Outdoor Vitals

[joefbtg28]

I have been looking for a 0 degree down bag to purchase on a budget for some time (I already have too much money in underquilts! haha). Due to variances in terrain, I don't always hammock camp, especially in the winter. This is why I want a bag instead of a top quilt, and I already have a 20 degree burrow. Anyways I came across this company and they look really promising. Still cottage industry which we all like in the hammock world.
https://outdoorvitals.com/

If anyone has any experience with the brand, feedback would be great! Otherwise, I just wanted to give the community a heads up on this, new to me company. Not that Hammock gear and Warbonnet aren't awesome too, but this fits a different niche. There zero degree down bag ways 3lbs even and is $185! Best of all they are on Amazon with prime shipping, something that is a big plus to me.

Anyways, its been a while, works been crazy, but thought I would check in. Cheers.

[GilligansWorld]

check out Hyke and Byke - Amazon $159 for 0* bag. Got mine for XMas and I love it. Video on YouTube on Gilligan's World. great bag better customer service.

[onesojourner]

Lot's of people are using top quilts on the ground. Just get one that is a bit wider.

[Shug]

I have been looking for a 0 degree down bag to purchase on a budget for some time (I already have too much money in underquilts! haha). Due to variances in terrain, I don't always hammock camp, especially in the winter. This is why I want a bag instead of a top quilt, and I already have a 20 degree burrow. Anyways I came across this company and they look really promising. Still cottage industry which we all like in the hammock world.
https://outdoorvitals.com/

If anyone has any experience with the brand, feedback would be great! Otherwise, I just wanted to give the community a heads up on this, new to me company. Not that Hammock gear and Warbonnet aren't awesome too, but this fits a different niche. There zero degree down bag ways 3lbs even and is $185! Best of all they are on Amazon with prime shipping, something that is a big plus to me.

Anyways, its been a while, works been crazy, but thought I would check in. Cheers.

I slept out in itmid-March as a test. Did not film, just getting to know it. Got down to 23ºF.
They sent me the 20º Aerie. Set it up as a UQ and a pod to see how it hung.
As a pod it is pretty good...you can get on an angle in the hammock. I'm 6' and was ok. As in most pods there is a gap up by the head over left shoulder for me. But slip a TQ inside and you could for sure get down to some colder temps.

As a UQ you have to set it up just right. I stretched my suspension tightly and hooked it up by cinch buckles on hammock suspension to get it to stretch out and get it to come up right against my buttocks and back.
Slept in a partial pod arrangement. Set up like pod but unzipped to knees.
Seemed to work best. Kept the bottom up against me that way.
I crawled in around 10PM and slept warm until about 4:30 AM. Started to get a bit cold on the buttocks then.
As it functions in a bag, pod and UQ and blanket so the 18 ounces of down gets distributed on top, sides and bottom. Less on the bottom as a normal 20º UQ.

The beauty of the Aerie is that a person can use it an a bag, pod, UQ or top blanket.

Zippers are a bit sticky...you have to be vigilant in holding back the inner zip tape and top flap. I hate zippers!

Seems to be baffled and not sewn through.

All in all a fairly good piece of gear for all that it does.
If looking for JUST a UQ then I don't think this is it. But if needed a piece of gear that is Multi Function then for the price it is pretty good.
Made in China.
I will test more and video later.
Shug

[leiavoia]

Lot's of people are using top quilts on the ground. Just get one that is a bit wider.

I'm one. Quilts are great on the ground. I'm never going back to using a bag.

[joefbtg28]

Lot's of people are using top quilts on the ground. Just get one that is a bit wider.

I have slept with my 20 degree burrow on the ground a lot. I toss and turn a bit at night. Every time I lose my seal with the ground I vent my body heat and get cold. Then I have to wait for my body heat to re-heat up the space. I got cold with my 20 degree burrow on the ground one time in the desert, and it only got down to 50 that night. I have tried sleeping bags in the hammock and top quilts on the ground, and to me the sleeping bag in the hammock is a lesser compromise. I feel better carrying an extra 5 oz of down, with the sleeping bag, knowing that my body heat will pretty much stay trapped in there. With that being said I still love underquilts!

Thanks for the good discussion y'all

[joefbtg28]

check out Hyke and Byke - Amazon $159 for 0* bag. Got mine for XMas and I love it. Video on YouTube on Gilligan's World. great bag better customer service.

This looks waay cheap, money wise that is. I will take a look. It is .86lbs heavier, but I will have to dig "down" into what type of down each company uses and how much you get. Thanks for the heads up.

[GilligansWorld]

I'm one. Quilts are great on the ground. I'm never going back to using a bag.

Question here - but couldn't you use a mummy bag say as a quilt with the zipper unzipped?

[GilligansWorld]

This looks waay cheap, money wise that is. I will take a look. It is .86lbs heavier, but I will have to dig "down" into what type of down each company uses and how much you get. Thanks for the heads up.

I am telling you you won't regret it. I love mine and again their customer service is the bomb.

[leiavoia]

Question here - but couldn't you use a mummy bag say as a quilt with the zipper unzipped?

Well you can do anything you want, but my biggest complaint against sleeping bags is the hood and the handedness of the zipper. I am on my side most of the time which means I will end up breathing into the side of the hood. I just hate that. And when I rotate in a bag, i have to keep the bottom underneath me to prevent twisting. A quilt for me means freedom to sleep whichever way I want.

The venting issue has surprisingly not been an issue for me even down into the 30s. If it was, my particular quilt has mini d-rings that I can use to tie it down to the mat, but I quit doing even that.