Sleeping bags

[burleyrider]

Does anyone know of a good sleeping bag rated to maybe 25F or 30F
that is not a mummy-bag? I do not like the tapered bags.

Derek

[JayH]

I've been a fan of Marmot of a brand that makes excellent sleeping bags for the price. However, all of my experience is in Mummy bags because I sleep like a mummy. I have a old synthetic Marmot Wizard and also a Western Mountaineering Iroquois for summer touring/backpacking/kayak touring that I love.  Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Mountain Hardware, make excellent down bags that are ultralight but they aren't cheap. I would not be afraid to recommend them if you can find a non-mummy bag for your needs from them.  

Your best bet really though is to try them out, find a nice outdoors store near you and see if you can get comfy in them.

Jay

[burleyrider]

I appreciate the advice. But they do not make non-mummy style bags.

Derek

[drongobird]

Derek,

If you don't mind spending $$ for the best... www.nunatakusa.com has a bag that will not make you feel like a mummy - but it's probably the best bag made and you pay for that quality.    

Look at the Arc Alpinist or Arc Edge.  This is a very well designed "top bag", although the feet are boxed.  The bag is essentially a quilt, with a mummy foot box to keep your feet from sliding out the sides.  It has connecting straps on the underside, if the temp is warm enough, you unclip the straps and sleep under a quilt.  As the temps get colder, you cinch the straps to pull the bag in around your sides.  There are a handful of commercially available top-bags, but none approach this one in the quality of the design or the quality of the down.

My husband and I have been using two person top bags for 20 years - we used to have to make our own by cutting the zipper off a rectangular bag and sewing a sack at the feet.  But two years ago nunatak made us a custom overstuffed double top bag and it's unbelievable.  32 oz for two people, good down to ~30 degrees if we're naked, lower if we wear a layer of clothes beneath.  If you cycle with a sleeping-partner, a double top bag is certainly the lightest nicest solution you'll find.

If you're not sure if you like the top-bag concept, check with the company (that's Tom, it's a small company) about his return policy.  I'm pretty sure he'll let you return whatever you order if you think it's not right.  Be forewarned that if you order a custom bag, Tom is notoriously unable to deliver on the schedule he promises.  You won't be disappointed with the product, just don't expect it to come when you thought it would, months late is not unheard of.  If you order a standard product, or better yet from the clearance-sale page, then this should not be an issue.  I bought a clearance-page Arc-Alpinist and it arrived in two days.

There's a great site for reviews of light-weight backpacking gear, many of the review categories are useful for bike touring as well since some of the equipment list is shared.  www.backpackinglight.com.  That's where I learned about nunatak.

Good luck,  Amy
PS - no I don't have any relatives at the company, I'm just so pleased with the single and double nunatak bag that I can't contain myself.

[burleyrider]

Those are deifinitely nice. But it is the mummy box that bothers me. I
have a really nice Slumberjack bag that I use. But feeling like my feet
are "bound" bothers me.

Derek

[drongobird]

Derek,
Then look at Western Mounaineering Aspen or Hooded Aspen.  WM makes excellent light bags (I have one of their bags too), and their temp ratings are not overly-optimistic.  
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/specchart.htm shows the specs for all their bags.  The Aspen is a semi-rectangular bag rated to 25 degrees.

Good luck, Amy

[JayH]

http://www.backpacking.net/gear-reviews/sleeping-bag-review/

Before I got my WM, I looked at that site, it is a little dated and some models may have changed or have been discontinued but it gives a pretty good synopsis of the various ultralite bags out there.  Granted, due to the UL bags, most if not all of them are mummy style. However, is it just the feet or do you just dislike the whole tapered mummy style?  Different makers make different styles, some have a more expansive foot bag which might be less restrictive than others. The only way to know is to try which is why I suggested to go find a dealer and try. An expensive option is to go custom but that is just that... expensive.  

Jay

[wafrench]

I just did a week supported on Cycle Utah. I am tall and I also dislike tightly confined feet. Plus, temperatures varied from 90 + during the day to 22 Farenheit the coldest night. I brought an EMS Solstice bag, a semi-rectangular model with top and bottom of different fill weights. One side has a 25 degrees limit, the other 45, which lets you flip it depending on the temperature. It's a synthetic, so if it gets damp, no worries. Just the right thing for the conditions. I'd recommend that to almost anyone.

[jitenshaka]

I have a Coleman canvas bag that will keep you warm in almost anything. It's pretty much a Walls/Carhart jacket shaped like a sleeping bag. Plaid flannel liner etc..   Only problem is that its a little bulky. Absolutely no attempt at a mummy shape though.

[burleyrider]

I brought an EMS Solstice bag, a semi-rectangular model with top and bottom of different fill weights.

Hey thanks! Those sleeping bags look really nice. I think I found my sleeping bag.

Derek

[Diesel]

Not quite a square bag but it might do the trick. Mountain Equipment make high quality in down or synthetic fillings, and include a range with the area from your calves to you chest lightly elasticated. I don't have a problem with mummy bags, but even I notice the difference, which in practice is more significant then you might anticipate. As far as quality issues go all their products stand up to scrutiny.
Good luck,
Diesel.

[George]

You might also want to look at the Big Agnes bags (http://www.bigagnes.com); their classic series is less tapered than mummy bags, snd their park series is even closer to rectangular.

[janetanorth]

try: www.wiggys.com
if you don't see what you want, give him a call. he'll probably make you one up.