Recommendations/help choosing sleeping bag
Bruce
I am just getting into doing a little weekend camping here and there
and am interested in getting a decent quality sleeping bag. I plan on
camping in anywhere from 30degF (I recently froze my a** off in a
Walmart/Coleman bag at 30degF) to 70degF weather so I'm assuming I'll
want a so-called '3 season bag'. I've been looking at REI's site and
am bewildered by all the choices. I don't anticipate backpacking but
it appears that all their bags are designed for such. Some questions
I have:
What are the advantages/disadvantages of down vs. synthetic fill?
Even though I don't plan on getting out when it's below 30degF am I
better off getting a bag that's rated for lower temps than this, or
will that just make the bag more uncomfortable when the weather is
warmer?
I invariably sleep on my side. Are some bags better than others for
this? Are the so-called 'mummy' bags better suited for non-side
sleepers?
I'm exactly 6ft tall. Although most/all of the 'regular' sized bags
say they fit up to 6ft, am I better off paying more to get a longer
bag?
I've been eyeing the REI Shasta bags because I like a lot of the
features. Are the REI bags of good quality?
Is there a lot of difference in pads?
Any recommended sites to shop at?
Any and all help with my tedious questions is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Bruce
Dutch
--->Snip<-------
>What are the advantages/disadvantages of down vs. synthetic fill?
Down considerably more compressible than synth, and also lighter for
the same amount of warmth. So basically, down is a more efficient
insulator then synth, which means you'll be carrying less weight and
bulk with a down bag. But the major reservation with down is that if
it gets thoroughly wet, it loses all its warmth and insulation
capacity. When soaked the down feathers will just lay down flat and
you'll have a wafer thin bag. So this where synthetic bags come in:
they will stay relatively warm when wet, and will keep a lot their
loft. Granted, you probably won't be very comfortable in any case in a
soggy bag, but at least a synth will keep you warm(er).
>Even though I don't plan on getting out when it's below 30degF am I
>better off getting a bag that's rated for lower temps than this, or
>will that just make the bag more uncomfortable when the weather is
>warmer?
Generally a good solution is to get a bag for roughly 10 degrees
cooler than the temps you plan on (keeping in mind the temp ratings
are figured around what will keep you ALIVE, not necessarily
COMFORTABLE), then get a bag liner or one of those fleece "summer
bags" for $20.00 to put inside if you need more warmth.
>I invariably sleep on my side. Are some bags better than others for
>this? Are the so-called 'mummy' bags better suited for non-side
>sleepers?
A mummy bag tends to move with you. Personally I can't STAND mummy
bags but that's a case of personal preference.
>I'm exactly 6ft tall. Although most/all of the 'regular' sized bags
>say they fit up to 6ft, am I better off paying more to get a longer
>bag?
Climb into the bag and see how it fits. That's the only way. Specs
vary between manufacturers
>I've been eyeing the REI Shasta bags because I like a lot of the
>features. Are the REI bags of good quality?
I have an REI Syn Cat "Semi-Rectangular" 0' for cool/cold weather
camping. I love it except it doesn't compress very well. For warm
weather camping I use my therm-a-rest pad underneath and some fleece
blankets on top (but then again I sleep pretty warm).
>Is there a lot of difference in pads?
Can't really say.
For years I used the closed cell "blue foam" pads just to have some
insulation underneath me (they don't provide much padding). A couple
of years ago I started to suffer from arthritis in my shoulder. A
friend loaned me a Therm-a-rest Ultralight and I woke up the next
morning WITHOUT the shoulder ache I had come to associate with
camping. As soon as I got back from that trip I bought my own
Therm-a-rest and that's what I've used ever since.
>Any recommended sites to shop at?
Where are you located? In Virginia I'd recommend REI, Hudson Trail
Outfitters, and Wal-Mart. Online I'd say Campmor.
Dutch
"Look up curiosity in a dictionary and you will see
a picture of a ferret...trying to look at the next page."
