back to square one

[misterfloyd]

well I bought a year ago a eddie bauer karakoram 0 bag. I love being out in the winter, at least in my neck of the woods. I returned it in january because the stitching was poor and was not what I wanted considering what I paid for it.

So I'm back to looking for a reasonably priced down sleeping bag. NEMO has a 0 bag. It has zippers on the top, kind of like gills that allow you to vent very effectivly.

I know that as a company they have a very good rep.

Question: does anyone have this bag or know anyone ?

Like to get some opinions

All the best

floyd

[Venchka]

I had a similar experience with a North Face Hightail 3S. It wasn't a bad bag. But there things about the way the bag was shaped in the hood and foot I didn't care for. I'm sure many people would have been happy to own it. However, I was comparing it to a 0F degree Western Mountaineering Antelope bag. Yes, spoiled. I returned the Hightail and bought a WM Alpinlte a few weeks later.
Do you really need a zero degree bag? The WM Versalite (10 degrees) and Antelope (5 degrees) share the same dimensions that I find just right for my 5'-8", 145 pounds self.
Good luck with your search.

Wayne


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[misterfloyd]

Yes I would like a 0 degree. Like all bags it is advertised as a 0 degree bag but the comfort level is 13+ degrees. You think if it is advertised as a 0 degree it should go down to that comfortably?

I hate being cold in the winter. It does get that cold most times in NC in the High country.

I know I could wear my jacket to bed along with fleece with a "supposed" 20 degree bag but.........

[Offshore]

The EN rating system has a "comfort" rating and a "lower limit" rating. The comfort rating is the the lowest temperature in which the average woman would be comfortable. The lower limit rating is the lowest temperature at which the average man would be comfortable. The lower limit is lower than the comfort limit (as you may guess from its name!). Advertised bag ratings are usually the lower limit, so its not unusual for even a premium 0 F lower limit bag to have a comfort limit of 13 F. As a male (guessing from your name), you should evaluate bags on the lower limit number, so the NEMO should provide a comfortable sleep for an average male in temperatures of 0 degrees. If you're a cold sleeper, go with a lower lower limit bag or look into bags like Western Mountaineering where you can order one with extra fill that generally adds about 5 degrees comfort.

[Venchka]

Or...
The North Face bag that I had briefly was "rated" at 15 degrees, a few degrees below the EN lower limit. One of several "rounding off" errors in the specs. The WM Alpinlite's EN lower limit is 16 degrees. WM rates the bag at 20 degrees. For me, the choice between the two was easy.
I looked at me Nemo bag and similar bags from Feathered Friends and WM. The Nemo bag had the least down and almost the heaviest. The FF bag had more down, a WPB shell and an ounce or so heavier. The WM Antelope MF had the most down at 26 ounces and the lightest at 2 pounds 7 ounces. I wouldn't trade my 20 year old Antelope Dryloft for either of those bags. But I'm prejudiced.
BTW, there is internet theory that the EN rating system starts falling down as you approach 0 degrees and below.

Wayne

Wayne


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[misterfloyd]

BTW, there is internet theory that the EN rating system starts falling down as you approach 0 degrees and below.

What do you mean by this?

[Venchka]

BTW, there is internet theory that the EN rating system starts falling down as you approach 0 degrees and below.

What do you mean by this?

Unreliable is the word I was looking for. Prowling around European outdoor shops online I found the EN numbers for WM bags down to the 20 degree models. Nothing lower. I kept looking and found folks talking about the low end of the EN testing becoming unreliable as the test approached 0F. Could have been the Backpacking Light forum. People there get very technical.
The EN test is just one tool in the sleeping bag evaluation process. Total loft, construction, materials and the company's reputation for accuracy in temperature rating are some other tools.
Hopefully it will be cold enough at the house at Christmas to test drive my new bag and report back.

Wayne


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