Backpack hunters, what is your sleeping bag temp rating?

[Lark Bunting]

What is your sleeping bag temperature rating while backpacking?

I have a Cat\'s Meow bag now but bought it used and I\'m not confident in the 20? temp rating. (I\'ve froze in the 40\'s while wearing Cabela\'s medium under layers and a hat on my bald head.) I\'ve since taken to laundry mat and washed and fluffed it in a commercial dryer and it seems to be more puffy but I don\'t know the previous state it was stored and am losing faith in it.

Cabela\'s has a sleeping bag at 15? on sale for $119 (reg. $170) but is 6 OZ more than the Cat\'s Meow.

My elk trip this year will be a pack in trip of about 3 miles so of course I\'m nervous about weight. However, being a sold sleeper I am thinking this bag might be worth a shot. Plus, it\'s a Cabelas brand bag so if it doesn\'t meet my needs I can return it.

Thoughts on this bag or the situation in general? <!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Imeon-F-Mummy-Bag/2222559.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId%3D108093780%26CQ_search%3D582072%2Band%2B582073\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas- ... d%2B582073</a><!-- m -->

Edit, just saw this for a lot less and is only $79 and is LIGHTER at 2 lb 9 oz. <!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2221066&type=product&WT.ac=YMAL-2221066&WT.z_pg_ref=prd1804772\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product. ... prd1804772</a><!-- m -->

 

[cohunter14]

I\'ll preface this by saying I camp in a wall tent and have never put camp on my back and headed in, but with that being said I would take the ratings with a grain of salt. They are random numbers assigned by the manufacturer with no true system of governing in place. If it were me, I\'d go to cabelas and check them out. If it\'s possible, roll them out on the floor and get in. See how comfortable they are and you should be able to tell fairly quick how warm they truly are. Just my two cents...

 

[elky McElkerson]

my friend loves his Cat\'s Meow. he does wash it and fluff it up.

to answer the que. i am rocking a 20 degree WM bag. i tend to get cold as well..but you know what? i think it is my pad. i just bought a way warmer pad for the wife. i\'m gonna poach that thing on my next trip. i bet i am warmer.

last big trip..we came into camp way late in the evening. i found the only flat spot left. it was super tall grass covered. i did the thing where you walk around and stomp down the grass. i just popped up my tent, tossed the pad in and puffed up my bag. i was super warm. i think the grass added insulation.

 

[Lark Bunting]

I bought the Getaway 15? bag and will test it on the back porch this weekend. It\'s supposed to get chilly (40? Saturday night).

Elky, I upgraded pads a few weeks ago to a Klymit Static V recently which has a higher R value than the previous pad, and it\'s twice as thick. I am anxious to see how they perform.

 

[bnsafe]

i admit i FREEZE, all the time, even in a house. heck i have a heating blanket turned on while im typing this. in mo. but i use a wiggys 0 degree. yes its big an bulky and heavy. but its warm, an i would rather not hunt than be cold and miserable.

 

[cnelk]

I have a Big Agnes 0 degree bag and a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad.
And I can tell you that I froze my ass off in it!

I think bags are off about 15 degrees in their ratings

I finally added a thin blue pad that slips between me and the air pad and that did the trick
It seemed the air core mattress just sucked the heat from me

 

[bowhunter]

I use an Eureka Casper 15 degree bag for spikes and bivy hunting. Last year I slept in my long undies and was toasty warm to low 20\'s. It isn\'t all that heavy either.

 

[colorado russ]

-20 degree Eureka with microloft. Older but lightweight, packable and kept me warm. I would rather be able to unzip and cool off than sleep in my hunting clothes!

I think others are spot on with the pad being a big influence on how cold you may get. I was using a Neoair mattress that\'s 3\" when blown up. I needed the extra padding as I\'m a side sleeper and hips would hurt if not enough padding. It had a good R rating.

Someone explained the rating to me like this, \"a zero degree bag just means you won\'t die if it gets to zero degrees not that you\'ll be comfortable at that degree\".

 

[Baby Huey]

I tried a Big Agnes Encampment 15 degree synthetic bag and I froze on an early October hunt in Colorado last year. I sent that bag back and splurged on a cold weather synthetic Kifaru Slick 0 degree bag. I tried it a few weeks ago when it snowed a bunch in Denver and it maybe dropped in the high 20\'s and I was hot and had to unzip in it.

If I go early archery season, I have a 0 degree 10yr old 700 fill down Eureka bag I take. I\'ll use the slick bag for colder weather.

I wanted the slick bag for synthetic insulation in order to maintain warmth and drying properties in case of inclement weather. I also breathe heavy at night and get condensation. My down bag will get wet from that and if the sun isn\'t out during the day, it will not dry out very well and I\'ll have a wet bag with lost insulating properties.

Also, the synthetic bags will not compress down as much as down and will be a bit heavier, but I like that the synthetic bags will help dry out any wet clothes you have on if you wear them in a synthetic bag overnight. Down is great for compressabiltiy and are more lightweight than synthetics.

 

[bnsafe]

personally, i HATE mummy bags, they work, but i cant sleep in them. so i have to carry something heavier. i like my wiggys, great bag

 

[elky McElkerson]

my wife went on a nurses outing. short trip.

i loaned her my WM Alpenlite..now she calls it HER ALPENLITE. she was the only one warm at night, and the only lady that slept at all. they all came dragging into our home and mowed thru my giant batch of homemade meatloaf and fixens.. everyone but my wife looked like a zombie.

now i think we need to buy another WM bag since i am taking her up into the sierras later this month.

she was blown away when i told her the temp ratings were really just the manufacturer\'s honor system.