Sleeping Bag Recommendations for a Friend

A friend of mine approached me for a sleeping bag recommendation. After some back and forth questions, it occurred to me that my knowledge is only tangential to her needs. I'm wondering if anyone else here can help. She is looking for a bag that:

• will only be used indoors, so temperature ratings aren't as important, but still no fleece liners please as she has already tried and found them to be too cold
• can be fully unzipped to be a blanket with no foot box (rectangular bag? no hood? this is where my knowledge fails)
• can be machine washed (can't they all?)
• can pack up to the size of a basketball
  this one is my biggest challenge because both of my current sleeping bags: the winter bag and the summer quilt can meet this requirement but they are either too expensive (see next constraint) or are a quilt so don't fit her requirements
• costs $150 or less
• Optional Bonus Feature: can come in purple

As I hinted at, above, I use a down winter bag which is way outside of her budget and still has a foot box even when unzipped (thought it does meet her packing requirements) and a delightful, non-winter down quilt from JRB that also meets her packing requirements and fits her budget, is a great rectangular-ish blanket sans-foot box but is a quilt and not a fully enclosed sleeping bag. So recommending to her that she do as I do is useless.

The only other sleeping bags I have ever used were massive synthetic winter bags which pack up to be more than one basketball in size, even in their most compressed form.

Help? I know you creative WhiteBlazers know of or can see options I cannot even think of.

Down insulation is possible, but no need to get fancy with hydrophobic down since she won't be backpacking with it. She's a glamper at best. (we all have to start somewhere; I'll get her backpacking eventually)

Old school patrol bag. Toe box does not open but it is very roomy. My young'un uses this for his summer bag and is good in it down to the upper 30's when he is in a tent with a base layer. Packs small. They can be found for less.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Military...UAAOSwbqpT3R8d

Need more information.
Define indoors and lowest anticipated temperature.
Define what will be under this sleeping bag.
Walmart is full of rectangular, full opening, large front loading commercial machine washable synthetic insulation filled bags. None of which will pack as small as a basketball.
Good luck.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

I cannot get her to describe planned temperature other than she says that her immediate plan for it is when she is visiting her broke-college-student cousin and will be sleeping on the couch and her cousin cannot even so much as afford guest sheets or a guest blanket so she's having to bring in her own.

At all times with the sleeping bag she'll be on a couch or a bed mattress, so we can assume she'll be on a highly insulated surface. No floor/carpet sleeping for her.

I figure the lowest temperature she'll be dealing with is 65*F indoor air temperature.

I immediately thought, "Oh, well just get a bag from Walmart," but then had the same thought as you: none of them meet her small-packing requirements and that is the biggest constraint. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theinfamousj

I cannot get her to describe planned temperature other than she says that her immediate plan for it is when she is visiting her broke-college-student cousin and will be sleeping on the couch and her cousin cannot even so much as afford guest sheets or a guest blanket so she's having to bring in her own.

At all times with the sleeping bag she'll be on a couch or a bed mattress, so we can assume she'll be on a highly insulated surface. No floor/carpet sleeping for her.

I figure the lowest temperature she'll be dealing with is 65*F indoor air temperature.

I immediately thought, "Oh, well just get a bag from Walmart," but then had the same thought as you: none of them meet her small-packing requirements and that is the biggest constraint. :(

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Costco down throw meets all of the requirements. Not sure if they are available anywhere still but if they are, they run about $20.00.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Studlintsean

Costco down throw meets all of the requirements. Not sure if they are available anywhere still but if they are, they run about $20.00.

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She wants something to go underneath her as well, which is why she wants a fully enclosed bag. I'm trying to explain the finer points of a silk sleeping bag liner + throw/quilt but she isn't having it.

This bag unzips all the way around the foot box to allow it to open like a blanket:

https://www.rei.com/product/894947/r...5-sleeping-bag

I have last year's model, here is a picture of it opened up completely.


Attachment 34896

if she wants to go cheaper, you could just get the synethic helio at rei
https://www.rei.com/product/894998/r...5-sleeping-bag

it unzips into a quilt, weighs about 1.5 lbs, and is much smaller than a basketball. if she wants it to be a bit roomier, could go with the long/wide

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hikingjim

if she wants to go cheaper, you could just get the synethic helio at rei
https://www.rei.com/product/894998/r...5-sleeping-bag

it unzips into a quilt, weighs about 1.5 lbs, and is much smaller than a basketball. if she wants it to be a bit roomier, could go with the long/wide

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Yes, that's true. All depends on the warmth level needed.

HikingJim is the winner! Thanks to everyone for helping with this interesting set of constraints.

I did manage to talk her in to a silk liner in addition, because I pointed out that while using a bag in quilt mode, she would have nothing between herself and a bare mattress. Her silk liner is going to be purple, because the bag won't be.