sleeping bags tested

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
theres few pieces of equipment that will make or break a hunting trip as fast as a good or defective sleeping bag and pad combo on a cold night spent in a tent under cold conditions,


a few tips, I learned the hard way hunting ELK over 40 plus years in Colorado & Wyoming & California sierras, hunting in the high county during snow and rain,


always have a warm watch cap,and a sleeping bag with a head hood, it retains body heat

an inner liner bag tends to add warmth and prevent some wear and dirt issues and an outer gortex bag tends to help with moisture issues

compressed insulation has far less warmth so you'll NEED a decent pad UNDER the bag, and ALL air mattresses, that you blow up will eventually leak and prove worthless, you need a closed cell foam pad, that won,t allow moisture to pass thru to the bag, and although its a P.I.T.A. to transport its worth its weight, in keeping you warm

synthetic bags tend to be heavier and harder to pack into small stuff bags, but they also tend to be warmer if they get wet than down bag insulation which can be near worthless once soaking wet.

down insulation is effective but generally youll need to be careful reading labels, and look for ( PURE GOOSE DOWN of 550 loft or better, the BETTER BAGS HAVE 650-800 LOFT DOWN)
duck and chicken feather insulation, is NOT THE SAME AS DOWN and tends to be vastly inferior

wearing a parka while inside a bag may add insulation but pre-test any bag to make sure youve got room,to do so ,it can reduce insulation if its too tight, in an emergency, if the bags too, wearing it confining youll spend a miserable night, its best to spend a bit more and get the lower temp rated bag , you can always open them partly to release heat, but your screwed if the temp drops any your bags rated far above the temps your dealing with, thats why Ive always suggested a -20F rated bag and a decent 4 season tent

All insulation tends to lose loft and insulation effectiveness if you store the bag packed in a stuff sack over time so store the bag in a large hanging plastic bag

mummy style bags are lighter but far more confining, the rectangle bag designs tend to be far more comfortable, in most cases, but more difficult to pack longer distances, and larger when packed, in a stuff sack

if you expect to see snow get a MINIMUM of a 0F degree rated bag and a gortex outer bag, you can partly unzip a bag to cool off but hypothermia from cold can KILL YOU if you can,t stay warm, laying extra clothing between the pad and bag can increase warmth

always allow decent air flow thru a tent, no matter how cold it is or your breath condenses on the tent walls & roof and can potentially get equipment damp over time, when it eventually warms enough to drip, and it ALWAYS DOES

all bags can rip, have a small sewing repair kit and duct tape available


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watch and read the linked info its critical that you understand the concepts
read thru this
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/article ... cking.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZorNFFmDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-aAscnx ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRRReIDs ... re=related

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews ... ng%20Bags/

http://adventuresportsonline.com/sleepingtemp.htm

http://www.backpacker.com/fall-winter-g ... gear/15919

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacki ... ag-Reviews

http://www.ehow.com/how_111859_buy-opti ... eping.html
 
a couple bags that work reasonably well, I usually bring a serious cold weather bag for emergency use but the cheaper bags get used when the temps are more moderate, keep in mind we back-pack into an area and frequently get snowed in while sleeping in a 4 man dome tent, but we listen to weather reports and select bags for the weather predicted, but most of us have two bags and leave one locked in a truck
I back-pack in and sleep in the cold frequently, heres a few tips
Sleeping bag temperature ratings can be misleading. When manufacturers tell you a bag is rated for -10°, we mean that it will keep you alive at a temperature down to -10°. We don't mean you'll be comfortable. You won't. You will be COLD! But you'll be alive.
Ive back-pack hunted for elk in Colorado for decades, temps range from the 80F down to -20F on very rare occasions.
youll find early season archery ,far warmer than third rifle season up at 10,000 plus feet elevation.
now you should obviously consider what you NEED to stay reasonably comfortable under the likely conditions you'll see.
one of the most miserable nights I ever spent was the first night I camped in the California Warner wilderness, temps dropped to -5F
I had a SEARS sleeping bag rated for 10F and even wearing a parka and sweater inside the bag I felt like I was freezing to death,sleeping in the tent.
light weights great, but the object of having a sleeping bag is to allow you to stay at least semi-warm while you sleep.
now having a good insulating pad under the bag helps and having a pull over face mask to restrict heat loss from your head and face helps,but think thru your choices based on the likely conditions and don,t get mesmerized by light weight or low price alone, your life could depend on staying warm and dry.
Temperature ratings are really survival ratings. For comfort, most people need a sleeping bag rated about 20° to 25° colder than the expected nighttime temperature on their camping trip. If you are expecting zero degree nights, then buy a -20° to -25° sleeping bag.


