Anyone here own a Big Agnes sleeping bag?
B. Peg
as well as they claim and if you can roll over better than a traditional
mummy bag? I'm tired of twisting up in a mummy and rolling off the pad and
will make the move if needed.
Tia.
B~
Phil Williamson
hear anyone's opinion on it.. It's got great reviews and seems like an
ingenious idea. The pillow also has a compartment to stop it from moving
also.
Phil..
"B. Peg" <bent...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:1TLFe.38934$5N3....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
M. MacDonald
"B. Peg" <bent...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:1TLFe.38934$5N3....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
:
M. MacDonald
site for a sale price of $208 (20% off) and they even threw in the Big Agnes
pillow with it (free shipping too!). I have an oversized Thermarest
Expedition (25"x75" I think) pad so it should fit. Supposed to show up
Tuesday.
I was also tired of rolling off the pad. Amazing how a 2" pad feels like
falling off the home bed at night. The older mummy was getting a bit tight
too. I always snagged the zipper - which seemed to make it even smaller
for some reason - when I needed out quick in the middle of the night.
I'll see and post back. May not to get to use it for a couple of weeks
though.
Mack
Phil Williamson
to get it in the next coming weeks for a trip at the end of august. I'll
let you know how I like it with the big agnes pad and pillow.
Phil..
"M. MacDonald" <mma...@bc.cc.ca.us> wrote in message
news:EnrHe.139$W4.9...@okeanos.csu.net...
Patrick, Whit
1TLFe.38934$5N3....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, "B. Peg"
<bent...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
My wife and I both use Big Agnes bags with Big Agnes insulated blow up
mattresses. I can't say enough good about the system. It is warm down to the
advertised temperature. The blow ups insulate nicely, provide better
padding, and are durable. It takes a bit longer to set up because of the
blow-up, but they take up much less space.
You don't can't roll off your mattress. The bags have enough girth so
side-sleepers are comfortable.
B. Peg
Here's my review.
Bottom Pad:
I was afraid the Therm-A-Rest Expedition pad I already had (it comes without
a pad) would be too long as it hung out of the top of the bag. It stuck out
the top by maybe 7 inches or so. Oh, well, least the sides were okay. I
later learned the sleeve has an upper portion that flips over the pad and a
Velcro tab holds the entire pad in the sleeve (I haven't read the
instructions!). I did clip off the corners of the Therm-A-Rest pad as the
Big Agnes 12"x16"x2" air pillow (looks like a bunch of long cylinders when
blown up) has nice rounded corners that don't hang on insertion into its
pocket. Might save a fabric tear later on. It also goes in a little better
if it isn't fully inflated so you can bend it.
The Pillow:
The pillow pocket is on the inside of the bag; the Therm-A-Rest Expedition
pocket is on the outside under the bag. Everything stays in place. The
site campsaver.com included the Big Agnes pillow in the $208 sale price
(normally it would be $249 plus another $25 or so for the pillow, thanks
Mack!!). Sweet!
I wasn't crazy about the air pillow (takes about three big puffs to inflate)
when I first saw it as it seemed too "cylinderish" for me compared to a nice
homestyle pillow. However, the open areas between the cylinders allow a
place for your ear to rest in so maybe it is better in design than I give it
credit for. It also rests inside a slip-top cover as does the outer bottom
pad. It folds in half when deflated and stores in a open-web stuff bag with
a drawstring top. When I was in the bag, the pad rested right where it
should at the bottom of my head and the top of my shoulder so I could roll
over.
Bag:
Down filled (650+ down), oversized mummy-shaped bag with the 2" Therm-A-Rest
Expedition pad installed, it looks to be around 5" high (ground to top of
bag). Zipper hasn't snagged...yet. The top zipper pull has a long 3-4" tab
(usable inside or out), smaller bottom pull has none at foot. I will remedy
that with a shoelace pull of my own as getting air in the bottom of the bag
when it's hot is necessary at times. Foot and head area looks to have more
loft than the mid-section and shoulder area as I view it on the floor. Nice
embroidery near foot with BA logo and Park Summit 15 degree. All embroidery
lettering was trimmed and no jump stitches were seen so someone was proud of
the stitching. Interior is a slicker and shiner black nylon than the outer.
Color is a much darker green than the paler green shown in the pictures of
the Summit Park 15 bag online.
It is roomy enough that I can pull my knees up without snagging as in my
older Northface mummy. Plenty of foot room too. I can roll over without
the bag shoulders following me around and knotting up. Pad stays on the
bottom. Sides rest quite high on the shoulders and has the typical Velcro
tab at the top of the zipper. The elastic drawstring cord to close the face
port is attached to the tab on the bag's outside shoulder so it cannot get
lost, but it is in a more awkward location for me to search once it is drawn
up for closure. It closed down to maybe 5 inches, or just enough for me to
get claustrophobic and bail out (I need a shrink!). Oh well, I couldn't
stand for the claustrophobic bivy sacks either.
I did find the bag is roomy enough that it is possible to roll the upper
part of the bag off the Therm-A-Rest pad if I try, but it's nowhere as bad
as the whole bag falling off the pad and the two slipping off each other all
night. That was bad and makes sound sleeping an effort. Maybe this is the
answer?
Also, I wonder if the 3-4 inches of loft makes it a 15 degree bag since it
is also roomier as well? I have tossed those chemical heat packs in my own
bags to warm them up before bedtime. May be a necessity here if it is
colder out, but I also cannot tolerate cold as well as some. It may be a 35
degree bag for me.
