Yeah, I remember fondly a soggy down sleeping bag on an Alaskan glacier. It only took 5 days to dry out... it was a -20F bag, when dry. You're right, I never let that happen again.
-
Happy Birthday, U.S. Marine Corps (1775)! 🇺🇸 🪖
Sleeping Bags
- Thread starter Johnny 5
- Start date
I use a 50 degree down NF mummy as a top quilt and have since the early 90's. It works great, although I am thinking about a newer down quilt to replace it.
It's interesting to read what everyone uses for camping, gives a perspective on what folks do to address individual needs. The one thing that is apparent is that there are a lot of different camping styles and locations being covered here and IMO there are no universal sleeping solutions.
I am pretty firmly in the down camp for my topquilt and underquilts (hammock camper) and if I happen to be in a tent, then I substitute a Exped Downmat 5 or 9 for the underquilt.
While I wouldn't suggest replacing a sleeping bag because I feel TQs are a better option, I wouldn't buy another sleeping bag as I feel TQs are a superior piece of gear, compared to a sleeping bag.
Down versus synthetic is another lively topic for insulation ... down is hands down better for packing and thermal performance, while synthetic has the advantage of superior wet performance. In 45+ years of camping, I have been lucky and never had more than a bit of water spotting ... so getting waterlogged is not high on my personal worries for sleeping gear selection.
Moisture accumulation (with any insulation),at night, is an ongoing topic every year over on Hammock Forums (much more so than here), so it is a continuing issue that folks face all the time. Both down and synthetic breath well and should allow moisture to pass with no issues ... however, there always seem to be issues (with both) and it is almost always comes down to how the insulation is being used. Some people overdress for sleep, some over insulate, with winter camping a breath bib is useful in preventing frosting around the head area .... some times solutions offered are counter intuitive, like when people go to bed fully clothed with layers and are still cold, typical response to that is that additional layers of clothes impair the insulation's ability to keep you warm ... shedding the layers resolves the issue in lots of cases. The point here is that if you fall outside what is considered "normal" moisture production at night, you may have to do a lot more research to figure out a solution that works for your situation.
A few years ago I borrowed (appropriated?) my wife's sewing machine and taught myself to sew. Sewing gear (tarps/hammocks etc) including quilts gave me a chance to handle quite a few different types of fabrics and get a feel for their characteristics. Bringing this back to topic , when you buy a bag or quilt from a "big" store or company, you typically get a lot of info on the insulation and very little on the fabric ... when you consider that the fabric plays a pretty big role in the comfort and performance of the product ... there is a good reason to consider using the smaller, more specialized cottage vendors for camping quilts ... you get complete information on what your gear is made of, you can customize most of the performance stuff and even talk to a real live person to get good advice on what you likely need.
I am pretty firmly in the down camp for my topquilt and underquilts (hammock camper) and if I happen to be in a tent, then I substitute a Exped Downmat 5 or 9 for the underquilt.
While I wouldn't suggest replacing a sleeping bag because I feel TQs are a better option, I wouldn't buy another sleeping bag as I feel TQs are a superior piece of gear, compared to a sleeping bag.
Down versus synthetic is another lively topic for insulation ... down is hands down better for packing and thermal performance, while synthetic has the advantage of superior wet performance. In 45+ years of camping, I have been lucky and never had more than a bit of water spotting ... so getting waterlogged is not high on my personal worries for sleeping gear selection.
Moisture accumulation (with any insulation),at night, is an ongoing topic every year over on Hammock Forums (much more so than here), so it is a continuing issue that folks face all the time. Both down and synthetic breath well and should allow moisture to pass with no issues ... however, there always seem to be issues (with both) and it is almost always comes down to how the insulation is being used. Some people overdress for sleep, some over insulate, with winter camping a breath bib is useful in preventing frosting around the head area .... some times solutions offered are counter intuitive, like when people go to bed fully clothed with layers and are still cold, typical response to that is that additional layers of clothes impair the insulation's ability to keep you warm ... shedding the layers resolves the issue in lots of cases. The point here is that if you fall outside what is considered "normal" moisture production at night, you may have to do a lot more research to figure out a solution that works for your situation.
A few years ago I borrowed (appropriated?) my wife's sewing machine and taught myself to sew. Sewing gear (tarps/hammocks etc) including quilts gave me a chance to handle quite a few different types of fabrics and get a feel for their characteristics. Bringing this back to topic , when you buy a bag or quilt from a "big" store or company, you typically get a lot of info on the insulation and very little on the fabric ... when you consider that the fabric plays a pretty big role in the comfort and performance of the product ... there is a good reason to consider using the smaller, more specialized cottage vendors for camping quilts ... you get complete information on what your gear is made of, you can customize most of the performance stuff and even talk to a real live person to get good advice on what you likely need.
Distantly related, I also sew some of my own gear.
I am always amazed at the cost savings and improvement in quality (after a short learning curve) that you can achieve by making your own stuff.
I’ve made a dozen pairs of bike shorts using the best wicking fabrics. Total cost was less than a single pair of shorts from the big name suppliers.
I happen to not like any padding in my bike shorts…all of the top sellers have thick pads sewn in place. I happen to have a very specific set of calluses developed over a long period of time, and find the pads superfluous and uncomfortable.
I haven’t yet made my own sleeping bags, but I guess there’s still time for that too!
I am always amazed at the cost savings and improvement in quality (after a short learning curve) that you can achieve by making your own stuff.
I’ve made a dozen pairs of bike shorts using the best wicking fabrics. Total cost was less than a single pair of shorts from the big name suppliers.
I happen to not like any padding in my bike shorts…all of the top sellers have thick pads sewn in place. I happen to have a very specific set of calluses developed over a long period of time, and find the pads superfluous and uncomfortable.
I haven’t yet made my own sleeping bags, but I guess there’s still time for that too!
Same with me.
In the mountains I use a down bag. For rivers we are usually down much lower in the West. I use blankets often or a synthetic bag.
Hate sleeping bags, and sometimes I breakdance in my sleep. Also my dog gets cold as he has no under coat. Therefore, wool blanket or synthetic blanket for us.
I hammock camp now so I am inclined towards using my quilts: a 20℉ (down) top quilt and a 25℉ (synthetic) underquilt. When the temps get below 30, I bring my Black Ice Timberline bag I've had since the late 80s; which, with the addition of the zip-on mantle, gets me down -5℉.
I posted (#3) earlier... on a recent ADK's trip which was pretty cold I zipped my synthetic puffy jacket up fully, then slipped the jacket fully over my down quilt foot box. I tend to get cold feet at night and it helped immensely. Had it truly been core-chilling cold I would have worn the jacket in the quilt for additional warmth, then donned additional socks and even put the quilt foot box into my backpack.
if your feet get cold, think about a pair of down booties ... they are awesome for cold feet and pack small.
