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07-16-2018, 02:33 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
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Sleeping Bag Conundrum
Hey Everyone,
Noob here trying to gear up for backcountry camping/hunting in the rockies and foothills after a lifetime of car camping and using dads old canadian tire equipment.
I am looking for a serious 3 season backpack sleeping bag that will be used occasionally during winter as well. I'm looking for something rugged and light that I can add a liner to during the winter to help push it safely into 4 season territory. A bag that can reliably put directly onto the ground in an emergency whether that ground is dry dirt, dew covered grass or snow. I've been looking at bags rated from -10c to -20c. I always wear clothes to sleep and in winter would be wearing my base layer and winter gear in addition to my merino liner. Tall order right?
I'm down to two options (or so I thought) and could really use some insight or education on whether I'm pointing in the right direction here. My main options are the
-Carinthia Defense 4 (mated with a Tropen 200)
-Halo Recon 5
Both bags come highly rated and have seen rugged use in military deployments around the world for many years. I cannot find info pitting these two bags head to head.
After further research, I'm still finding a lot of sites showing sleeping bags by Western Mountaineering, Big Agnus, and Marmot to be topping the lists of 'best bags'. Because of this I am feeling really stuck in what might be the best, lightest, most durable options.
Who here is familiar with these varieties of bags? What differences am I going to see between these heavy hitting military bags vs the civilian bags? All are widely regarded but all have wildly different prices ratings and reviews. I could use some wisdom here about what might be my best option.
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07-16-2018, 04:43 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 112
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Just go here and take a look. Tryi it on for size, length, side, get some hands on.
https://www.mec.ca/en/
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07-16-2018, 05:09 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,151
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don’t support MEC, they are anti hunting and funded the campaign that killed our grizzly hunt
Same situation here, I went with the kifaru slick. The two you listed look like good options as well, and all are within 1 lb of each other. Can’t really go wrong with this level of kit, just pick the one that has the feature set you prefer.
Forget down. Trying to keep a bag dry, even with an ultralight stove, is nothing but frustration. Might work ok for summertime backpackers but hunting season always involves wet whether from precip, sweat, dew, or ground water.
__________________
“Nothing is more persistent than a liberal with a dumb idea” - Ebrand
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07-16-2018, 06:44 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Pincher Creek
Posts: 921
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For what it may be worth, the only advice regarding sleeping bags I can
offer is based on my personal use and experience.
1. Buy a high quality down filled bag. Way better weight/ volume/ to warmth
ratio.
2. Buy a bag rated for the coldest weather you will ever be exposed to. My
bag is a 3.5 lb. high quality mummy bag rated to - 35C and use it summer
and winter. In the summer totally open, laying partially on top as
temperature dictates.
In winter buried in deep for maximum heat retention. Bought this bag in
1973 and it still goes on sheep hunts. Used this bag guiding in the NWT
and the Yukon for many years as well as sheep hunting here in Alberta.
3. It is most important to keep down bags dry. Once wet they lose loft and
insulating properties. Generally this is easy to do keeping them in a water
proof stuff sack.
4. Spent many very cold and many not so cold nights and never felt at risk.
5. Remember hunting in our climate, cold can kill you, be prepared for it,
being too warm is easy to deal with and manageable.
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Ranger
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07-16-2018, 07:29 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,814
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The North Face Inferno is a great bag. Pricey though.
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07-17-2018, 03:30 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 2,100
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Hotcore from cabelas work really well. Can get them down to a -30C come in different shapes and sizes. Tough to beat from what I’ve seen.
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07-17-2018, 05:38 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Edm.
Posts: 4,845
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I started with a down sleeping bag for sheep hunting, The one I have, the down is in some type of nylon .I just sweat in it as it does not breath.
Ended up going to Campers village and buying the HummingBird #4
Very happy with it.
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07-17-2018, 03:32 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 1,685
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
don’t support MEC, they are anti hunting and funded the campaign that killed our grizzly hunt
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I have a different take on "supporting" MEC.
Us hunters not shopping there is such a tiny drop in the bucket of their customer base, that our absence will make no difference whatsoever to who they fund and support.
So, go there, they have awesome stuff, buy it on sale...and on your way to the till, at the till, and on the way out the door, make sure to tell everyone you can, employee and customer, that you can't wait to get out and use this awesome piece of gear to go hunting!!
Thank them for stocking such great stuff that makes your hunting experience so much more enjoyable!
Be sure to let them know that their product will be comfortably worn/used and will go such a long way to making your hunting trip as enjoyable as possible!
We'll never stop em'...but we sure can annoy em!
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07-17-2018, 05:12 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Usually the office, but the bush when I can
Posts: 1,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by happy honker
I have a different take on "supporting" MEC.
Us hunters not shopping there is such a tiny drop in the bucket of their customer base, that our absence will make no difference whatsoever to who they fund and support.
So, go there, they have awesome stuff, buy it on sale...and on your way to the till, at the till, and on the way out the door, make sure to tell everyone you can, employee and customer, that you can't wait to get out and use this awesome piece of gear to go hunting!!
Thank them for stocking such great stuff that makes your hunting experience so much more enjoyable!
Be sure to let them know that their product will be comfortably worn/used and will go such a long way to making your hunting trip as enjoyable as possible!
We'll never stop em'...but we sure can annoy em!
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^This!!!!
And make sure you're wearing everyone's favorite color when shopping - camo!!!
J.
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My $0.02.... Please feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt
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07-17-2018, 05:38 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 735
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I would look into the Big Agnes sleeping bag/pad system. The concept is that you only insulate the top half of the bag as the underside is compressed anyway. The bottom of the bags have a sleeve for the sleeping pad to hold it all in place.
This is not an endorsement as I have never tried them out, but if I was buying a bag I would start looking up reviews. I actually think I first heard about them on AO.
http://www.mec.ca/en/product/5052-50...RoCYCIQAvD_BwE
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07-18-2018, 05:44 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 83
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I've used down bags by Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends. Both have a water resistant shell and have stayed warm and dry in Alaska and Scotland. I give the edge to the WM but both do the job.
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07-18-2018, 07:05 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,230
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Knew a old Norwegian fella that would go cross country skiing north of Ft Mac in -50oC weather. He would sleep in snow with plastic liner in nude, no wetting of his down sleeping bag. Food for thought!
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07-18-2018, 08:44 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,313
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With the requirements you have listed it will be hard to fully fill them all with a single bag. Being that you want a 4 season bag that is relatively light to pull dual duty in the summer.
My 2 cents would be to get a 3 season bag somwere around the -7 rating to use in the summer. Then an over bag to add to it for winter use.
If you want the option of putting it directly on the ground (not sure why personally) I wouldn't bother looking at down bags. The potential for them to get damp and become a wet coffin is to great. Synthetic will allow you to keep some insulation even when damp. You will add a bit of bulk/weight but save a bit of money going synthetic.
All of the big brands (Marmot, Big Agnus, Western Mountaineering, ECT) are all good bags. I don't have much experience with military bags other than some surplus ones that were terrible (bulky, heavy, annoying to use/assemble, and uncomfortable).
Last edited by Jeron Kahyar; 07-18-2018 at 09:07 AM.
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