with them; I suppose that speaks to their service as well.

 

Now, if price is your end-all be-all, then FF is not for you. You *do* pay a premium for the service and made-in-America aspects. You might want to look at REI's store brand bags. They are generally not of the greatest fill, but they are cozy and the materials themselves should hold up quite reasonably. Also, if you ever have problems with the bag, they'll swap it or give you your money back, regardless of when it happens.