Sleeping Bag Opinion

[the toninator]

I have no idea how this myth stays alive.

Probably like this:

Girl in the tent: "I'm cold!"
Guy in the tent: "Take off all your clothes and you'll be warmer. It's a proven fact!"

truth!

[oldschool]

<snip> Your body needs to heat the sleeping bag insulation.

So you're telling me if I'm in my sleeping bag in long underwear, fleece pants & shirt, and I get cold... I should take my clothes off?



You're going to need to provide citations for this one.

No....you should get a better sleeping bag!

[SkiBikeClimb99]

I'd take look at down quilts as well. If you have a decent pad you don't need compressed insulation below you. I've been using a Katabatic down quilt for a few years and love it. It has the tapered mummy shape, but is really wide and doesn't have a zipper. Mine only has a 30 deg rating, but I've slept in it down to probably 20 deg without any issues or wearing a puffy, etc. I found cheaper brands out there, but IMO a sleeping bag is something that is an investment you'll use for years (unlike a tent or pack that may get torn after a few seasons of hard use).

[twhalm]

The clothes/no clothes debate can be solved pretty easily just by looking logically at the thermodynamics / heat transfer of the situation. Lets look at a general situation:

- In most normal situations your body is going to produce plenty of heat

- Your body is only going to lose heat through conduction and radiation through your bag and layers and your head will lose plenty through conduction, radiation and convection(!!!) if it is not insulated properly.

- A better bag or more layers = less conduction = less heat transfer


Now there are some exceptions:

-if you get in with wet layers you are going to be in a world of hurt because water is a good heat conductor
-if you get in with very cold layers, your body is going to have to heat those up before you can get warm - this is probably a factor in the myth
-you wear so many layers you compress your insulation
-you wear so many layers you inhibit circulation
-you wear too many layers/overheat and sweat a bunch, soaking your layers
-if you get in with less layers you will heat up your bag much faster and it may feel warmer initially, but when you reach an equilibrium you will be losing more heat

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> Your body needs to heat the sleeping bag insulation.

So you're telling me if I'm in my sleeping bag in long underwear, fleece pants & shirt, and I get cold... I should take my clothes off?



You're going to need to provide citations for this one.

No....you should get a better sleeping bag!

This seems to contradict your earlier statement. If you need to heat the sleeping bag insulation... wouldn't it be quickest if you're naked? So if I'm cold in my sleeping bag... I should take my clothes off?

[SoCool]

I have no idea how this myth stays alive.

Probably like this:

Girl in the tent: "I'm cold!"
Guy in the tent: "Take off all your clothes and you'll be warmer. It's a proven fact!"

Here's my theory on how this myth stays alive: in a true survival situation where a victim needs their core temperature raised, two people can share a sleeping bag, in their underwear.

As others have mentioned, there are only a few reasons more clothing would be a problem. Back to the question SkaredShtles posed: if you were sleeping outdoors and felt cold in the middle of the night, would you take clothing OFF? Of course not.

[CreekRunner]

Since you seem to be looking at Mountain Hardware, I recommend the Ratio 15. It is what I use, and it has been very warm and maintained it's loft everywhere except in the toe-box, even when the outside layer is pretty wet, but the toe-box is my fault since I always slide to the bottom of the bag. If you are going to spend that much money, go with down insulation because it's super compactable: Mine weighs in at 2 lb 10 oz. If you get cold, I recommend using a liner for inside the bag. It also prevents the inside from getting as dirty if you didn't use one.

[Marmot96]

Before the thread turned into a debate on what to wear in your bag, it seems the consensus is to buy a used down bag.

I have looked a bit on craigslist and ebay and didn't see too much of anything in a reasonable price range. Are there other places that I should look?

However, I did see this: https://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/5653278276.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I am not too familiar with the brand though.

[CreekRunner]

Before the thread turned into a debate on what to wear in your bag, it seems the consensus is to buy a used down bag.

I have looked a bit on craigslist and ebay and didn't see too much of anything in a reasonable price range. Are there other places that I should look?

However, I did see this: https://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/5653278276.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I am not too familiar with the brand though.

Eastern mountain sports is basically REI... but of the east. I can't find much info on the bag. Potentially, the bag looks nice, but to compare, go to an outdoor store and feel the loft of a new bag, then go over to see if the used bag is in acceptable condition. This is just a thought, but it might help to gain perspective of new down if you have never used it.

[pseudoghost]

Before the thread turned into a debate on what to wear in your bag, it seems the consensus is to buy a used down bag.

I have looked a bit on craigslist and ebay and didn't see too much of anything in a reasonable price range. Are there other places that I should look?

However, I did see this: https://cosprings.craigslist.org/spo/5653278276.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I am not too familiar with the brand though.

I would say a sleeping bag is one of those things that you really want to buy from someone with a generous return policy so that if the bag is too cold or doesn't work out for you you're not stuck trying to resell it online... I've had zero problems swapping sleeping bags at REI, but if you buy used you won't be able to return it. A $200 new bag will be 1-2 pounds heavier than a $400 used bag, but that's the only real difference in price.

[Marmot96]

Sorry to revive this thread, but I've been looking for deals and used bags (ended up looking at one used, it definitely wasn't well cared for).

Then I stumbled upon this bag, which seems too good to be true. Anyone have experience with this bag? The reviews across multiple sites look alright.

http://www.backcountry.com/marmot-never ... Q3MTExMDA2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[polar]

Sorry to revive this thread, but I've been looking for deals and used bags (ended up looking at one used, it definitely wasn't well cared for).

Then I stumbled upon this bag, which seems too good to be true. Anyone have experience with this bag? The reviews across multiple sites look alright.

http://www.backcountry.com/marmot-never ... Q3MTExMDA2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have the Marmot Never Summer and like it a lot. It's 650 FP down, so it's not as light or pack down as small as 800 or 850 FP, but for the price? It's great.