Winter sleeping bag

[bearstalker]

What do you guys recommend for a winter sleeping bag? I have my eyes on the North Face -20 inferno sleeping bag. Thoughts on this one? I use the North Face cat's meow bag for most of my fall hunts and it has held up great over the years, so that is sort of why I was looking at the Inferno. Any others I should consider as well?

I mainly need a new bag for early spring bear hunts and for a upcoming caribou hunt in Feb/March time frame.

 

[bridgerbenson]

I've heard really good things about Wiggy's bags and they are on sale right now. Have not tried them myself, but am also needing to upgrade and thinking I will try one.

 

[wyosteve]

Western Mountaineering are said to be top notch.

 

[snowcamoman]

Marmot CWM. Might be overkill for you, but I've slept out to -37º in it before and was perfectly comfortable. Western Mountaineering bags are really nice too as are Feathered Friends bags.

 

[GKPrice]

I've heard really good things about Wiggy's bags and they are on sale right now. Have not tried them myself, but am also needing to upgrade and thinking I will try one.

I've be sleeping in Wiggy's Bags since early '90's with no complaints OR cold nights whatsoever - the more I wash them the better they get

 

[Becca]

Wiggy's is what we usually use for true winter camping as well. I have a 0 deg super light, as well as the over bag which brings the temp rating to -30 degrees when you use them together. I have slept in in down to the -30's and been comfortable, albeit with lots of clothes/hat/insulated booties. I do sleep cold. Not the lightest set up by any means, and it is bulky, but it's worth it to have a bag system I can depend on in temps that low. I also like that the synthetic insulation manages condensation well and stays warm even when wet. I have a hard time not tucking my face into my bag when I sleep in cold temps, so moisture inside the bag is an issue. Most of our winter camping trips are via snow machine (that's snow mobile for you lower 48 folks ) anyway, so the weight and bulk is less of an issue, but I have backpacked the Wiggy's bag more than once and it's been worth it.

 

[duchntr]

I have a feathered friends 0 degree bag, and if its its real cold I use an army issue synthetic bag as an over-bag think its a wiggys. The setup works well for me and is pretty versatile. I also double up my pads with a closed cell foam pad and an air pad it helps a lot.

 

[kodiakfly]

Wiggy's. They do have their niche, which coincides with most of my hunts, so I use them often.

 

[bearstalker]

Lots of good info. Much appreciated everyone. I ended up going with a Feathered Friends bag. I'll be trying it out here soon.

 

[reaper]

Wiggy's is what we usually use for true winter camping as well. I have a 0 deg super light, as well as the over bag which brings the temp rating to -30 degrees when you use them together. I have slept in in down to the -30's and been comfortable, albeit with lots of clothes/hat/insulated booties. I do sleep cold. Not the lightest set up by any means, and it is bulky, but it's worth it to have a bag system I can depend on in temps that low. I also like that the synthetic insulation manages condensation well and stays warm even when wet. I have a hard time not tucking my face into my bag when I sleep in cold temps, so moisture inside the bag is an issue. Most of our winter camping trips are via snow machine (that's snow mobile for you lower 48 folks ) anyway, so the weight and bulk is less of an issue, but I have backpacked the Wiggy's bag more than once and it's been worth it.

Becca how it pack down(wiggys 0 deg super light alone not with the over bag)??

 

[coyote_hunter]

Lots of good info. Much appreciated everyone. I ended up going with a Feathered Friends bag. I'll be trying it out here soon.

Which Feathered Friends bag did you go with ? I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Penguin Nano 10 for a Manitoba caribou hunt next fall.

 

[chindits]

FF was standard issue when I was with 19SFG years ago (90s). It came with a vapor barrier and served me well. I imagine the upgrades in the last 20 years have only made it better and you will not be disappointed if you take the precautions to keep it dry. I currently sport a WM and have no complaints. I am all about light weight now that my knees are so old and worn out. My NF bags are still serviceable but I only use them for car camping now.

 

[kodiakfly]

Becca how it pack down(wiggys 0 deg super light alone not with the over bag)??

Not as well as a down bag, but it's not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be. You'd think a Wiggy's is 3,000 ci compressed and it's not. My Wiggy's zeros pack down to size comparable, though maybe very slightly larger than a zero synthetic bag. They are bigger...they are. But they're a bigger bag with more material and they're not at all size-prohibitive in a pack. I compress mine in a 15L dry sack with room to spare. I could probably get it in a 12L if I had a 12L sack.

 

[justinspicher]

The best bag I've ever had for winter was my issued us army bag. It has three pieces so it's stupid bulky. Warm though.