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Outdoor Gear Recommendations

tsywake

tsywake

Sheikh of Smoke
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Campers of the pit. It is time for me to purchase another sleeping bag, as I have outgrown my previous bag that I've used since my time in the Boy Scouts. I'm looking for something under $100 that will be good down to just below freezing. I rarely would be camping in extremely cold temperatures, more likely in the 30-50 degree range. For warmer temps I'm fine sleeping on top of it with a sheet. I'd prefer a mummy bag, and I'm tall and a pretty big guy. Any bags you'd recommend?
 
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tsywake said:
Campers of the pit. It is time for me to purchase another sleeping bag, as I have outgrown my previous bag that I've used since my time in the Boy Scouts. I'm looking for something under $100 that will be good down to just below freezing. I rarely would be camping in extremely cold temperatures, more likely in the 30-50 degree range. For warmer temps I'm fine sleeping on top of it with a sheet. I'd prefer a mummy bag, and I'm tall and a pretty big guy. Any bags you'd recommend?
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Edited in light of discussion below: remember to check how true the brand's temp ratings are so you don't freeze your balls off.
 
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bojanglefunk said:
Haven't bought one in a while, but remember that the temp rating is typically the temp where the bag keeps you from freezing, not the temp where you aren't cold.
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eh, it's more like where you aren't cold. a 15* bag should keep you comfortable in 15*. granted, it's all totally subjective, but that's the idea.
 
bojanglefunk said:
Haven't bought one in a while, but remember that the temp rating is typically the temp where the bag keeps you from freezing, not the temp where you aren't cold.
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but also remember that whatever temp it is outside isn't necessarily what temp the bag needs to be. it's the full combination of your clothing, etc. so if you're looking to go lighter weight (i'm a lightweight backpacker who has to trim fractions of ounces where possible, since my base weight for my pack...everything other than water and food...is 10 pounds), you don't need quite such a low rating. is this going to be for actual backpacking? or is it going to be for car camping? if car camping, then you obviously don't have to worry about weight or anything at all.

also, some brands are pretty true to their rating, some aren't. 20 degrees from patagonia can be totally different than 20 degrees from lafuma.

my main bag is a 40 degree adrenaline from golite.com. i don't enjoy winter camping, so the 40 degree is sufficient for 99% of what i like to do. i also have a 20 degree cat's cradle from northface, but it's SO much heavier that i avoid using it at all costs (unless i'm car camping so that the weight doesn't matter). all of these types of bags come in "regular" or "long," so length shouldn't be an issue.
 
lbE08 said:
eh, it's more like where you aren't cold. a 15* bag should keep you comfortable in 15*. granted, it's all totally subjective, but that's the idea.
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Don't know if things have changed since I was doing a lot of backpacking, but I always found I needed a bag that was rated about 10 degrees colder when it was super cold out and I am not cold natured at all.
 
How tall are you? I'm over 6'5 and have a relatively cheap mummy bag from campmor that rocks. It's just barely long enough though so if you are over that it wouldn't work.

You want a 40 degree bag given your description. Anything colder and you wasted money and are going to be hot a lot.
 
DeacHoops said:
but also remember that whatever temp it is outside isn't necessarily what temp the bag needs to be. it's the full combination of your clothing, etc. so if you're looking to go lighter weight (i'm a lightweight backpacker who has to trim fractions of ounces where possible, since my base weight for my pack...everything other than water and food...is 10 pounds), you don't need quite such a low rating. is this going to be for actual backpacking? or is it going to be for car camping? if car camping, then you obviously don't have to worry about weight or anything at all.

also, some brands are pretty true to their rating, some aren't. 20 degrees from patagonia can be totally different than 20 degrees from lafuma.

my main bag is a 40 degree adrenaline from golite.com. i don't enjoy winter camping, so the 40 degree is sufficient for 99% of what i like to do. i also have a 20 degree cat's cradle from northface, but it's SO much heavier that i avoid using it at all costs (unless i'm car camping so that the weight doesn't matter). all of these types of bags come in "regular" or "long," so length shouldn't be an issue.
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This likely explains the difference between my post and lbe's. I used to do a lot of camping/backpacking up in mountains between Nov. and February in high school so the temps were pretty freezing. Woke up several morning with frozen hair.
 
bojanglefunk said:
Don't know if things have changed since I was doing a lot of backpacking, but I always found I needed a bag that was rated about 10 degrees colder when it was super cold out and I am not cold natured at all.
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i think lbe is technically right, but i also think my comment above is relevant to this (some brands are true to temp ratings, some are not). it's possible you've just always used one of the brands that's not as true to temp ratings.

i'm kind of with you...my 40 doesn't generally keep me legitimately warm if it's 40 degrees. but there are also little tips you can learn to help this out. like that sleeping bags work by reflecting your own heat back to you. so if you are warm when you get in the bag, it'll keep you much warmer. on chilly nights i'll do a few jumping jacks or crunches or something before getting in the bag, and that helps a LOT.

it's also important to note that, especially with down bags, the bags will lose some of their warmth over time. if your little feathers are coming out of the bag, eventually that 40 degree bag is really going to be more like 45-50.
 
lbE08 said:
http://www.rei.com/product/808788/rei-polar-pod-25-sleeping-bag

polar pod +25* bag, you should get it in the "long" (78").

