slick bag vs wiggys ul

[skaldugwas]

OK I have been going round and round on sleeping bags and always come back to the slick bag as an option for a synthetic, but im having a hard time pulling the trigger for that price tag, especially when I can get an UL wiggys for significantly less.

looking at the break down between sizes for wiggys wide/reg UL 20 degree and the slick long regular width 20 degree there is not much size difference and very little weight difference, the wiggys coming in at just over a quarter pound more, but its about an inch wider and longer than the kifaru slick bag.

i am probably completely overlooking something, but what am I going to get if I spend an extra $200 for the kifaru? obviously you get what you pay for with kifaru, but packability wise the wiggys bag sounds like it should be pretty close to the slick bag.

 

[Brightwhite]

I don't have a slick bag, but do have a zero degree wiggys superlight. If I were planning to use the bag for backpacking, I would get the kifaru. The wiggys bag is heavier and won't compress as well. I think wiggys is better suited for base camps and places like Alaska - which is why I bought mine.

 

[mrbillbrown]

Never seen a Wiggys in person but own 2 Slick bags. I'm convinced synthetic is the only way to go when I put so much time, money, and effort into a big elk hunt each year. It just makes sense to me.

That being said (and remember I've never had a Wiggys) I feel the Slick Bag can serve multiple roles and remain bombproof for the duration of any trip I plan to take. The tougher Rhino skin exterior will survive staying in the shelter, brought out to sit in around camp, or even using it on a cold ridge line while glassing. Not sure how tough the Wiggys outer shell is but I know the Slick has been used like this. The center zip is tough and seems fool proof. Especially when my big fat fingers are fumbling around with it. The Slick is warm, comfy, tough, and I'm pretty sure I'll call Aron from the mountain if it ever fails and he'll run right up the Mtn and snuggle me til morning. Can't beat Kifaru customer service and that means a lot to me.

Good luck with your decision.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[XMP]

One of the key differences is that Wiggy's bags use a laminate backing to the insulation. The insulation is similarbut the laminate backing means it's less compressible. In simple terms the Kifaru slick bag will compress a little more whereas the Wiggy's will be slightly more durable (speaking specifically of the life of the insulation).

 

[luke moffat]

If I am not taking my wiggy's on a hunt (which in the scheme of things isn't gonna make or break a hunt weight wise in reality) then I am taking a down bag or quilt on the hunt. Would rather have a wiggy's and a down quilt $395 for options than a single slick bag $382 to give me options depending on the hunt.

 

[LBFowler]

Comparing two different bags of the "same" temperature rating might not be all that useful.

the slick uses climasheild apex, and I'd bet money the 20* uses 6oz/yd of insulation. The wiggy's uses "lamilite" (old polarguard classic) and probably a good bit more then 6* (either the UL or the SL uses 12oz/yd of insulation, but I can't remember which). The apex is about 25% more efficient of an insulation when new, but isn't as durable as the lamilite. After a few good seasons they would probably be very similar in insulative abilities per weight, but the wiggys would still have a heavier shell and zippers, as well as simply more fabric.

The slick bag will certainly be higher performance in the short/medium term, and the wiggy's is no doubt overkill on the shell fabric and zippers, but the Wiggy's will be a longer term investment.

 

[XMP]

^^^

Lamilite isn't Polarguard it's Climashield laminated to a backing.

 

[bcimport]

I've had a slick, still have a wiggys and several down options. Not much new to say about the wiggys, they are heavy and bulky but warm and bomb proof. I found my slick bag cold and still fairly bulky and the fit and finish wasn't awesome for the price. Much happier with my down options when I'm carrying it. Seems the synthetic vs down thing is on a perpetual pendulum of marketers and advertisers. Down rules the day for me and it's plenty wet in BC.

 

[LBFowler]

^^^

Lamilite isn't Polarguard it's Climashield laminated to a backing.

Climashield is just the blanket term for any lofted insulation made by the parent company that used to make polarguard. Climashield Apex that most people associate with the CS name is one of many kinds and is a blend of micro and macro fibers (1 denier+ and 1 denier-) which gives it great loft but at a lower durability.

The "climashield" that wiggy's uses is the same 5-6 denier lofted insulation he has used since the beginning, back when it was polarguard they wouldn't let him use the name but when they switched to CS for whatever reason they let him brand it as such. Wiggy talks in circles but you can find an old heated thread on the Kifaru forum where he is finally forced to admit that it is basically polarguard "classic" (as opposed to PG 3d, delta, or any of the many other PG iterations). This lets us deduce that the CLO of lamilite is somewhere around 0.6/yd^2 while CS apex is around 0.82 at least when new.

