Sleeping bag recommendations?

[knobbytire]

I've been using a 15-20 degree Alps bag for the last 5 years. An old Boy Scout trick to make it "all-season": heat water, dump it in a Nalgene bottle and sleep with it. I Did that one night when it dropped below 15 and I still stayed warm, though I had to move the bottle all night.

I've taken to hammock camping recently and I like using a GI bivy sack. No matter where you sleep, the bivy adds just a tiny bit of insulation, keeps you dry & still breathes, and keeps the sleeping pad and bag together. I used to wake up I the middle of the night half on/half off the pad. Now everything stays aligned inside the bivy.

Another thing about cold weather camping: keep a set of "sacred" clothes. Keep a separate set of clothes for sleeping. Put on dry socks, long johns, etc. before you crawl in to sleep. Change back in the morning. Be sure to hang up the sacred clothes to dry out during the day. Just a bit of sweat in your clothes will make you cold, so dry everything out.

 

[mdhunter]

I used "two bag" system when I was in Alaska. I had a super light 30 degree bag and slid that inside a slightly heavier bag (i will have to pull it out of the closet if you want degree specifics). Anyhow, the two bags gave me maximum flexibility with the temperatures but more importantly, really helped wick the moisture off me at night.

My outfitter swore by the system and he was spot on.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I've done the two bag thing. Flexible system and also heavy but great if you're not backpacking far. In my opinion the top tier is Valandre, WM, Feathered Friends, and Brooks Range. Also great is the MH Phantom, Marmot Lithium/Helium, and the Integral Designs down bags which are unicorn-like in their availability. They've all got a different cut, and their own strengths/weaknesses.