(1) you should have a good water proof stuff sack to carry the sleeping bag and rain gear, getting soaked sleeping gear while packing in, in the 33f-50f temps sucks.

(2) the smaller MUMMY bags tend to be easier to pack and lighter but a TOTAL P.I.T.A. as they are restrictive so Id strongly advise a semi-mummy or rectangular bag

(3)you need to have a sleeping pad thats water proof you don,t want mud or snow soaking thru from under your bag and you can.t depend on any tent floor being 100% water proof

(4) Ive always preferred to travel as light as possible so having a 8 mill plastic drop cloth, about 6ft x 10ft thats not taking up much room or weight to place under the sleep pad and provide a moisture barrier helps

(5) you don,t need to spend a fortune on a decent 0 deg-F-to minus 20 deg-F rated bag, shop carefully

(6) youll want a tent that breaths with a water proof outer rain fly, a stupid beginner mistake is to close all the doors and window panels, your breath will form ice on the roof that drips on you as soon as temps get high enough to soak your gear, if you leave the windows just a bit open with a slight breeze that won,t tend to happen

(7)use a decent bag liner to protect the bag from dirt and rips, its far cheaper and easier to replace a liner than a good bag,,and use an outer gortex bag if you can afford it ,wear a good insulated ski mask and a bulky sweater over your long thermal underwear, it helps retain heat

http://www.rei.com/product/746539

this is a decent bag if its not real cold, above 20f its fine

http://www.altrec.com/mountain-hardwear ... eeping-bag
AL,used this last year and loved it

http://www.altrec.com/coleman/cloudcrof ... eeping-bag
FRANK, used an early version of this bag for several years and said its fine as long as its not fully zipped closed, because it gets to warm

http://www.thenorthface.com/webapp/wcs/ ... tionId=7D8
I used this REI LONG INFERNO BAG, for several years, but its not unusual to find its a bit too warm unless its below 10F, unless you unzip it just a bit and its a bit restrictive, for a bigger guy like myself at 6'3" 250lbs

several guys in out elk hunt group have one of these two bags (the long -40F rated versions)(below)and the previous versions of these two bags and everyone likes them, in fact almost without doubt these are the bags Id suggest for a new elk hunter, you could very easily spend $100 more and get an inferior bag


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... m1&Go.x=21
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... rt_slp_bgs
 
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I got asked what sleeping bag and tent I used to back pack into rough country,
theres ALWAYS compromises made in your sleeping bags price, its weight, its compacted carry size,
and ability to keep you reasonably comfortable in rather extreme cold weather
Ive always felt that the MUMMY style bags were very restrictive ,
I prefer the rectangular type of bag, but the mummy style allows a lighter weight,
and more easily compacted for carry size and weight. this is an advantage if your packing in to remote areas.

youll want a two to three man 4 season tent.
my late hunting partner and I purchased a tent very similar to this one but its no longer made 45 years ago , each paid 1/2 of the cost which even back then was over $340. btw get the aluminum rib poles that cost more not the less expensive fiber glass poles
https://www.rei.com/product/880786/big-agnes-battle-mountain-3-tent
If your hunting rough country in conditions that may easily be in below freezing temps,
you'll really appreciate a good nights sleep and a warm & dry tent & sleeping bag.

you can always open a bag thats too warm and in many cases throw your parka over any bag if you need more heat retention
it also makes a great deal of sense to have an outer water proof bag cover that adds warmth and a moisture barrier .
don,t forget youll need a pad under the bag to provide a moisture barrier, some level of cushioning and a heat retention barrier.
everyone needs to think through the compromises they are willing to make, I would certainly advise a -10--20F
rated sleeping bag if you intend to back pack into who knows what conditions with an outer water proof shell

I,ve used the REI inferno for decades, of course when I purchased mine it was far less money,
but 40 plus years ago I made considerably less also.

