Touring - Sleeping Bag Selection

My 16yo son who has started riding with me has talked me into expanding my touring horizons and camping instead of staying in motels, B&Bs or bumming off of friends and relatives. I'm game and have bought a Go-lite Hex 3 tent off of e-bay. Now I need a sleeping bag. I think I want a synthetic bag for it's faster drying qualities. My problem is that I really don't like mummy bags. I am 5'10, 143 lbs with hips. Those mummy bags make me feel like I am in a straightjacket! My husband and I have zip together rectangular bags but mine is way too heavy to tour with.
I need a bag that will keep me warm in 30+ degree weather, will compress nicely to fit on my rack or in my front pannier and will allow me a little breathing room in the bag. Any suggestions? Oh, I am budget minded (ok, my family says I am cheap) but I realize you often get what you pay for.
I am anticipating an outpouring of wisdom and sage advice! ;-)

Well, you said synthetic, but I'm really a down guy. I use a waterproof stuff sack to keep it dry when travelling. Anyhow, if you're ok with minor imperfections, try sierra trading post for good deals on equipment. Campmor also periodically has good deals on closeout. Go with any reputable brand and you'll be ok.

Yeah know excatly what you mean, doing a lot of research and buying various sleeping bags came to the conclusion the best & cheapest bags to buy are the army ones, they always have plenty of room inside, always wider than ordinary sleeping bags, I got 2 types, one is a down bag which is the Artic grade 3, go down to -36 deg c, I have slept in the uk in the winter months in the forest and never felt anything but toasted in the bag, then for the summer I have a synthic bag, again very roomy and again always warm, well it keeps your body heat, they come with good waterproof case and also have emergency opening, which is grab on either side of the zip in the bag and pull, the zip slides down to let you out quickly. Handy in all sorts of circumstance, especially when you r busting for a pee in the middle of the night :D

I have yet to see a synthetic sleeping bag that 'compresses nicely' including Primaloft, but if you're set on a polyfill bag with extra wiggle room, Big Agnes makes some semirectangular bags, and many Mountain Hardware bags have an 8" expansion baffle you can open with an extra zipper. Pick up a copy of Backpacker Magazine's annual gear guide and you can compare widths, prices, etc.

My 16yo son who has started riding with me has talked me into expanding my touring horizons and camping instead of staying in motels, B&Bs or bumming off of friends and relatives. I'm game and have bought a Go-lite Hex 3 tent off of e-bay. Now I need a sleeping bag. I think I want a synthetic bag for it's faster drying qualities. My problem is that I really don't like mummy bags. I am 5'10, 143 lbs with hips. Those mummy bags make me feel like I am in a straightjacket! My husband and I have zip together rectangular bags but mine is way too heavy to tour with.
I need a bag that will keep me warm in 30+ degree weather, will compress nicely to fit on my rack or in my front pannier and will allow me a little breathing room in the bag. Any suggestions? Oh, I am budget minded (ok, my family says I am cheap) but I realize you often get what you pay for.
I am anticipating an outpouring of wisdom and sage advice! ;-)

Check out Ray Jardine's camping quilt (www.rayjardine.com). It looks like what you need. You'll have to sew it up, or find someone who will sew it up for you. I built one of his tarp tents and had never used a sewing machine before, so his kits can't be too hard to make!

My 16yo son who has started riding with me has talked me into expanding my touring horizons and camping instead of staying in motels, B&Bs or bumming off of friends and relatives. I'm game and have bought a Go-lite Hex 3 tent off of e-bay. Now I need a sleeping bag. I think I want a synthetic bag for it's faster drying qualities. My problem is that I really don't like mummy bags. I am 5'10, 143 lbs with hips. Those mummy bags make me feel like I am in a straightjacket! My husband and I have zip together rectangular bags but mine is way too heavy to tour with.
I need a bag that will keep me warm in 30+ degree weather, will compress nicely to fit on my rack or in my front pannier and will allow me a little breathing room in the bag. Any suggestions? Oh, I am budget minded (ok, my family says I am cheap) but I realize you often get what you pay for.
I am anticipating an outpouring of wisdom and sage advice! ;-)

How many mummy bags have you tried? 5'10 and 143lbs is built like a rake (I'm the same, but without the hips). I find most mummy bags quite roomy, but I certainly don't expect the spacious feeling of a double bed when using one. I'm taking advantage of my build and using an even narrower mummy than usual in the form of a sub-kilo ultralite down bag. Note that wide bags are much less efficient than narrow bags when it comes to keeping you warm. All that extra airspace has to be heated by your body, which keeps you cold.

If you are cheap, then synth is the way to go. Look for something like a discounted The North Face bag from one of the online retaillers. TNF always seems to be discounting their stuff. It's not the best, but if you're buying a synthetic bag, there's no reason to get the top of the line: synthetic bags last maybe 10-20% of the life of a down bag. I bought a cheap TNF Snowshoe, which is rated down to 32F, which lasted okay for a couple of years. Synthetics don't compress as well as down- my guess is that a synth bag will take up most of your rear rack or an entire front pannier. Also, compression really tends to destroy synthetic bags over time.

