good sleeping bag suggestions: 3 season to 0 Farenheit?
 

I got a tarptent virga2 for my gal and I (yeah I know a bit cramped...but got it for a good deal)...now just have to find some good quality, lightweight sleeping bags, 3 season, down to 0 farenheit.

there are SO many companies offering bags, but my time is a bit tight right now, so pls make suggestions.

My first tour w my gal will be in aug to the san juan islands...(she's never toured before...heck she's never had a good bicycle before (her Surly LHT will be ready next wk according to our LBS) and the Okanagan Valley (BC) will be too hot and busy that time of yr...but we'll probably return in late Sept/early Oct for the wine fest (still hot but not sweltering and much less traffic)....sound good?

Then next yr hopefully revisit the Oregon Coastline to San Fran or further south
(I did a trip across Canada (from Toronto Ontario) and down the old 101 coastal hwy in '82...what a blast!)

I have a The North Face Superlight that I'm happy with.

0F sounds like you need a serious 4 season ie winter bag.......

We got North Face Snowshoe bags last fall. Synthetic, 0F, and they pack down pretty small for synthetic. We got them at REI, $189.

We took them backpacking already this year and will take them bike touring in the San Juan Mtns of Colorado this summer.

Check Mec in Canada
 

Try mec.ca in Canada. THe Oasis bag is rated 0 degrees one side and 10 degrees the other. Ugly colour however!
Hockey

Second checking out MEC.Go in person to the Broadway store with the lady and let her try the bags out in person. Just forget to bring plastic, just cash, that way you wont have to puy up with the screams of agony from your card when you go through the check out. :D

Just make sure the bag for the girl is a proper womans designed bag, makes such a difference. They are shorter, and sometimes weigh the same.. .. so there is more bag in less area, more comfort and warmth, and the girls tend to need it more than guys.

I prefer Down bags by far.. but the arguement for that is a long unsolved story as synthetic keeps getting better. Some ppl mentioned the North Face bags, they are well built and look good!! Im using Marmot NeverWinter, not the warmest but packs small, ang uses Marmot AngelFire, an amazingly warm bag that also packs small enough....

We could have went into the higher range of down bags, but money was an issue, and these do the job.

From what you are saying, it sounds like you want to cover summer conditions (and possibly some warm nights) as well as sub-freezing temperatures.

If you get a thick, warm bag that is rated to 0 degrees, it may very well be uncomfortably hot on a warm night. (I've done this myself, and it does not make for a good night's sleep at all.)

It is better to buy a lighter weight bag, and then layer when necessary. If it gets cold, it's possible to add layers as needed -- long johns, tights, other clothes, even windbreakers and rain gear (which serve as vapor barriers, and keep you considerably warmer inside the bag).

For wetter areas, synthetic bags are a safer way to go. Down isn't good when damp or wet.

You don't have to spend a lot of money. There are decent synthetic bags that are very reasonably priced.
Discount sporting goods stores sometimes carry them. The cheapest ones are not very well made; but some of the other, slightly more expensive (but still very reasonably priced) ones are not bad at all.

Do they make such a thing as a modular bag, like say with a removable inner lining to turn it from a mid weight bag into a cold weather bag?

big agnes contacted me as per my inquiry and suggested
their zirkel (mummy shape) $US229 bags with dual core insulation pads?
www.bigagnes.com/str_bags.php?id=z

I never had problems with a winter sleeping bag in warm temperatures. You just have to unzip, throw a leg out, or sleep outside of it.

http://www.bigagnes.com/overbags.php...e3cb7dcb53d3c5

There are some others too.

Some people sew up two sides of a bedsheet to make a liner that also serves as a warm-night bag.

I've even heard of people taking a superlight summer bag, plus a medium weight bag, to use singly or in combination, to cover a wide range of temps.

Not me. I HATE having a winter or even three season bag in warmer conditions unless it is warm enough to sleep on top of it.. If it is that warm it is extra weight to carry.

One trick that helps me is to leave the bag unzipped and spread it out like a blanket with only my feet actually in the bag. It is easy to adjust by kicking one or more feet out or shifting the bag partially to the side.

Still... I love my 55 degree REI bag when it is warm enough. It isn't too bad down to 40 degrees if you pile some clothes on top yourself inside the bag (or wear them).

I agree, I bought a cheap but surprising quality bag through Meijers rated from 0 up and it has zippered vents for warmer conditions. It isa good synthetic and the only drawback is it's a bit bulky.

My experience is very different. Maybe different metabolisms? Warmer nights? Or perhaps the sleeping bag I was using was warmer?

Even using these very warm bags as blankets or partial blankets does not work for me.

If it is a warm night, I have found cotton (sheets or liner) to be much better than nylon.

The system I am contemplating is the Big Agnes pad, Big Agnes bag (no bottom), and bag liner for 2 season (1/2 fall, spring) camping in the Upper Midwest. I figure I will use only the pad and liner when it is warm and the bag, pad, liner when it is very cold. I am still a little hung up on the bag rating. I was leaning twards a 30 deg F bag figuring for me it would be good to about 40 deg F but also am considering the 40 deg F bag.