It came with the standard small black nylon stuff sack (I'll estimate it to
be 7"x16") with a handle at the end. A larger white cotton storage bag
(pillowcase size) comes with it too. I have a CampMor.com Compression Sack
and I would recommend one as the thing is much wider and it came rolled
inside a long 36" wide plastic bag. Edges of the nylon stuff bag were
serged which adds a nicer feel than the burned nylon edge on some cheaper
bags (it was made in China). The sleeping bag stitching looks good,
although one interior seam rubs on my knee. Has hanging tabs at the foot
end.
Lying on the floor it looks to be 38" in outside width (with a 25" wide
Therm-A-Rest pad inside) and maybe 78" long. Two side-by-side or zipped
together will eat a lot of floorspace up over the standard mummy. I'm 6
foot, pushing 190 pounds, and I have plenty of room to scoot around in both
up/down and side/side.
So far I'm giving it positive marks on the pillow idea as I never owned a
bag with that concept. It cannot shift about and is adjustable via the air
valve. Big positive is that I can turn over or sleep on my side where the
older mummy would eventually tie up around me. Hopefully, I will remain on
the pad and not try and roll the upper bag part off the Therm-A-Rest pad.
Downside would be that it takes longer to set up and take down than a
regular bag. Also, you need a lot of length space to slip the inflated
Therm-A-Rest pad into the bag. One slight advantage to the assembly process
was that I could see the down was getting lofted while I was fussing getting
both the pillow and Therm-A-Rest pad it their respective sleeves.
Washing instructions were typical front loader laundromat type. Cold to
warm water. No top loader (I have done it before with down bags in a
Fisher-Pakel top loader machine, prefilled, and on delicate cycle). No
drycleaning. Use tennis balls to break up down pocketing in the bag during
drying on low heat. Use down bag wash.
I'll try it outdoors in the next couple of weeks. Here's to hoping I sleep
soundly.
B~
Cyli
wrote:
(snipped)
>I wasn't crazy about the air pillow (takes about three big puffs to inflate)
>when I first saw it as it seemed too "cylinderish" for me compared to a nice
>homestyle pillow. However, the open areas between the cylinders allow a
>place for your ear to rest in so maybe it is better in design than I give it
>credit for.
You don't have to inflate inflatable stuff all full and tight. You
can leave it squishy or let some air out later to make it squishier.
I never, for instance, use a pad (even ThermaRest) fully inflated to
sleep on. If I wanted solid, I'd get solid. I have inflatable stuff
so I can sink into it a little bit or a lot. That's where I feel the
comfort zone is.
Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: cyl...@gmail.com.invalid (strip the .invalid to email)
David
rated to 15F, and have PolarGuard 3D fill. The current models use
PolarGuard Delta.
I always use a Jag Bag silk liner, because it helps keep my bag immaculately
clean. And it's more comfortable sleeping on silk.
http://www.jagbags.co.nz/products.htm Jag Bags custom-designed the liner to
fit both bags zipped together in a conference call between Jag Bags in New
Zealand, myself in New York and Big Agnes in Colorado. Frankly, I was
skeptical that the liner would fit perfectly, despite all the meticulous
measuring and conversations back and forth, but the finished product
exceeded my expectations. The liner has a form fitting elastic band in the
edge of the hooded part, and Velcro closures you can fold down to use it
when it's warm with the bag unzipped.
I do not use Big Agnes's pad. Instead, I use Exped's Down Air Mattress.
When it's fully inflated, it makes the bag a little taut, but not
uncomfortably so. However, I never fully inflate the Down Air Mattress, as
it is softer and conforms to my back better when it is underinflated. I'd
say that sleeping with two bags together is actually better than sleeping on
my firm queen mattress at home, because of the squishiness of the Down Air
Mattress.
I've used the bags in the mid 30F's. As a practical matter, when you have
two bags zipped together, it's not very thermally efficient, because you
have an air space around your body and a gap to let air in at the top of
your bag. I stuffed a Marmot Parbat jacket with 700 rating down fill in the
bags' opening, and wore a medium weight long underwear top and medium weight
balaclava on my head. When both hoods are mated, they fit too loosely to
really contour around your head.. However, using this setup, I was
perfectly warm. When I use the bag alone (i.e., not mated), the hood fits
OK, but if you cinch it taut, I can feel the cord through the upper part of
the hood opening. By comparison, my EMS Boreal 20F mummy bag has a better
fitting hood, and I never can feel the cord pressing against my face when I
cinch it to minimize the opening for my face.
The pillow sack, which is stitched to the top of the bag, in my opinion,
could be eliminated. This is because I liked to move the pillow around to
exactly where I want it, and not it in the sack connected to the bag.
My biggest complaint about using two mated bags is the gap between them.
While this is not a problems if the two persons sharing the bag stay on
"their" side of the bag, there may be instances in which you may want to
share the middle part of the bag, and the problem is that the gap is as wide
as your hand with your fingers spread apart. Some clothing stuffed
underneath the gap may be a partial solution, but I wish Big Agnes would
come up with an inflatable wedge to fill the gap.
Notwithstanding these shortcoming, I am satisfied with my Big Agnes. Some
day I might consider getting the down filled, but waterproof Shield series,
specifically the 15F Deep Creek, which would save 7 ounces per bag over the
Encampment, but only if they come out with a version with a zipper which
wraps around the foot, so you can open the bag like a flat quilt. It's also
nearly twice as expensive as the Encampment.