 

[Brightwhite]

Climashield is just the blanket term for any lofted insulation made by the parent company that used to make polarguard. Climashield Apex that most people associate with the CS name is one of many kinds and is a blend of micro and macro fibers (1 denier+ and 1 denier-) which gives it great loft but at a lower durability.

The "climashield" that wiggy's uses is the same 5-6 denier lofted insulation he has used since the beginning, back when it was polarguard they wouldn't let him use the name but when they switched to CS for whatever reason they let him brand it as such. Wiggy talks in circles but you can find an old heated thread on the Kifaru forum where he is finally forced to admit that it is basically polarguard "classic" (as opposed to PG 3d, delta, or any of the many other PG iterations). This lets us deduce that the CLO of lamilite is somewhere around 0.6/yd^2 while CS apex is around 0.82 at least when new.

So what does all of this mean? I may not be the sharpest knife in the block, but I have no idea what you are trying to say here.

 

[LBFowler]

Even thought wiggy's calls lamilite "climashield" it is a world different then the "climashield" that a slick bag uses. Climashield apex (slick bag) uses tiny fibers that are more delicate but warmer. Lamilite uses bigger fibers that are less warm but tougher. For the same weight of insulation the apex is around 25% warmer when brand new.

 

[Brightwhite]

Even thought wiggy's calls lamilite "climashield" it is a world different then the "climashield" that a slick bag uses. Climashield apex (slick bag) uses tiny fibers that are more delicate but warmer. Lamilite uses bigger fibers that are less warm but tougher. For the same weight of insulation the apex is around 25% warmer when brand new.

Thank you for clarifying. Makes much more sense to me.

 

[gobbler1662]

One thing that I don't see mentioned yet is you can use either bag for years but when it's time to upgrade which one has the higher resale? My guess is kifaru by a landslide. That's why I choose to go with the new 20 degree slick bag. Not to mention the craftsmanship and durability.

 

[luke moffat]

One thing that I don't see mentioned yet is you can use either bag for years but when it's time to upgrade which one has the higher resale? My guess is kifaru by a landslide. That's why I choose to go with the new 20 degree slick bag. Not to mention the craftsmanship and durability.

I am guessing you've never seen a wiggy's bag in person.

You can buy a 20 degree Kifaru for $382....a 20 degree wiggy's for $120. I think you'd be hard pressed to resale the Kifaru for $260 even if you literally got zero dollars for a used wiggy's.

 

[Kotaman]

I am guessing you've never seen a wiggy's bag in person.

You can buy a 20 degree Kifaru for $382....a 20 degree wiggy's for $120. I think you'd be hard pressed to resale the Kifaru for $260 even if you literally got zero dollars for a used wiggy's.

that's a good point...

 

[LBFowler]

And take it from someone who's always watching eBay for a cheap wiggy's bag; I've yet to see one that is really enough under retail to make me think I wouldn't be better off driving over to wiggy's with some cash.

 

[blackdawg]

So Luke, under what conditions would you not have the wiggy's bag in your backpack or is it never considered for backpack trips? I was also considering a Wiggy's because of price, I recognize a small weight penalty is part of deal but should the Ultralight Wiggy's bag be out of the picture for a backpack trip?

 

[bcimport]

I backpacked with my wiggys for 4 seasons before saving up for a down option. The only two downsides are weight and bulk, which is what we all try to reduce when backpacking. So 3# and 30% more space than my down option. Never kept me out of the mountains and never made me complain, I slept well in it every night too. If I didn't have my down quilt now I would still be happily humping my wiggys out into the woods.

 

[luke moffat]

So Luke, under what conditions would you not have the wiggy's bag in your backpack or is it never considered for backpack trips? I was also considering a Wiggy's because of price, I recognize a small weight penalty is part of deal but should the Ultralight Wiggy's bag be out of the picture for a backpack trip?

I have backpacked my Wiggy's on many of occasions especially early on. I have other lighter options now that I primarily use. But when weight isn't an issue especially with wet climes I still favor the Wiggy's. If all I had was a Wiggy's back to use for my backpacking trips I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use it.

 

[y_stephenm]

A Wiggy's is heavy, bulky, and A-Bomb proof. It will keep you warm. I only carry Wiggy's. When I am done, and I need to crawl in somewhere and be warm, I can get into my Wiggy's no matter what fresh hell is unravelling in nature around me, and I will be warm. That, to me, is what I need in a sleeping bag. Take the weight penalty.