compact sleeping bag for mt. riding.

[gjjmtnus]

I've been searching for a downs sleeping bag for an overnite tour in the mountains.  Looking at temperature ratings of 10-25 degrees. However, I am not impressed with the bulkiness of the choices before me currently.  I suppose if you want more warmth, your going to have to deal with the lack of compression.  Anyone have a recommendation of how to select a lite-weight and compact sleeping bag for cooler summer temperatures?

[gjjmtnus]

Add to that, this is on mt bike, on trails not fit for panniers or trailers.  So I try to keep my load to the minimum necessary for survival.  To date, have lodged only.  This will be a new experience, camping.

[staehpj1]

Down is the best for this.  It only compresses so much and variation from bag to bag is not all that much for bags of similar warmth.  You can maximize compression by selecting a stuff sack that really has effective compression straps.

That said, I don't sweat bulk of items that much and just strap some of the more bulky items on top of the rack rather than try to squeeze everything in the panniers (I use smallish panniers).  For me the bag goes in the panniers, but the pad and tent go on top.  Weight is a way bigger factor than bulk IMO.

[paddleboy17]

I will concur that down will give you your best bang as long as you are responsible enough to keep the bag dry.  Down has no insulating value when it is wet, so you have to keep the bag dry.  You can extend the range of say a 25F bag by what you wear in the bag.  I am old school and wear silk (but I know people that wear Patagonia as I can smell them coming).  Fleece pants and tops our good to wear as they can double as camp clothes.   And don't forget a balaclava for your head. 

I took a winter survival class in 2000.  Our final exam was to sleep out in -20F weather.  I had a sleeping bag rated to 15F, and did fine wearing my fleece and silk to sleep in.  You loose a lot of heat out through your head, so the balaclava is very important.

[JayH]

I've been searching for a downs sleeping bag for an overnite tour in the mountains.  Looking at temperature ratings of 10-25 degrees. However, I am not impressed with the bulkiness of the choices before me currently.  I suppose if you want more warmth, your going to have to deal with the lack of compression.  Anyone have a recommendation of how to select a lite-weight and compact sleeping bag for cooler summer temperatures?

Cost no object, you can look at Western Mountaineering bags, Feathered Friends.  But how about, at the expense of some weight, using a compression sack with what you have? The compression sack will even compress the stuffed bag even more. There could be a debate of how much you should compress down, but money wise, it would save you some $$ and is one option to consider.   

I have used WM bags for backpacking and bike touring, as much as they are wonderful, they aren't cheap.

Jay