Warmest, lightest ,Womens sleeping bag

[Cookie]

Looking for the warmest, lightest, womens fitting sleeping bag. Must pack small as possible.

I feel the cold and already have a couple of down bags and an Exped mat.

My bags are too long and too wide to efficiently keep me toasty warm so happy to sell them and start again.

Thank you

Edit....

Current bags are:

Malachowski Guide Pro 1200 size L
Malachowski Climber 600 Size L with but M length

The 1200 is warm even though too big, packs up too big for carrying as way too long
The 600 is too wide for me as I lost a lot of weight

I'm about 164cm in height, 65kg weight

[Hiking Exped]

All depends on budget really Cookie. PHD designs in the UK make about the best warmest, lightest bags I know with 950+ down. They also tailor bags to you, but it’s not cheap. Their kit is excellent though and lasts forever.

I’ve also more recently had nice bags and quilts off a new NSW start up called Neve Gear. They are on this forum. Again using quality 900+ down, very warm and light, but much cheaper. I recall they tailor a little too.

[Moondog55]

Some info on the bags you already have may help people to give advice, see also the thread on the One Planet Cocoon
https://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=26137
I've heard a couple of good things about the S2S UL bags too.
https://seatosummit.com.au/products/fla ... eeping-bag
But more info needed Re expected temperature limits and whether clothing forms part of your sleeping system

[Tortoise]

Hi Cookie. To get the lightest and smallest packed size, a quilt would have to beat a sleeping bag, loft for loft, because there's less fabric and less down. Some places do detailed custom sizes.

Some people can't adjust to using them. I'm a cold sleeper, side sleeper and tosser-and-turner (about 10 cm shorter than you and 8 ish kg lighter). I went for a regular width and length quilt, because of those issues, and because I like to be able to cocoon myself inside, using the top part of the quilt as a hood. Other people use a beanie or balaclava and get a shorter quilt, using the drawstring to cinch it in around the neck like it's designed to be used. In case you haven't seen these quilts, most if not all have straps that go around your mat, that you can cinch in around you when it's cold. Some have a small zip to open or close the foot box (which I highly recommend), and I think most quilts have press studs to bring the quilt in around your legs. You can toss and turn mainly underneath the quilt, instead of taking it with you like I do with a bag.

You mentioned you have an Exped mat, but there are a lot of different models. Do you know the R value of yours? I reckon a quilt relies a bit more on the quality of your mat, though down squashed underneath you doesn't do much for warmth. There are some types of mat that don't work with a quilt - ones that have little depressions for a sleeping bag to 'loft' into underneath you.

I do like my quilt. It's not much more than half the weight of my old bag, just as warm, and packs much smaller.

[Cookie]

I have both .....Exped Downmat 9, R rating 8
Exped Downmat 7UL, R rating 5.9

I tend to use the UL7 as it packs up much smaller than the 9

[Franco]

The Western Mountaineerig Ultralite small (165 cm) rated to -7 , is 795g with 450 g of down (850/900).
Or for another 50 g or so of down , you get the versalite.
https://www.westernmountaineering.com/s ... ultralite/
If you need to match the -19c or so of the Guide Pro 1200, you can get the Kodiak in small at 1245g with 850 g od down.
(packs to 23x46 cm , I can pack the WM a bit smaller that their suggested size)
https://www.westernmountaineering.com/s ... ion-chart/

[crollsurf]

Yes, Western Mountaineering are one of the best. Enlightened Equipement are a good mid-range option but overstate their comfort level, temperature wise. I tend to buy once, cry once but... I'd go Neve gear if I had my time again.

A nice combo is to get a pair of down/Apex pants. Pair them with a puffer jacket, and you'll be toast around camp at night/morning and adds an extra 10C- to your bag/quilt sleep setup.

Also, as mentioned, if your mat doesn't have a good R rating... you will be cold. The good news is that a high R rated mat still works well in warmer weather.

[Franco]

Good idea about the puffy pants/top suggestion. I camped several times on snow using the 0 rated WM Summerlight with WM light pants and jacket and that worked very much like using the -7c Ultralite with just merino top and bottom (plus loose socks and beanie...) The advantage of the puffy layer is that I already use that at camp and it is nice to have for the midnight pee.