Brian McLaughlin
|> Hello!
|>
|> I am just getting into doing a little weekend camping here and there
|> I don't anticipate backpacking...
|>
|> What are the advantages/disadvantages of down vs. synthetic fill?
The greatest advantages of synthetics are: lower price, they stay
loftier (and keep you warmer) when wet, they are a bit easier to
clean/wash/dry.
For weekend car camping, I don't think down has any real advantages.
|> Even though I don't plan on getting out when it's below 30degF am I
|> better off getting a bag that's rated for lower temps than this, or
|> will that just make the bag more uncomfortable when the weather is
|> warmer?
When the weather gets warmer, a warmer bag does become overkill.
Up to a point, you can open zippers and bleed off some internal
heat from the bag, but there are limits to this strategy. No one
bag I know about excells in both cold and warm conditions.
If I were you, I'd aim for something rated to 30deg. The ratings,
like EPA mileage estimates, are a shade optimistic. I wouldn't
go lower than 30, based on what you said.
However, if you are in the far West, remember that both deserts
and mountains get cold at night, even in summer. 30deg isn't all
that uncommon at 5000 ft. You can always take an extra blanket
or two in the car, though. Then you're covered.
|> I invariably sleep on my side. Are some bags better than others for
|> this? Are the so-called 'mummy' bags better suited for non-side
|> sleepers?
The advantage of mummy bags is in their weight/warmth ratio. If you
aren't backpacking, weight becomes a non-issue. Roomier bags are
less warm for the amount of fill, but more comfy if you move around
a lot.
|> I'm exactly 6ft tall. Although most/all of the 'regular' sized bags
|> say they fit up to 6ft, am I better off paying more to get a longer
|> bag?
Since weight isn't an issue, go for the longer bag.
|> I've been eyeing the REI Shasta bags because I like a lot of the
|> features. Are the REI bags of good quality?
I have used REI equipment extensively for 34 years. The quality
is usually very good and the value is usually excellent.
--
Brian McLaughlin, Tech Writer|"Thanks to the Internet, misinformation
Credence Systems, Inc. | now travels faster than ever before!"
Beaverton, OR, USA | ---- Standard disclaimer applies ---
DrDeath
that is right for a summer night at a local lake, at 4700 ft. will
definately chill your butt on the same night at a nearby lake at 11,000 ft.
Conversely, you will be sleeping on top of a bag at 4700 ft that would have
been just right at 11,000 ft. But since you are not concerned about weight,
forget about down. Concentrate on synthetic fills. But I think you'll
find that more than one bag may be needed, and therefore, the price of
synthetic over down makes sense. I own 5 bags, everything from a
lightweight, down, 0degree mummy bag for backpacking in spring and fall hi
altitude, to heavy weight rectangular car camping bags, to a light weight
bag for low altitude summer camping and backpacking. Actually I own more
bags than that, but that's only because I'm a packrat. I even still own the
first sleeping bags my wife and I bought from Cabela's when it was still
just a couple of shelves in the basement of a furniture store by the same
name. They (the bags) are retired now, but still usable. The point is,
even though they were pretty low dollar, they are still OK bags. So my
philosophy is why buy a single, high dollar bag, when several of lesser cost
will serve your needs much better. My dos centavos.
"Bruce" <br...@aristotle.net> wrote in message
news:d3b3c84d.02022...@posting.google.com...
cy...@tiny.net.invalid
>Hello!
>
>I am just getting into doing a little weekend camping here and there
>and am interested in getting a decent quality sleeping bag.
Decent quality at a good price would be (forgive me experienced
campers) a Coleman 0F bag. Rectangular or semi-rectangular.
Synthetic. Inexpensive and comfortable. In summer, just lie down on
top of it. I have some fairly expensive bags, but the Coleman comes
out when I'm car camping. Use a pad underneath unless the weather is
really really hot or you don't mind hard ground.
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