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Sleeping Bags

What temp rating for out of state mid-November hunts

  • 0 degree

    Votes: 16 84.2%

  • 15 degree

    Votes: 2 10.5%

  • 30 degree

    Votes: 1 5.3%
  • Total voters
    19
hokiehunter373 said:
Yeah, I'm looking into decent sleeping pads. Currently between REI Helix Insulated, Therm-a-Rest XTherm NXT, and Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated. Just deciding on what price range I want to settle into relative to R value
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If you’re car camping or camping beside your car I.e. not backpacking in and don’t plan on backpacking in there is no reason to spend the extra money on they lighter weight pad options such as the NXT. This is all you need whether it goes on the ground, in the bed of your truck or in a tent. They are very comfortable.


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Take the time in your research to read the customer reviews for the Wiggy’s ground pads. If you’re planning to camp close to your vehicle and to never hike with your sleeping bag & ground pad in/on your pack, the weight of the Wiggy’s products is a non-issue - and the performance is top-tier at a more economical price than most alternatives.
 
raisins said:
So the entire sleeping bag industry has bent the knee to prevent women from complaining about being cold while camping?
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I’m not going to argue with REI on this but I just am surprised at how… stupid that is. So some marketing or engineering team decided that they can quantify comfort for all women’s metabolisms but not for men’s? I don’t get it. Why not post both ratings on every bag; comfort and survival? As one of those cold blooded males who shivers easy I’ll for sure hereafter be looking first at the ratings on the women’s version when a company offers a his and hers model of the same sleeping bag.

Edit: That is, assuming the insulation is equal between women’s and men’s versions of the same bag, and then buying the men’s bag for a roomier fit. Boy I’d be annoyed though if it wasn’t.
 
Marmuzz said:
I’m not going to argue with REI on this but I just am surprised at how… stupid that is. So some marketing or engineering team decided that they can quantify comfort for all women’s metabolisms but not for men’s? I don’t get it. Why not post both ratings on every bag; comfort and survival? As one of those cold blooded males who shivers easy I’ll for sure hereafter be looking first at the ratings on the women’s version when a company offers a his and hers model of the same sleeping bag.
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If you visit an REI today you will notice that almost all bags both men and women have a tag listing “comfort” and “limit” rating on a scale. I think it gives you a little bit better idea of what you’re getting as far as warmth rating. If you’re a guy who is on the colder side then it’s not that complicated, go with a rating down from the one you think you need or add a liner/cover. If you pick up the same brand 20 in male and female you will quickly tell the difference in insulation though. My wife and I both have NEMO sleeping bags and her 0 is a good bit bulkier than mine.
 
Marmuzz said:
I’m not going to argue with REI on this but I just am surprised at how… stupid that is. So some marketing or engineering team decided that they can quantify comfort for all women’s metabolisms but not for men’s? I don’t get it. Why not post both ratings on every bag; comfort and survival? As one of those cold blooded males who shivers easy I’ll for sure hereafter be looking first at the ratings on the women’s version when a company offers a his and hers model of the same sleeping bag.

Edit: That is, assuming the insulation is equal between women’s and men’s versions of the same bag, and then buying the men’s bag for a roomier fit. Boy I’d be annoyed though if it wasn’t.
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I hope my post was interpreted as the dumb joke it was, but I had the same reaction.

It might make sense biologically though. If I recall, men do typically have a wider range of comfortable temperatures (based upon research, not just listening at the water cooler). So, it might take more insulation to keep males and females comfortable, to the same degree, at the same outside temperature.
 
I’ll also add a vote for a US military 4-piece modular sleeping bag. The green bag is rated around 30° F, the black rated to -10° F, and you can pair the black bag inside the green bag to go to much lower temps. I have this system and can attest it is very warm. Very bulky, not recommended for anything besides car camping, but also very durable. Maybe you can find a good deal with army surplus suppliers.

 
hokiehunter373 said:
Do you all sleep with some of your hunting clothes on to save money on the bag purchase or no?
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I was kinda thinking along the same lines as this. You can buy military surplus artic rated cold weather clothing for super cheap and I would bet it packs down smaller than real thick sleeping bag? Having a lighter weight sleeping bag and layering inside makes sense to me. Sleeping bag takes up sooooo much room ....i rarely get to camp where/when it's cold unfortunately so I'm of no use there
 
I used a down military surplus bag eleven nights in September bowhunting Colorado in the seventies below freezing and was so comfortable it was hard to make myself leave that bag in the mornings. I took it backpacking in many states the last weeks of September for years and was never uncomfortable.
 
Still Kicking said:
I used a down military surplus bag eleven nights in September bowhunting Colorado in the seventies below freezing and was so comfortable it was hard to make myself leave that bag in the mornings. I took it backpacking in many states the last weeks of September for years and was never uncomfortable.
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I have one of those too. It weighs 11lbs and barely fits in a 30 gallon trash bag but it is warm!
 
