I Need Sleeping Bag Suggestions

[Alien VFR]

Who can suggest a good bag for a long trip?

Waterproof space is limited, so I'm mainly looking for something that packs small and tight. I don't need anything that's super-cold temp rated.

What have you used, and what would you suggest?

[5thGenJim]

Who can suggest a good bag for a long trip?

Waterproof space is limited, so I'm mainly looking for something that packs small and tight. I don't need anything that's super-cold temp rated.

What have you used, and what would you suggest?

I have a 20* Slumberjack Latitude bag that I use for most camping trips. It jams into a stuff sack and isn't much bigger than a good loaf of bread.

If it gets colder, I have another bag, or a liner, or an extra blanket just in case. Hell, once camping last February it dropped to 11* overnight (Boy Scouts Klondike Derby). Brutal cold and nothing worked to keep me warm...

[vt600c]

For 2 wheel camping I use a cheap-ola Wally world bad. Not a full mummy style bag but not a full retangle bag...it's somewhere in between. It even has a small inflatable pillow that fits in a pocket so it stays in place while you saw logs.

20 bucks. If it gets damaged or super wet on a trip I can toss and replace it without worry...just replace it. I mainly use it for warm WX camping but if I need extra warmth I just toss my Aerostich on top and stay nice and comfy.

Cheap and works well.

[YoshiHNS]

I've used a Marmot Trestles bag for a while now. It packs into the size of a basketball. Think it was the long version. It was a -9C bag, and it sure was warm. If I used it in any temperature above 60F, even just laying on the thing with it open was too warm. Was a great bag, and costed me under $100. Then it ended up in the dryer, and that was that.

Finding something that's going to pack small and still be warm enough to be worthwhile isn't going to be cheap. Even on summer days it still drops into the 40Fs at the campgrounds in Allegany. I wouldn't go for any bag that wasn't at least rated for 30F.

Trying to find what the smallest packing bag I can find. Seems most tap out at 8" dia and 15" length.

[ECX585]

Big Agnes Encampment sleeping bag with a Thermarest sleeping mat. Dry sacks made for boating work well for waterproof storage.

[rangemaster]

Look on Sierra Trading Post for cheap but good quality bags. If you want warm and super compresable, down. But if it might get wet synthetic is the only way to go, you just can't get it to pack quite as small. The degree ratings are what will sustain life, NOT give you a Holiday Inn sleep.

[gll429]

i bought some cheepo plastiv thing from k mart.. because it was waterproof.. and bought a blanket from BIEDERLACK BLANKETS.

temp dropped to 10* and i was toasty :rolleyes:

[ArTravlR]

Army Surplus Tri-bag System, one very warm cold weather bag that stuffs into a light weight summer bag that stuffs into a Gore-Tex bivy bag. I just use the summer bag with the bivy sack. Rarely pitch a tent, always dry. I think I paid $50 ten years ago for the whole system at a Gun & Knife Show. Works great. Made by Slumberjay (?).

If you want new try Wiggy's at either Aerostich or direct...http://www.wiggys.com/

[vfrcapn]

Big Agnes Encampment sleeping bag with a Thermarest sleeping mat. Dry sacks made for boating work well for waterproof storage.

:rolleyes: to that set up, has worked well for me.

[YoshiHNS]

You could get a bivy sack, which really helps keep you warm at night, and would mean you wouldn't necessarily need a tent. Should keep weather out while riding if packed right, removes the tent from the cargo. Problem is that I would want to have a tent to keep equipment and that in.

[Knife]

Whichever bag you get, also get a 100% waterproof roll-top dry bag for it. Then stick your sleep mat in and let it unroll to support the dry bag, stuff the sleeping bag in loose but tight inside the mat, throw your pillow in and whatever else you need for sleep (Teddy Bear, condoms, urinal, baby blankie, etc.), instead of wasting time rolling it up each morning and trying to get it back in the bag it came in, and then inside another bag. Saves tons of time and frustration, and guarantees dry bedding.

Check this out for packing suggestions: http://www.racerpart...enTwowheels.pdf

[texasvfr]

It comes down to climate and money.If you travel into wet conditions synthetic fibers are the way to go, Polar Guard etc. If you are going mainly into dry areas goose down is the way to go.

To pack small invest in a good quality stuff sacks - they are well worth the money to compress the bulk of anything down to a reasonable size. I also use a stuff sack for clothes, roll clothes up instead of folding them.

By all means buy a Therma rest sleeping pad. I use a Therma Rest pad and a Expeda pad from Twisted Throttle com.which brings the rated temp. on any bag way down.

Since we have horsepower we do not have to worry about the weight of items(like backpackers have to worry about)but we have to pare the bulk of the items that we carry.

Another tip- divide your gear in half when you load up. On one side store hard items that can get wet- cooking gear,stoves,tents,tools,water containers.On the other side store soft items that you want to keep dry,sleeping bags , clothes,shoes,food,flashlights and fire starters.Of course, store these items in waterproof gear.

[YoshiHNS]

Big Agnes also makes a sleeping pad. Around 1" thick inflated, but it still does the trick. Packs into the size of a nalgene bottle, maybe a bit smaller. Need to inflate it yourself, but cause it's thin it only take a few minutes. I bought mine when they were only around $40, but I think they've become quite a bit more expensive since.

I think the therma-rest pads have that self-inflating feature, which is nice, but they don't pack down as small.

So what is the use/budget of all this? If you really wanted to, you could just up the money for one of those crazy artic weather sleeping bags that are waterproof and all that jazz. But that's some serious dough right there.

[Dutchy]

As for Therma-Rest, you donot need a full length. As long as you have shoulder to hip, you have the main mass and pressure points covered. This way you save a little space but still have a comfortably isolation from ground cold.

Bring a wooly hat and wear that at night, eliminating heat loss via the head (unless you have a mummy-style sleeping bag)

This btw holds true in cold weather walking too...