BikeliciousBabe

Hi. I finally joined bike forums. Looking for advice on a new touring sleeping bag!

My spending limit is $300. I'm looking for one <+25*F and <2lbs. I prefer male sleeping bags since female ones are often heavier and have a higher EN rating.

I'm 4'11" & 98lbs if that helps narrow it down.

Here's the catch...

The sleeping bag must be vegan. I won't use any product that contains any type of animal product.

Thanks much

BikeliciousBabe

Ps: I've looked at the REI Igneo. $178.93. EN +19*F. 1lb 13oz.

Anyone have this bag? G/B/U?

Doug64

Welcome!

Actually, I believe your "catch" is actually a benefit. The new synthetic bags are comparable to down bags in wrmth, weight, and compressability. The big advantages of synthetic bags are the ability to provide warmth when wet and the ease of cleaning them.

I have a synthetic 20 degree bag that is slightly over 2 lb. Unfortunately, the model is no longer made.

I can't give you any specific recommendations, but most "name" brands make good stythetic bags.

I highly recommend the new generation of Primaloft insulation. I have a jacket that is insulated with it and it is amazing.

My older bag uses an older generation of Primaloft, and it has more than lived up to my expectations.

Good luck in you search.

Doug64

Do you consider duck down an animal product?

BikeliciousBabe

Oh!! Yes I do. Scratch that bag! I'd only looked at it on a backpacking review website where they said it was synthetic. I checked REIs website after your post and verified it's not vegan.

Thank you! I'll take a look at Primaloft! The REIs next to us are all closed today because of the storm. I'll go when they open again.

Slightly over 2lbs is okay! If it's the perfect fit I'd consider it. 2.3 would be my max!

alan s 

Here's some light reading on the subject.Vegan Clothing Explained : TreeHugger

BigAura

indyfabz

If you search REI's synthetic sleeping bags, sorting by weight of 1.5 to 2.99 lbs. you will not find a sub 2 lb. bag with a sub 25 degree rating at any price.


Same for Moosejaw.

fietsbob

If not Down the filling is an Oil/Gas Byproduct. ethically, consumerism, it's a Lose-Lose Thing..


"Upper left coast" probably puts you close to Seattle Or Portland ,,
Go to their big REI stores .

You can ask them to recommend who can alter their Bags to make them Shorter to suit your needs.


I went with a More costly New Hampshire made bag , they do Custom work, but use Down..

for the bag filling and the insulation in the Airmattress.





'/,

Squeezebox

Will you fit a child's size bag? No offense meant. Campmor, sierra trading post, Does Enlightened Equipment do synthetic? I think they do. Ask over on whiteblaze.net the hiking forum.
Good luck!

BikeliciousBabe

Brand and store don't matter! Rei is nice because they're local and everywhere. The Marmot Trestles 30 elite is the closest at REI. +28 and 2lbs 0.5oz.

Yes. I can offense taken. I buy my clothes from the kids section.

bikemig 

I'd take a good long hard look at a quilt rather than a sleeping bag. Enlightened Equipment mentioned above makes one. The neat thing about EE stuff is that it is cut to fit you.

Most of their stuff is down but not this, Revelation APEX | Lightweight Synthetic Quilt

The site has some reading on quilts versus bags.

I used a quilt on a trip last summer and loved it.

BikeliciousBabe

Quilts prob require a sleeping pad? We don't use one if so.

BikeliciousBabe

Hmm. Thought I'd replied?

We don't use a pad and quilts prob require a pad. Right?

Doug64

I would not recommend a child's bag, the selection is usually limited. If it meets your weight criteria, a little extra room is nice. However, the primary reason is the lightweight bags are usually smaller in width, and are more confining. At 4'11 that will give you a little more wiggle room. Also, the extra space in the foot of the bag is good to stow your clothes for the next day; it will keep them dry and warm. With a synthetic bag you can also dry damp clothes inside the bag with you.

My daughter is also 4'11, and that is a good thing. The world couldn't handle her if she was much bigger!

fuzz2050

I have an Enlightened quilt and I absolutely adore it. It's my favorite piece of camping gear, bar none. Quilts do have their limitations, but I think their advantages far outweigh them, at least for my typical uses.

Looks like a 'regular' sized 20 degree quilt would weigh just under two pounds, but depending on your height and sleeping habits you might be able to go lighter.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw that you're short. You could probably get away with a short quilt, for five ounces of weight saving- I don't think you could get any lighter for a 20 degree sleep system than that.

I find quilts far more comfortable above 30 degrees, the mobility and ventilation options just make them much more livable than a sleeping bag.The weight savings don't hurt either.

bikemig 

I haven't bit the bullet yet on an Enlightened quilt for three season use as I have a bag that has served me well. I did pick up this proton blanket from MSR for summer camping duty: Proton? Blanket | Camping Blankets | Therm-a-RestŪ

I used it on a tour last summer and it was terrific. Quilts are light and I think more comfortable than a sleeping bag.

BikeliciousBabe

Yeah! I'm tiny. I just realized that REIs men's & women's sleeping bags zip together to form one bag. Him & I might get those. He wasn't really in the market for one but this changes things. Before we'd unzip both and lay on one while using the other as a blanket.

See my comment above about quilts

See my comment above about quilts

BikeliciousBabe

Oh! Cool beans. People say the same about me. I'm not small, I'm fun sized.

I just realized that REIs men's & women's sleeping bags zip together to make one bag! He's not really in the market for a bag but we're getting matching ones so we can zip them together. Right now we unzip both and lay on one while using the other as a blanket.

See my comment above about quilts earlier in this thread.

See above to my reply to fuzz

fuzz2050

Quilts don't really require a pad any more than sleeping bags do. In most sleeping bags, the insulation beneath you in compressed so much it doesn't provide much warmth, so a pad does a lot to keep you warm in cold weather.

I just spent a very unpleasant night with a leaking pad on snow, melting an outline of my body through the tent floor. Even though I had a sleeping bag appropriate to the temperature, the ground just sucked the heat out of me.

fietsbob

you lose Body heat to the ground then, dont you.. (?)

You have a POOSSLQ (or POSSSLQ) sharing the bag with you?

BikeliciousBabe

My back doesn't get cold very easily so no, doesn't bother me.

Idk what POOSSLQ or POSSSLQ mean?

I don't get too cold on my back side. His body heat keeps me warm too

djb

re sleeping pads, if you are fine sleeping on the ground without one (cold notwithstanding) then thats up to you. If you haven't camped much though, there are a whole ton of good pads out there, in all kinds of price ranges. The inflatable ones make a real diff in sleeping comfort, and if you want super simple, and for little cost, folding or rolled up foam type ones (even Thermarest makes these) may be fine for you.

I'd suggest going to an outdoor store like REI on a slow morning, and laying down on all kinds of mats on the store floor, thats how I made a decision getting a new mat after ages of using the same types in our family.
There are all kinds of thicknesses also, but like with everything, it comes down to balancing cost/size/weight/comfort, and what works for you.

bikemig 

Pads are one of those things that make camping a whole heck of a lot better. I realize that YMMV but if you haven't tried one, you should borrow one and see what you think.

jdswitters

REI sleeping bags, I bought one last year, probably a dozen nights now. I'm not going to knock it but I have been unhappy with the zipper several times. Same with a new half dome tent I just got. My (25 years) old REI pack has bombproof zippers. The new stuff seem to me to be pretty finicky. I really need that zipper to work for me the first time at 3AM.

Good luck.