20% off coupon starts this weekend.

/endthread
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Do you have any access to an online code for the coupon? The wife has an REI card, but I'm not sure if she still gets coupons.

DeacHoops said:
is this going to be for actual backpacking? or is it going to be for car camping? if car camping, then you obviously don't have to worry about weight or anything at all.
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Primarily car camping right now, but I'd like to get back into backcountry hiking again. Its been about 15 years since I last went backpacking. Compacted size and weight arent too much of a concern, I always managed to get my 1960s era Coleman bag to fit in my pack and with my frame, I can carry the extra weight.

Toogs said:
How tall are you? I'm over 6'5 and have a relatively cheap mummy bag from campmor that rocks. It's just barely long enough though so if you are over that it wouldn't work.
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Just under 6'2.
 
just get a good sleeping pad and the temp rating will matter less. also depends heavily on what you like to sleep in (just boxers, pants/shirt, etc)
 
lbE08 said:
http://www.rei.com/product/808788/rei-polar-pod-25-sleeping-bag

polar pod +25* bag, you should get it in the "long" (78").

20% off coupon starts this weekend.

/endthread
Click to expand...

This. I have a Polar Pod +25 and I have absolutely no complaints. I spend about 20-30 nights a year sleeping in the backcountry, so it can get quite cold outside and the bag has taken a beating over the years, but it's light, packable, easy to clean and pretty resilient (not to mention a fraction of the price of most brand name bags). Height shouldn't be a big issue if you get a longer bag. My only question for you is whether or not you've ever slept in a mummy bag. It's worth taking into account your sleeping style — I toss and turn and generally like to sleep on my side, which isn't good for mummy bags. Those are typically for people who sleep on their backs and don't move much. I find the mummy bag restrictive when I get rolling around in the night, and I wake up all the time with the bag upside down or the zipper in my face. Just something to think about.
 
CrapshootDeac said:
It's worth taking into account your sleeping style — I toss and turn and generally like to sleep on my side, which isn't good for mummy bags. Those are typically for people who sleep on their backs and don't move much. I find the mummy bag restrictive when I get rolling around in the night, and I wake up all the time with the bag upside down or the zipper in my face. Just something to think about.
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ugh, this is so true. i usually sleep on my stomach with one leg kind of stuck out to the side. that's completely impossible in a mummy bag, which means i usually sleep horribly on my first few nights out. thankfully, after that, exhaustion kicks in and my body can learn to sleep however it has to. but if it's just a weekend trip, my body doesn't have time to adjust.
 
If I have the space, ie at home in the bed, I toss and turn. Generally in a sleeping bag I stay on my back though. My previous go to winter bag was a down military surplus mummy bag, but my wife is highly allergic to down so we've had to get rid of it. I always had an issue of my shoulders getting cold with a traditional bag during the winter, so I started out with mummy bags when I was a cub scout.
 
Not something to skimp on if you're planning to get a lot of use out of it. And sounds like a 20 degree bag would work pretty well for your needs. I love my mountain hardware bag, but it's about 6-7 years old, so I'm not sure I could recommend the exact one, but it was in the Lamina series IIRC.
 
Mine is an REI bag, can't remember the model right now but it has kept me plenty warm. I believe it is a 30 degree mummy bag. Very light weight, but as others said it depends on what camping you are going to be doing.

Even if you order offline, go to a store (like REI) first and look at the bags. The sales people will let you get in one to see how it feels and to see if you need a standard size or a long size. Sounds like you will need a long bag.

You can pay alot for brand names, but I have not had any problems with REI brand stuff I've gotten and they are generally cheaper in price.
 
...teeeechnically REI is a "brand name", they just put more $ into R&D and less into design/aesthetics and can get away with costing a LOT less, especially in camping gear. just saying :)

re: coupon code. it should post on the website when the member coupon starts (on friday) what it is- you just need to make sure you enter your member number upon checking out so you have access to use the coupon code. if for some reason you can't find it, PM me and I'll give you the code (it's no secret/cheater information- it's the same for everyone, you just have to be a member to use it).
 
Good deal. We may drive over to the one in Greensboro this weekend to look at a few in person. Since she's got her membership card, I would assume they'd honor it the same way in store?
 
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