Expensive Sleeping Bags

GA_gal · 12-19-2012, 07:59 PM

My husband and I are planning a winter camping trip in the North GA mountains. It will probably be below freezing at night during the few days that we're camping, so do we need expensive sleeping bags? Are the expensive ones always better?

**CozInCowtown** · 12-19-2012, 09:45 PM

IMO you generally get what you pay for.
That being said, there is alot to be said for your current sleeping bag and an extra blanket or two.
Also depends on what type of camping or backpacking you do.
DC

Theosus · 12-19-2012, 11:32 PM

A lot of the more expensive ones are made for lighter backpacking.

Example: a $200, synthetic filled 20* sleeping bag may weigh about 2.75 pounds and squash down to around the size of a basketball.

A $400 down filled 20* bag may weigh 2.5 pounds and squash down to the size of a 5 pound sack of sugar.

For car campers (or folks with large packs) the 1/4 pound might be worth saving $200. But for lightweight backpackers with smaller packs, that size and weight savings May be well worth it.

But most likely both will keep you warm and last for a while.

ponderosa · 12-20-2012, 12:12 AM

If you're car camping, bring any sleeping bag and extra blankets if you think you might need them. Remember something underneath you to insulate you from the cold ground. That could be a closed cell foam pad, or a pile of blankets.
If you're backpacking, the more expensive bag is probably worth it. The extra money will buy you more warmth and better long-term durability for less weight and better compressibility (things that aren't important if you're camping near the car and not carrying gear a long way).

OwenM · 12-20-2012, 12:15 AM

edit: what ponderosa said while I was typing all this stuff...

Better is relative. You're generally paying for weight(lack of) and compressibility.
If you're planning to backpack regularly, a down bag with 800 or higher count down is going to give you a lot of value, if for no other reason than buying a cheaper, heavier bag will only leave you buying a more expensive one later. I don't think you can beat Marmot for bang for the buck in a high quality down bag, but Western Mountaineering generally has them beat a little on weight, and is spoken of as having the highest quality(I use 800 fill Marmot bags, but have no illusions about them being the "best").
For car camping, you can probably get on one of the discount sites and find a heavier synthetic or 550-600wt down bag for less than 1/2, even 1/3 the price.
If you're not sure, for the money, and a good combination of manageable weight and accurate temp rating at a reasonable price, The North Face's Cat's Meow is what I would look at. The new ones are a pound lighter than the one I have from ~15yrs ago, and warmer, yet the price is the same, last I looked. This is probably the longest standing model on the market, and has been upgraded repeatedly, and gets great reviews. I know the men's version is EN-rated to 23F.

Grandpa · 12-20-2012, 12:45 AM

I had half a page written but didn't say nothing that the others already covered.

One thing to watch for when buying a cheaper bag. Some companies now are putting a rating on their bag that doesn't match the industry standards. I bought a 0 degree bag on the internet that sounded like a good deal. It arrived in the spring and that night was frosty so I tried it out on the lawn. I didn't last a half hour at 25 degrees. Called the seller the next day and he said "oh, that 0 degree is a survival rating, not a comfort rating." Oh well, another lesson learned and another grandkid got a good summer bag. They can put up with more than I can.

bsmit212 · 12-20-2012, 06:58 AM

I agree with everyone, more expensive does not mean more comfort or better. It more depends on what you are using it for. I to am a GA boy and have spent several night in north GA. I have never need anything more than my 20 degree bag. Another thing to note, wife personal experiance from our first trip together. We were camping in north GA for my B-day, in January on Blood Mnt. I was in my 20 degree and she was using a 15 degree that I had. I was in my undies and just happy. She was warpped up in pants sweet shirts and a bunch of other clothing and complaning about being cold. I could not convince her to take some clothing off that she would be more comfortable. The next trip I was finally able to and she was so surprised that it was better. So don't wear a bunch of cloths to bed b/c then your body heat won't heat up the bag and will more or less be useless.

To Grandpa's point, same thing happend to a friend of mine just getting into camping recently. He was so happy he had found a great deal on a "25 degree" bag online. He brought it over after it came in, I looked at it and it was pretty much the same as my 55 degree REI bag. I advised him to not trust it on a 25 degree night. haha.

ppine · 12-20-2012, 10:14 AM

There have never been any standards for comfort ratings.
More expensive bags use down and other materials with more loft. They have more internal baffles to control the distribution of the insulation. There are no sewn thru spots. They last longer.

For a single short trip by truck, I would use multiple bags or a sleeping bag with several blankets. No need to spend any money. Sleep with your honey and some big dogs. Use a tent to keep the dew and breeze off. Ponderosa mentioned the importance of insulation on the ground to prevent conduction of your body heat. Wear a warm hat and change everything in the cold. Use a blanket around your shoulders to prevent heat loss from the end of the bag. Eat a hot meal with some fat in it before bed.

Grandpa · 12-20-2012, 11:00 AM

EN13537 is a European standard designed to standardize the temperature ratings of sleeping bags. They have 4 classifications in their ratings. Upper limit, Comfort, Lower Limit, and Extreme. The US does not require any such standardized ratings. Because many of the high end US manyfacturers also sell in countrys requiring these standards, they also use the EN ratings. My 15 degree bag has an EN comfort rating of 23 degrees.

Cheap manufacturers may use the extreme rating in the United States because the US does not have any standards regarding this. The extreme rating is that temperature which a person can survive 6 hours without suffering hypothermia.

ghostdog · 12-20-2012, 03:27 PM

You have some excellent advice from those above. For car camping it does not have to be the most expensive. However, if you intend to keep doing this often, try to find a down bag on sale. You should be able to do that this time of year. Down with a 7" loft is no more warm than synthetic with a 7" loft but down will retain that loft for far longer. Synthetic bags can loose a lot of loft in just one year, making them colder as time goes on. With a decent down bag, even lower quality down, you will most likely get 20 to 30 years out of it.