Sleeping Bag Preferences/Ideas?!?

[fin]

When I get rich, I might get a JRB quilt, but since I already own the WM bag, I think I'll use it for now.

You don't have to be rich to get a JRB quilt, just moderately wealthy or willing to live off of your credit!

There is no one bag that is perfect for winter camping, but if you are serious about it and need it to be light and to compact for airline travel, it has to be down. The JRB oversize quilts are nice because you can use them in multiple ways. I like flexibility. Now if you are just going to camp in it in cold weather exclusively and always use it as a bag (or wear it,) then the Nunatak or a Feathered Friends would be the cat's meow.

[animalcontrol]

30*F - 15*F (I've used it to 5*F but that was pushing it, I'm a warm sleeper)...I use a down sleeping bag Marmot Arroyo opened up like a quilt w/a footbox.
Opened up, it is wider than a 'normal' TQ which gives me some options inside the hammock.
Cooler than 15*F, I use an old down Moonstone 0*F sleeping bag. A little heavy but I don't need it very often.
Both of these I had from the ground days...still work very well inside my hammock (and if I needed to go to ground)

[JohnH]

I have a Columbia Zone II. 0 deg F. Only complaint is that it's slightly small for my wider shoulders/stomach.

[Red Hat]

You don't have to be rich to get a JRB quilt, just moderately wealthy or willing to live off of your credit!

Well, at my age, I am neither... I'm on fixed income with no credit cards. lol... I bought my WM bag used on Whiteblaze from a big guy who was claustrophobic in the mummy bag. If anyone ever sells a used JRB bag cheap, I'll buy it. Most folks keep them though, what's not to like? Kind of like finding a used Warbonnet Blackbird, not gonna happen...

So, my suggestion is to find a good used down bag if you can.

[Take-a-knee]

Well, at my age, I am neither... I'm on fixed income with no credit cards. lol... I bought my WM bag used on Whiteblaze from a big guy who was claustrophobic in the mummy bag. If anyone ever sells a used JRB bag cheap, I'll buy it. Most folks keep them though, what's not to like? Kind of like finding a used Warbonnet Blackbird, not gonna happen...

So, my suggestion is to find a good used down bag if you can.

I would not get rid off or sell a WM sleeping bag I was happy with. JRB quilts do turn up here for sale occasionally, I've bought two of them used for about %75 of the new cost. JRB has some killer sales a few times every year also where they mark new quilts down almost that much sometimes. You might email them now since they are changing colors, they may have some of the older kelly green ones that they would discount. If you can sew, you can make a JRB style quilt yourself but you really don't save that much money.

[east_stingray]

If you can sew, you can make a JRB style quilt yourself but you really don't save that much money.

Really? I thought a good part of the price went toward the craftsmanship, and if you were satisfied with your own crappy efforts (or perhaps your efforts are better than mine), you could get along quite a bit cheaper.

[Take-a-knee]

Really? I thought a good part of the price went toward the craftsmanship, and if you were satisfied with your own crappy efforts (or perhaps your efforts are better than mine), you could get along quite a bit cheaper.

As always, they can buy materials cheaper in bulk than we can buy in small quantity, so that is part of their profit margin. When you add up the price of everything you'll need at www.thruhiker.com ; down, 1.1 DWR, baffles, thread, and sundry items, you'll have a more reasonable view of their prices. I'm going to make a quilt, only because the Jacks don't sell exactly what I want, basically an overstuffed Stealth with one inch baffles. Since I already have three of their quilts they shouldn't be mad at me.

[TinaLouise]

Really? I thought a good part of the price went toward the craftsmanship, and if you were satisfied with your own crappy efforts (or perhaps your efforts are better than mine), you could get along quite a bit cheaper.

Shop around the internet, you can buy silnylon "seconds" and I've found 750 rated down to be much cheaper than 900 down. Now if you've just got to have that 900 down and the first quality silnylon, then the price of the finished quilt will be quite similar to just going out and buying it already made. Especially if you can find the ready made one on sale. When I ordered my "internet finds" I ordered enough to make a summer and a winter quilt. That way the two quilts averaged out cheaper than if I'd ordered the materials seperatly. (and way cheaper than ordering 2 different quilts) Now if you do decide to make your own, you do still have to contend with "being satisfied with your own crappy efforts" at sewing.

[Ramblinrev]

Really? I thought a good part of the price went toward the craftsmanship, and if you were satisfied with your own crappy efforts (or perhaps your efforts are better than mine), you could get along quite a bit cheaper.

The cost savings for DIY is totally illusionary once you start adding your own labor cost into the mix. If you have lots of free time that would be spent going to mall or watching the "one eyed monster" so that you don't feel that your time has any value, then by all means... leave the labor out of it and you will feel like you have saved money. On the other hand, if you have to make a choice between hanging/camping.yakking and spending time making gear then figure out how much you would be willing to pay someone to free up the time for you to do those things. any cost savings fly out the window in terms of DIY.

on the other hand if you enjoy doing the projects and you like to mod your gear to be exactly what you want or your time does not figure into the cost then DIY can be a lucrative cost saver. But that's a very narrow window for many people.

In one of my We Don't Sew vids I make the statement that DIY to save money is not a viable reason to make your own.

[east_stingray]

Yeah, I have very little free time, no sewing machine, and no skill with a sewing machine. I wasn't talking about making stuff for myself... just the concept in general.