If you want quality, down is the only way to go. A bag will last decades if cared for properly, so it's cheaper in the long run. Keeping it dry is pretty easy with water resistant fabrics and plastic bags. FeatheredFriends do a wide series in down, but they tend to be considerably more pricey than normal bags.

A quick cost example is as follows. I'm using bags pulled randomly from mgear.com. I'm using lifetimes from personal experience.

TNF Equinox: USD 150. Life of 2 years. = $75 per year
MH 32F Phantom. USD 200. Life of 15 years. = $14 per year.

Conclusion? Down bags are a far better proposition if you intend to use them for a long time. Synthetic bags are only suitable for short term users, or specialist applications such as big wall climbing, where keeping down dry is hard and life threatening.

OK, now I'm really conflicted! Lovett's Essential Touring Cyclist strongly encourages a synthetic bag due to its fast drying properties. But, if as you say, down can be kept away from condensation and damp conditions, rain, etc., then I would like to consider a down bag. I will take another look at the down bags. Thanks for all the recommendations.

OK, now I'm really conflicted! Lovett's Essential Touring Cyclist strongly encourages a synthetic bag due to its fast drying properties. But, if as you say, down can be kept away from condensation and damp conditions, rain, etc., then I would like to consider a down bag. I will take another look at the down bags. Thanks for all the recommendations.

That book was written five years ago, and there have been some improvements in sleeping back tech since then with water resistant covers. Not waterproof, mind you, but highly water resistant. You're going to want your tent to be pretty waterproof and the compressed bag should be stored in a plastic bag or waterproof pannier.

Even back in 2000, down would have been a perfectly viable option. I toured Patagonia and endured a lot of rain in 2000 with a down bag. My companions had spent 18 months on the road with down bags. Either the author is a bit clueless about camping (which I doubt) or it's written for people who don't know how to keep their sleeping gear dry.

Reasons to go the synthetic route would be:
- you are not confident about keeping the bag dry
- you can't afford the upfront investment (which is higher, but cheaper in the long run)
- you're allergic to down. Better down tends to be cleaner though.

That book was written five years ago, and there have been some improvements in sleeping back tech since then with water resistant covers. Not waterproof, mind you, but highly water resistant. You're going to want your tent to be pretty waterproof and the compressed bag should be stored in a plastic bag or waterproof pannier.


yes. A good tent is a key component in the equation. I started my long hike with a poor tent, but didn't know it until the first time it rained. My feet got wet, I got pissed off & replaced the tent in the next town - 2 days later. Anyhow, a good fly goes nearly all the way to the ground. It certainly doesn't have part of the tent totally uncovered by the rain fly (which was the problem with my tent).

yes. A good tent is a key component in the equation. I started my long hike with a poor tent, but didn't know it until the first time it rained. My feet got wet, I got pissed off & replaced the tent in the next town - 2 days later. Anyhow, a good fly goes nearly all the way to the ground. It certainly doesn't have part of the tent totally uncovered by the rain fly (which was the problem with my tent).

Or a tent where the fly isn't tensioned enough to keep it off the tent inner. This will cause water to leak inside.

You may want to check out this bag--it converts from mummy to rectangular, and it's cheap, so you don't have to invest a lot up front in case the camping thing doesn't work out for you. And if it does, you can look at a higher quality, lighter weight bag.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/base_no.78015/dept_id.L2~319/qx/product.htm

I have used the second model and the model rated for 20 degrees that is like the first one and they work well.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38505754&memberId=12500226

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38505758&memberId=12500226

I am convinced that for temps over say 35 to 40 degrees, the best sleeping gear when you can expect either rain or condensation at night is the Fanaticfringe.com Primaloft Delta quilt. In colder weather I use it over my down sleeping bag so it can handle the condensation

I have used the second model and the model rated for 20 degrees that is like the first one and they work well.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38505754&memberId=12500226

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38505758&memberId=12500226

Well, I ordered the second bag from Campmor. I like the trapezoid foot and the price, which will let me try out the bike camping adventure. If I like the camping I will probably invest in a really nice down bag. I'm kinda nervous about the camping. I love to camp and have done lots of it, but mostly it was with the luxury of being able to tow a big old cooler, coleman stove, etc. I'm afraid we will starve if we have to carry our own food and cook it on a little bitty stove. We will be touring the Natchez Trace Pkwy in October and there are long stretches without supplies. Oh well, I guess that's why it's called an adventure!
Thanks for all the awesome food for thought in regards to sleeping bags.

I bought a SlumberJack Talon from campmor. It's a 40 deg bag and it has lots of room packs up nice and priced well. I just can't stand sleeping in a mummy bag after riding 60-100 miles my legs need room to move or I cramp up. This bag works great.

