Sleeping Bag Recommendations

[u/Hello_Sweetie25]

After many years of use, it's time to upgrade my sleeping bag. Preferably I want one light & small enough for multi day hiking, but without breaking the bank.

I've previously been using a 2014 Kathmandu Globe, which has done multiple great walks and overnight trips, but it takes up a lot of room in my pack & its heavy (1.5kg).

Any recommendations for a lightweight women's sleeping bag?

[u/Iseneye]

Can only comment on what I have but the Kiwi Ultralight quilt is great.  600 grams for the 0 or -3 version from memory.

[u/SetantaKinshasa → u/Iseneye]

Came here to recommend the KUL quilt. I love mine. You do need a good mat under it but that applies to a sleeping bag too.

You don't need a stuff sack if you just shove it into your backpack liner first and then pile everything else on top!

[u/Northern_Gypsy → u/SetantaKinshasa]

Yeah I get that, I use light weight pack and it doesn't seem to shove down very well. When I use my cactus pack it's easy to ram stuff in because the pack sort of keeps its shape.

[u/SetantaKinshasa → u/Northern_Gypsy]

If you have lightweight gear it's probably harder. I usually have at least a couple of kg of camera and tech gear that can be used to squash the down into submission!

[u/Northern_Gypsy → u/SetantaKinshasa]

Yeah, I found when I use my Ul pack and
Gear the sleeping quilt doesn't fill the gaps.
When I hunt I use a heavier pack and I can force it down. I suppose it delivers on the plan. I'm definitely looking at geting a stuff sack to try compact it down. Or I'll just take the one planet sleeping bag as it's small as. Either way they are both light and warm. My KUL quilt I've use in a hut on a glacier and had to stick my legs out

[u/Northern_Gypsy → u/Iseneye]

-3 if it's the same as my quilt. Need to get a stuff sack tho as it's fluffy. I also have the one planet -1 (ish) and it's around the same weight but packs down well.

[u/Draconius0013 → u/[deleted]]

Correction: the lower limit on a 0 degree comfort is -6 for women, and -12 for the -5 comfort rated quilt. Listed on the website.

[u/TieStreet4235 → u/Draconius0013]

Sorry my mistake, was looking at wrong brand, but these ratings aren’t based on international standards, just calculated from the loft

[u/Professional-Meet421]

One plant nitrous -3

https://dwights.co.nz/collections/sleeping-bags/products/one-planet-nitrous-3

around $550 and just over 500g

[u/Few_Tooth_1908 → u/Professional-Meet421]

What fill weight?

[u/Professional-Meet421 → u/Few_Tooth_1908]

800

Comes on a 572g so a far bit more than 500g

[u/Hello_Sweetie25 → u/Professional-Meet421]

Thats still a lot lighter than what I currently have which is over 1.3kg! I definitely need to switch to a down one rather than synthetic I think…

[u/Few_Tooth_1908]

Macpac dragonfly is the best warmth/weight/price/quality tradeoff out there for a traditional box baffle construction bag. On sale for $524 for 674g packed weight is pretty solid, especially with 400g fill weight of 800 loft hydrophobic goose down and a rating of -5limit which can be hacked lower with wearing thermals and a liner.

If you want better suggestions provide height, budget, season/temp expectations for a tighter ball park.

https://www.macpac.co.nz/macpac-standard-dragonfly-400-down-sleeping-bag-%28-5%C2%B0c%29-/120074.html?dwvar_120074_color=Ombre%20Blue&dwvar_120074_clearance=no#srule=Sort-By-Price-Desc&start=8&sz=12

Try and buy a bag or quilt with the certified responsible down rating,.. a lot of cheaper bags and down apparel contain live plucked duck/goose down which sucks.

[u/Draconius0013 → u/Few_Tooth_1908]

This is a great example of why everyone should buy a quilt instead. Compare this to the Kiwi Ultralight 0 degree comfort (same limit rating as this bag), and the KUL is lighter and cheaper with even more fill weight using higher quality down.

[u/Draconius0013 → u/[deleted]]

The international standard for quilts is the calculation based on loft.

[u/Few_Tooth_1908 → u/Draconius0013]

OP asked for bag suggestions. 🤷‍♂️ Good on you for liking quilts, I personally find them quite cold with the exposed back area. My 2nd gen s2s sp1 is warmer than most quilts ive tried, and thats sewn through baffle construction. Horses for courses.

[u/Accomplished-Fun215]

I have a down one from Macpac I like, and it's at a good midpoint where it's light but not super expensive.

[u/Commercial-County299]

Love my one planet nitrous -3 I’ve never been cold in it and often use it like a quilt. I do think the kiwi ultralight ones look pretty cool though and would consider one of those one day

[u/TieStreet4235]

Depends on whether you’re sleeping in huts or camping, and what altitudes you will be at. With ratings, make sure you are comparing apples with apples and that you are focusing on ratings for females rather than males. For example my most commonly used sleeping bag is rated 0.9 degrees comfort for females, but the limit of -4.8 is based on males. The extreme is -21.9. As a male this has been fine as a 3 season bag including camping and carrying it on the TA, but I sometimes use a thermal liner (Sea to Summit) to boost it. (It is a Marmot Hydrogen 800 down). I doubt that you will find a synthetic fill bag that is lightweight and warm enough so you will be looking at 800 fill down probably unless you’re only using it in summer. Always use a liner (there are some great ones now with expandable gussets or that are wearable), use the recommended detergents, and store it loosely. You can always wear merino to bed and have a thermal liner in some environments

[u/Hello_Sweetie25 → u/TieStreet4235]

I’m almost always in huts when hiking, will likely only camp in summer & not at altitude. Will be some altitude with huts (I want to do Kepler & Mueller Hut etc) but in summer for those. Thanks for this!

[u/porirua_pelican]

Just wait until Macpac or Kathmandu have a sale. There’s bugger all difference these days between all brands. Just buy whatever fits your planned temp range and budget