• RME Gear & Apparel

my new ultralight winter sleep system

kd7kmp

kd7kmp

Registered User
Location
Springville, UT
Dave,

Nice choice. I purchased a Western Mountaineering Alpinlite (long) early this year for my all-around bag. It comes in at about 2 lbs. and has been great down to it rated temp (20*). I have been looking at Enlightened Equipment for a cold weather quilt. Their prices are very reasonable, especially if you look at their Revelation X line. I'm still mulling over if I really want a quilt...I have been using a ThermaRest Alpine Down quilt for a little over a year on my warmer outings (>~40*). It has worked quite well for me especially when used with the Neoair Large I bought from you. (I typically use long/wide items as I like having the extra room compared to a size regular; I'm a side sleeper)

I think you'll be happy with the Exped synmat UL. I've heard really good things about it. I tried it in a store once and it was quite comfy.

Kevin
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
kd7kmp said:
Dave,

Nice choice. I purchased a Western Mountaineering Alpinlite (long) early this year for my all-around bag. It comes in at about 2 lbs. and has been great down to it rated temp (20*). I have been looking at Enlightened Equipment for a cold weather quilt. Their prices are very reasonable, especially if you look at their Revelation X line. I'm still mulling over if I really want a quilt...I have been using a ThermaRest Alpine Down quilt for a little over a year on my warmer outings (>~40*). It has worked quite well for me especially when used with the Neoair Large I bought from you. (I typically use long/wide items as I like having the extra room compared to a size regular; I'm a side sleeper)

I think you'll be happy with the Exped synmat UL. I've heard really good things about it. I tried it in a store once and it was quite comfy.

Kevin
Click to expand...

I have had several western mountaineering bags and they have all been more warm than they claimed. I had to sell my puma, because I could never use it. It was just too warm. I will check out enlightened equipment. I also have the alpine blanket and I love it. I have noticed the larger pads work a little better with quilts, because the smaller pads don't have the room for the sides to hit the pad. The sides end up hanging down and leaving a little gap.
 
kd7kmp

kd7kmp

Registered User
Location
Springville, UT
Dave,

I forgot to add...check out Ruta Locura for a very basic, but lightweight, bivy. I've heard some good things about it on another board.

Kevin
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
This is what my wife picked up to use for her winter set up it is a pretty amazing sleeping bag. Those of you that enjoy being in a sleeping bag more than a quilt might look into these. Super light, warm, high quality down, small pack size. It is a slim cut, so I can't fit all that great into it, but my wife fits in there with room to spare so it is better suited for smaller people than me. She sleeps on a thermarest womens prolite 4 which is a pretty good set up. The women's pads are warmer than the mens pads for less weight. They are a little shorter though at 66" rather than 72".

sierra designs cloud 15 (I believe to be an accurate temp rating)
Sierra Designs Cloud 15 combines 900-fill down with ultralight 10D nylon ripstop and vertical baffles to trim total weight down to a scant 1-pound 12-ounces. Vertical baffles incorporate patented Insotech Flow technology to minimize down migration, creating one of the most efficient, technologically advanced sleeping bags available. With all the standard features, including a draw cord at the collar, ergonomic foot box, ventable 40 inch zipper, collar and zipper draft tubes, and both stuff and storage sacks, the Cloud 15 is EN-tested for an accurate comfort rating.

Temp Rating: 15° / -9°C
Shape: Mummy


EN Comfort Limit: 30oF / -1oC
EN Lower Limit: 19oF / -7oC

Size Regular:
Fits to: 6 ft / 183 cm
Length: 78 in. / 198 cm
Zipper Side: Left
Shoulder girth: 62 in. / 157 cm
Hip girth: 58 in. / 147 cm
Footbox: 40 in. / 102 cm
Fill weight: 18 oz / .5 kg
Total weight: 1 lb 12 oz
Stuffed diameter: 6 in. / 15 cm
Stuffed length: 16 in. / 41 cm

Size Long:
Fits to: 6 ft 6 in. / 198 cm
Length: 84 in. / 213 cm
Zipper Side: Left
Shoulder girth: 64 in. / 163 cm
Hip girth: 60 in. / 152 cm
Footbox: 40 in. / 102 cm
Fill weight: 20 oz / .6 kg
Total weight: 1 lb 15 oz
Stuffed diameter: 7 in. / 18 cm
Stuffed length: 17 in. / 43 cm
 

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kd7kmp

kd7kmp

Registered User
Location
Springville, UT
Sierra Designs makes good quality sleeping bags. I had a Nitro 30 for a couple years. It would reliably take me to about 25° with ease even though it was rated at 30°. It had 850 FP down, had nearly 6" of loft, and weighed a bit over 1.5lbs. The only problem I had with it, and the reason I sold it, was it's very slim fit as well add being a bit short for a size regular.

Kevin
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
Update:
My really cold temperature set up now includes
Zpacks 10 degree bag(more like zero in my opinion)
exped synmat UL large
closed cell pad on top if it is REALLY cold almost never needed.
blackrock down beanie
fresh wool socks (soon to switch out for down booties)
minus 33 merino wool pants
sherpa primaloft pants
minus 33 merino wool shirt
Golite selkirk down jacket
if too cold a new balance fugu jacket
light weight fleece gloves on my hands
buff original on my neck
beard on my face


I think if you are not wearing all of the stuff you brought with you when you sleep then you are carrying stuff you dont need.;)
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
I was losing heat to the ground pretty fast on this last trip. I wasn't "cold", but I wasn't warm either. I think I am going to pick up a thermarest xtherm and I think that will do the trick. It won't really save me any weight, but it should be warmer.
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
sixstringsteve said:
My tent was super cold too, that didn't help at all. My REI tent is much warmer (and 3x the weight).
Click to expand...

That is one of the downsides of a cuban fiber tent. If it is ventilated enough to keep it dry inside, it will be cold in the winter.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Davy, did you sleep with your bag pulled up to your nose, or was it cinched off at your neck? Did your head or face get cold?

I've got 2 zpacks bags in my shopping cart, waiting for me to pull the trigger, but I'm having a tough time deciding on what to get. My biggest discomfort with winter bags is how cold my face gets. I'm convinced that even with a -20* bag, my face would still get cold unless it were pulled inside the bag. I definitely sleep better with my head and face covered. I understand that this will cause more condensation inside my bag, but I doubt it'd be enough to really matter.

I think my next bag should either be huge enough to completely cover my head, or it should cinch around my neck so i could throw another little down blanket or coat or something over my head. I'm having a tough time deciding which route to go. Ultimately I'll end up with two bags, one for summer and one for warm winter/spring. For super cold winter, I plan to use them together.

Here are my options:

Fall/warm winter bag:
10* wide, extra extra long - $465, 26.3 oz (able to pull entirely over my head & face)

10* wide, long - $440, 23 oz + I'd need something small to throw over my head.


Summer bag:
30* regular, long - $380, 15.1oz. Cinch at the neck. The regular may be too tight for me, i'm not quite sure. If it fits, I won't have much room to move inside, but that's ok. I'd be able to wear this inside the 10* bag for super cold nights.



or... I could just get a 20* bag and another small down quilt to throw over me in the winter.
 
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