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39179376&memberId=12500226

Since you got the 40 degree bag, you might want to concider getting or making a fleece liner. It will add 5-10 degrees. They are super simple to make, Just get some cheap fleece (its going inside the bag so get the cheap ugly stuff), and make it roughly the same shape as your bag but larger. Sew around the edges up to your stomach on one side. Slip into it on cold nights and be warmer on nights that push the temp ratings of your sleeping bag.
On the topic of down, I have slept in a 600 fill down bag (Marmot sawtooth) without any special waterproofing and left my foot box outside of my tarp in a rain storm and it got real wet. I didn't realize this till the morning, since I slept warm anyway and it still dried before the next night. Down is not as fragile as some would suggest.
scott

Since you got the 40 degree bag, you might want to concider getting or making a fleece liner. It will add 5-10 degrees. scott

I was under the impression that a tent adds 10 degrees of warmth to your sleeping temperature. Is that accurate? I figured that a 40 degree bag and a good tent would allow me comfort even on those very rare nights when the temp drops into the mid 30's.
I like the idea of the fleece liner. Much easier to launder the fleece liner every week at the washateria than to launder the sleeping bag or lie in a stinky one. I know there will be some nights when we will not have access to showers. Great idea! Thanks.

If the temp drops 10 degrees just throw on a beanie or a long sleeve shirt and you are set. When I was a Boy Scout my parents couldn't afford to get me the hard core camping equipment so I only had a cheap kmart bag that I used for winter trips by sleeping with a hat and some extra clothes on.

It would make sence that a tent would add warmth as well. According to a comment on REI's site, a bivy will add 10 degree's. Personaly, I would not depend on that extra 10 degree to come from a tent. There are too many factors that can reduce that approximation (for example, the size of your tent). According to the campmor site, a fleece bag adds an even 10 degrees, not 5-10 like I mentioned. If you are trying to strech out your bags performance, a liner is a better way to go. But then again... its all relative. If you are a warm sleeper then a 40 degree bag alone may be good till 30 degrees. If you are a cold sleeper, then a 40 degree bag may be a summer only bag. Unfortnately there is only one way to find the lower end of your bags range... and that is to be cold for a night. Regardless, a 40 degree bag is a good temp rating to own as most people do a majority of their camping during the summer. Save your money and get a good down bag for your cold weather camping. I own a older slumberjack that keep on going and your bag should last a long time as well.
Scott

I live in San Diego a 40 deg bag is all thats needed on the west coast. Even in the winter months I've never gotten cold and some of the nights were in the mid 30's. The main thing was I wore a beanie on my head and I slept really nice.

It would make sence that a tent would add warmth as well. According to a comment on REI's site, a bivy will add 10 degree's. Personaly, I would not depend on that extra 10 degree to come from a tent. There are too many factors that can reduce that approximation (for example, the size of your tent). According to the campmor site, a fleece bag adds an even 10 degrees, not 5-10 like I mentioned. If you are trying to strech out your bags performance, a liner is a better way to go. But then again... its all relative. If you are a warm sleeper then a 40 degree bag alone may be good till 30 degrees. If you are a cold sleeper, then a 40 degree bag may be a summer only bag. Unfortnately there is only one way to find the lower end of your bags range... and that is to be cold for a night. Regardless, a 40 degree bag is a good temp rating to own as most people do a majority of their camping during the summer. Save your money and get a good down bag for your cold weather camping. I own a older slumberjack that keep on going and your bag should last a long time as well.
Scott

Always err on the conservative side. If you expect the temperature to go down to 40F, then take a bage rated to at least 30F. You can always open a zipper a bit to let in some cool air if you get too warm. I like a silk bag liner. It weighs next to nothing, adds just a little extra warmth, and helps keep the sleeping bag clean.

An appropriate size tent definitely adds warmth. If nothing else, the tent blocks the wind chill. A smaller tent will tend to be warmer than a large one, but for cycle touring, it's unlikely you would have too large a tent. Also, don't go overboard on closing things up too tightly or you risk a buildup of condensation that can make everything damp. Ventillation is good.

I don't have any specific bag recommendations, but speaking from experience, you are smart to avoid down because it loses all of its ability to keep you warm when it gets wet. And if you are camping off of your bike for an extended length of time, it will get wet. Just the condensation from the tent can get it wet.

Always err on the conservative side. If you expect the temperature to go down to 40F, then take a bage rated to at least 30F. You can always open a zipper a bit to let in some cool air if you get too warm. I like a silk bag liner. It weighs next to nothing, adds just a little extra warmth, and helps keep the sleeping bag clean.

An appropriate size tent definitely adds warmth. If nothing else, the tent blocks the wind chill. A smaller tent will tend to be warmer than a large one, but for cycle touring, it's unlikely you would have too large a tent. Also, don't go overboard on closing things up too tightly or you risk a buildup of condensation that can make everything damp. Ventillation is good.

The more reputable manufactuers can usually be relied on to understate the temperature ratings of their bags. Marmot, Feathered Friends and some of the specialist English companies are known for being highly conservative. Looking at some of the Western Mountaineering bags, I'd say the same for this company. Some of the other manufacturers, most notably synth manufacturers at the budget end, are woefully optimistic with their ratings.

It is also important to know whether you are a cold or a warm sleeper and compensate accordingly. Wearing a beanie or socks, or eating a nicely carb-loaded mean and running around to get warm before getting into the bag to a long way towards a warm sleep.

A silk liner is definitely a useful and luxurious accessory though!