youll want a loose roomy gortex upper sleeping bag, cover, the upper 1/2 outer gortex breathable cover with a water proof lower 1/2

https://www.rei.com/product/879823/the-north-face-inferno-20-sleeping-bag


https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bivy-sack.html

https://www.wiggys.com/sleeping-bags/hunter-antarctic-rectangular-sleeping-bag/

https://www.wiggys.com/sleeping-bags/hunter-ultra-light-with-hood-rectangular-sleeping-bag/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/4-season-tents.4235/#post-86950

https://www.wiggys.com/sleeping-bags/hunter-antarctic-rectangular-sleeping-bag/

https://www.wiggys.com/sleeping-bags/hunter-ultima-thule-rectangular-sleeping-bag/

https://ahjoo.com/top-best-waterproof-sleeping-bags-camping-reviews/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TY8UKS/ref=emc_b_5_i?th=1

 
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I still have my Military down bag circa WWII that started with the Boy Scouts when I was 1o. Have used in -40* with snow in Alaska.
Also have a Coleman summer bag I used in summer months that was good for about freezing temps. And they both still work and look nice and have no intentions of ever using them again.
 
you gain experience , over time by making choices and having to live with the result,
of making those choices (at least temporarily)
conditions under which your forced to camp ,
travel and hunt will of course be different in every area,
clothing, tents,sleeping bags, back-packs, boots, jackets,
that might be acceptable in some areas will be woefully lacking in others.
avoid the bargain priced crap, look for triple stitched seams, thick well built straps pads zippers on tents and back packs
obviously youll want a decent quality sleeping bag, keep in mind if its rated a bit colder than the temps youll see,
its not likely too be a problem, in that you can always unzip or partly open it to loose some potential warmth,
but if its not warm enough you can be in for a miserable hunt trip.
down fill is useless if it gets wet,, boots should be broken in well before a hunt,
back packs should be loaded with a 50 lb bag of sand and used actually walking around for a few hours MINIMUM,
to get the straps and pads adjusted correctly , and find defective parts before any hunt.
any tent should be set up and hosed down prior to a hunt to find and repair leaks
theres always more expensive equipment available, more expensive may not be better.

sno-seal works well to water proof and soften boots
scotchguard sells water proof fabric spray

Id strongly suggest a good quality pack frame back pack with good hip and shoulder pad straps

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/85974?page=adventure-dome-4-person-tent&bc=29-915-1096&feat=1096-GN1&csp=f&attrValue_0=Crisp%20Lapis/Stainless%20Steel

on my first serious mule deer hunt in the area near modoc and the warner wilderness in norther california
(1969) Id packed a sears sleeping bag rated at 10F it was pathetic and near useless,
after two nights freezing my ass off I went into a local sporting goods store and purchased
a second bag rated at zero degrees and used that as an outer bag over my existing sears bag and got a decent nights sleep,
it was easily -10F where we hunted.
the tent we used was from REI a three man 4 season dome tent, Im still using it 50 years later
I used a mil spec alice pack on the first trip it was sold after the hunt, have tried several packs since.
a good arctic rated camo parka, a high quality long sleeve bulky sweater , several pairs of wool socks
boots with cleat soles that are one size too large to allow double socks,and a down vest are a good value,
if you hunt in below zero temps, snow that first trip totally covered the tent over 2 feet deep,
once the snow fell, it insulated the tent and made temps at night far more pleasant.
btw a 6 pack of beer left on a stump expanded and cans ruptured due to the low temps

https://www.wiggys.com/sleeping-bags/

https://www.cabelas.com/category/Mens-Cold-Weather-Camo-Coats-Parkas/104049180.uts

https://www.cabelas.com/product/DRAKE-WATERFOWL-DOUBLE-DOWN-VEST/2368871.uts?slotId=1
 
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I know from decades of experience that the sleeping bag and tent you use to camp out in the wild,
can have a huge effect on your safety and comfort. do your research,
you might find you can get much better equipment that makes a hunting or camping trip,
far more enjoyable for not a lot more than you send now.
the typical under $200 all weather tent you see advertised is crap/ low quality and rarely durable
ID strongly suggest you look for a 4 season rated tent with an external outer cover
and spray on water proof moisture repellant helps
I've spent several trips where the tent, was covered with snow, up to 10"-12" deep from one over night storm,
or we dealt with frequent hard sleet, muddy ground and hard winds.
so a decent water resistant tent and sleeping bag , proper water proof clothing , back packs and boots, etc. were mandatory





 
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