GCTerpfan said:
I have one of those too. It weighs 11lbs and barely fits in a 30 gallon trash bag but it is warm!
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I would hope so! Lol


Thanks for everyone's input! I like the Wiggy's bags but I don't want mine to be 5+ pounds. Yes, this hunt will be next to the truck. If my plan for the next decade or two was to only truck hunt, I'd pull the trigger. I don't want to buy a bag now that I can't/don't want to take backpacking. I also don't want to spend 8-900 or I'd just buy a Western Mountaineering bag and call it a day. Right now I'm between a Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 0 and a Sierra Designs Nitro 0. I found a Nitro for $250 that seems like a screaming deal I probably can't pass up.

As for pads, same thing goes for weight. @gcr0003 I appreciate the heads up on that pad and Amazon had one for sale for $65. That's cheap enough I almost don't care if I buy a different one in the future so I'm still debating it. Update: that sale's gone. Otherwise, I'll probably get a XTherm NXT. Still researching but you guys made it pretty clear a 0 degree bag is the way to go, while our opinions may vary on weight and brand.
 
At a slight weight penalty, you may want to look at the big Agnes lost ranger 3 in 1 (this is what I have in 0 degree) or the zenbivy systems. Gives some decent flexibility for temp range, and I find mine to be super comfortable paired with a good pad-mines and exped. It's not completely minimalist/ ideal for backpacking, but that's ok by me.

Or a 15 degree bag and a quilt and/or liner. There's a bunch of different ways to skin this cat.
 
I have 2 bags, a big heavy 0 degree from cabelas and a Nemo Disco 15 degree for backpack hunts. The comfort rating on the Nemo is 25 and I have stayed in it a few nights in that range and was plenty comfortable. I like the Nemo because the shape is less confining but if you were going to take it below 25, it would need some help.
 
Rab Eco 4 or a marmot trestles could be good options. The Rab may have more foot room. The Nemo Tensor is a very comfortable pad but the Exped is my go to for warmth and comfort.
 
thedutchtouch said:
At a slight weight penalty, you may want to look at the big Agnes lost ranger 3 in 1 (this is what I have in 0 degree) or the zenbivy systems. Gives some decent flexibility for temp range, and I find mine to be super comfortable paired with a good pad-mines and exped. It's not completely minimalist/ ideal for backpacking, but that's ok by me.

Or a 15 degree bag and a quilt and/or liner. There's a bunch of different ways to skin this cat.
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Actually started my search there. I like the 3N1 but don't love the price when considering the weight penalty. Intrigued with the zenbivy stuff but I feel more confident in putting together a sleep system via sleeping bag vs the quilt.
 
ricky racer said:
Do your due diligence before buying a sleeping bag. There are light weight down bags that as long as they are dry they're warm and easy to pack but as soon as the down collects moisture from your body or any outside source their insulation value can go down to around zero depending on the degree of dampness.

Synthetic bags are not as light nor compressible as down, are less expensive and may work well for a year or two. They may last longer if you keep stored out of their stuff sack and hang them up or lay them flat with none of the bag compressed in any way (which I find inconvenient). If they get wet, they are slow to dry and have a greatly reduced insulation valve.

My suggestion is to go to Wiggys.com and examine his sleeping bags. Wiggy's temperature ratings on his bags are very conservative compared to other manufacturers. His bags will keep you warm even if they get wet unlike any other bag on the market. Wiggy's bags can be stored in their stuff sacks, even compression bags for years without losing their insulation value. That's why you'll find Wiggy's vacuum packed survival suits attached to the underside of all US fighter jet ejection seats. Wiggy's bags are machine washable too. When you get home from your trip, throw it in the washing machine and dryer and it's good to go on the next hunt. Wiggy's has a 0 degree bag on sale now: https://www.wiggys.com/specials/sale-super-light-marpat-select-color-sleeping-bags/

If you're car camping and your bag for some reason gets wet, it can be an inconvenience and maybe you'll have to spend the night in a motel until you get everything dried out. If you're ever going to do a drop hunt, your choice of bag may save your life should things go wrong and your bag gets wet. Below is a letter from a Wiggy's customer who had things go real bad on a hunt.