[johnrs]

What has Malachowski or Cumulu got on offer Cookie?

[Cookie]

Thanks, had a look at Cumulus bags, they look awesome, so many ways to customise......so tempted, might have to sell a kidney though

[Moondog55]

Without knowing under what conditions you are going to be using it is really hard to give any definite information.

[rcaffin]

The terms 'warmest' and 'lightest' are mutually incompatible.
You might be a lot better served by getting a good airmat.

Cheers
Roger

[Moondog55]

The terms 'warmest' and 'lightest' are mutually incompatible.
You might be a lot better served by getting a good airmat.

Cheers
Roger

I'm not sure I agree there Roger.
For a determined temperature rating there are ways of making sleeping bags lighter.
Apart from using lighter fabric and the highest fill power down you can afford that is.
You make the bag smaller to provide a close fit and save a few grams there but at the expense of making the bag less flexible as part of a system that would use clothing as a low rating booster
The simplest way is getting rid of as much zipper as practicable, no zipper at all can save you as much as a hundred grams, which allows you to keep the same sleeping bag weight but with more down in it.
A short central chest zip is my preferred option but not to everybodies taste and few makers now offer them as they cost more to make due to the labour involved
After all removing the weight of the zipper is one of the reasons quilts are lighter options than full sleeping bags

[PixelTali]

I want to share some options:
- For lightweight, you should look for something in Down with the highest loft (this is usually a number such as 700, 850+, etc.). Down is not vegan (duck feathers) and loses its warmth when wet.
- Down can be treated to be water resistant, but shouldn't be considered waterproof. If you're going into very wet conditions consider a synthetic fill instead.
- Different companies have developed a lot of synthetic warm alternatives which are approaching, but not at the same warmth:weight ratio as down, such as North Face thermoball.
- Women's sleeping bags are better than men's as women tend to have warmer cores and cooler extremities (icy feet unite!)
- Baffle construction is important: Baffles are the donut-shaped rings on a bag, they hold the filling in place. Wider baffles can hold more fill for warmth, but also allow it to shift around. Smaller baffles hold it firmer in place, but have more seams where there is no filling, which can create cold spots. A good sleeping bag will have baffles that change depending on where on the body it works best (e.g. larger baffles on feet, narrower around areas of lots of movement.)
-Sweat is the heat killer. If you sweat you will be cold! Those extra weight zippers are critical for venting excess heat and avoiding sweat.
-Absolutely use a sleeping bag liner to keep your bag clean and working properly, but do not rely on these for warmth.
-Make sure you use the COMFORT RATING of any bag to assess how warm it needs to be. On women's bags this is often the given rating but double check.
-If you're a little tall (5'7" and up) check the length. If you're too tall you will compress the footbox and make a cold spot

With all this in mind, here's some good options which are popular at different price points etc.
- SeaToSummit makes a large number of down sleeping bags and have regular good sales so worth waiting for a 40-60% off. The Flame series is the best weight:warmth BUT I have the Altitude for winter camping - this has the benefit of extra zips including the option for my partner and I to zip our bags together and the super snug footbox as I have Reynaud's. S2S uses "3D Baffles" which reduces the cold spot created by seams. I have the Flame II for summer camping and find it TOO WARM! but it also packs smaller than my water bottle and weighs less than my sleeping mat so I'm happy to use as a blanket.
-Enlightened Equipment or custom quilts are a super popular choice as it removes the layer beneath plus zips which add weight for small benefit. Also great for claustrophobic sleepers, and in warmer weather is easy to vent heat. Downside is the risk of drafts if not tucked away properly, some quilts have a half zip or ties which allow you to tuck over the feet.
Layering a quilt over a sleeping bag is heavy but a very versatile way to make a super warm combo.
- My vegan friend has a Marmot Trestles bag which is a bit heavier but equally warm and synthetic. This one is a mummy shape (tight to body) but with a nice big footbox which is cool!

The best way to keep weight down is to look up the hikes you are likely to do and check the overnight lows across the seasons you hike (we hike in Tas in winter so need super warm gear) and tailor your kit to match. You don't need a -10 rating on -1 areas and you can save well over a kilo by doing so.