Jerry,
Well, I never thought I’d be writing a letter and thanking you for saving my life, but well, that’s just what this note is for. I went on a caribou hunting trip with my twelve year old son over the past weekend, flying out on Friday to a remote wilderness area about two hundred miles from Anchorage, Alaska. We were in a PA-18 Supercub floatplane. On Sunday afternoon, during the takeoff roll the aircraft flipped and went inverted, literally upside down and partially buried in the bottom of the lake. At the time, the winds were probably 10 to 15 mph, with some occasional gusts higher than that. After the accident they increased continuously over the next several hours. By nightfall they were gusting to at least forty. The temperatures were in the fifties but were dropping rapidly. The sky was clear, and the terrain was flat and open without any trees.
When we flipped, we, and everything we owned, were instantly soaked. Totally—submerged in fact. My son and I were wearing inflatable CO2 survival vests, and synthetic clothing with hip boots--all typical attire for Alaskan bush flying. After we successfully extracted ourselves from the upside down airplane, I took the time to get as much stuff out of it as I could. I wanted my Wiggy's sleeping bags, as I knew if we had any chance to survive, they would be key. It took me 30 minutes to get them—I had to cut a hole into the part of the aircraft that was still out of the water and push them forward where I could swim down and grab them from inside. We both had the Super Light FTRSS bags, in their stuff sacks. They were drenched; literally, the pressure from being held that long under water had been enough to soak them pretty thoroughly. Still, they were the only things we had. I tried to find the tent without success, and finally gave up looking for it.
We swam to shore, and my son and I were both hypothermic, him more so than me. We dove behind some small bushes, which was the only visible cover within miles. The bushes didn't completely block the wind, but they helped a lot. The ground was boggy, and wet, but to go to higher ground would have exposed us to the full force of the wind. There was no firewood or any other large trees—just miles of rolling tundra typical of caribou habitat. The picture I've attached captures the bleakness of the place pretty well, I think. It was taken 24 hours after the accident. Anyway, after we got to shore the real survival had just begun. My son wasn't talking much at this point, and I knew his situation was more desperate than mine. Since we were both shivering so badly, we were losing coordination, I recognized the symptoms of hypothermia and took the only action open to me. Like something out of a survival manual, we stripped off the wet clothing and got into one of your sleeping bags. I would have mated them together but I was too cold to try and change the zippers, so we just unzipped one partially and crammed into it (mine is a wide model) and I covered us up with the other bag. We shivered together for twenty minutes or so, behind those little bushes, and unbelievably, we warmed up in that wet bag. With the temperatures dropping and the wind whipping the prospects were ugly. I was really amazed how that bag was holding in our heat, what little we could generate, even though it was totally soaked and was sitting on wet, boggy ground.
I had an Iridium Satellite Phone with me, but it had gotten wet and wasn’t working. I had it in a watertight bag, but during the impact something had ripped a tear into it. I laid it out on a clump of grass to dry, praying it might work later after the wind had blown on it for a while. Knowing we needed something warm inside of us, I left my son in the bag and threw on some rain gear I had salvaged, and then ran around the shore and picked up some more stuff that had washed ashore. I hung what clothing I could find on the bushes, so that it could begin to dry in the wind as well. The gear I found included the dry bag with my small stove, along with a metal bowl, and some of our food bags. I started shaking again—as the sun was going down and getting low in the horizon the temperature went into the forties, and with the wind chill it was just unbelievably cold. I started shaking again too bad to continue gathering stuff, so I went back to my Wiggy’s bag and got inside. This time I just grabbed my son’s bag (he was still in mine) and jumped inside. I warmed up in minutes---it was the only “shelter” we had and it felt so good it's hard to describe. I stayed in the sleeping bag this time. I had found two of our foam pads during my search and put one under my son and the other under me, which got us out of the bog at least and made an improvement in the situation. What was strange was the sleeping bags were drying in the wind, even as we were inside them. The moisture was wicking out of them, and they seemed to get better and better and warmer at the same time. From the sleeping bag I lit off the stove, boiled some lake water, and made us two cups of hot cocoa. It tasted so good! After drinking it I was thinking more clearly, and remembered I had a spare battery for the Sat phone in my survival vest. I got it out and put it in the phone and this time it worked.
I made the call I needed to make, and luckily, I had passed the GPS coordinates of our campsite to my wife the night before. She still had them. After that, we just huddled in the sleeping bags and stayed warm, in spite of the dropping temperatures and high winds. I figured with less than an hour left of daylight we would probably have to spend the night, but luckily, an Alaskan State trooper flew out to us before the sun went down. With some red pen gun flares I had in my vest and the GPS coordinates he was able to locate us without any searching. The subsequent ride out of there in his floatplane was the best flight I’ve ever had. That night the temperatures plummeted into the 20's.
Wiggy, thanks! Plain and simple, you make an incredible sleeping bag. It works, and does what you say it does, and more. For me, and for my son, we are alive today because your product insulates, even when wet. If I had brought my down bag instead, I would never have made it. So, I thank you personally, and appreciate your sleeping bags in a way few others will ever know. Every single one of your employees should take pride in the work they do, and the efforts they make. All of you have my gratitude.

With my sincerest thanks,
John C. Dieffenderfe
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I couldn't agree more, Wiggy's is top notch equipment, bags clothing etc.
His past news letters are full of very good info regarding warmth and dryness.
If you ever have any questions, just call him and he will give you a very opinionated, but well informed answer !!
He can be a little "crotchety" at times but you won't regret buying any of his gear.
 
hokiehunter373 said:
Actually started my search there. I like the 3N1 but don't love the price when considering the weight penalty. Intrigued with the zenbivy stuff but I feel more confident in putting together a sleep system via sleeping bag vs the quilt.
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Yeah youre right, I got mine for like 60% off, like it at that price may not have gotten it at full
 
I bought this bag this spring. https://www.amazon.com/Big-Agnes-Spike-DownTek-Sleeping/dp/B07M65F4JP

Packs down to nothing, only weighs 2.5 lbs and is the best price I could find for a bag that light. I was comfortable in the low 30’s this spring. I’m hoping that by sleeping in base layers I can get below 30. I haven’t go to test that yet though.
 
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