Zero Degree Bag

[maverick9465]

I want to add a zero degree bag to my gear. I have a late December Utah elk hunt and want to make sure I stay warm. Seems like 0 degree would be the way to go. I'm not really looking to spend $500 on a sleeping bag. What has your experience been? I've looked at Klymit and Big Agnes so far and lean towards one of the Klymit synthetic 0 degree bags. Open to other options. Thoughts?

 

[Dsnow9]

I’ve always been a believer in you get what you pay for and not all companies rate their bags by the same standards. I am very fond of Nemo and don’t have any complaints about any of the products I have made by them.

 

[maverick9465]

Yeah, me too. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check Nemo out!

 

[BillDoe708]

Don't forget a beanie to sleep in.

 

[Hammsolo]

Merino wool socks, bottoms, and hoodie is magic for me.

 

[maverick9465]

Don't forget a beanie to sleep in.

Never leave home without it!

 

[maverick9465]

Merino wool socks, bottoms, and hoodie is magic for me.

For sure. My hoodie has been a life-saver (not literally) for me.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

A zero degree bag is nice, I bought one when I had my MTN Goat tag. I went with a Nemo Sonic 0deg. I had such good luck with my Sonic 15deg, I figured why mess with a good thing. The gills are nice if it gets a little too toasty.

 

[glass eye]

I have Mountain Hardware down bags in -20*, 0*, 10*, 20* and the most I have paid is $225 for the MH -20* King Tut on eBay. All the others I paid around $10 each at swap meets/flea markets.
I also have bought a couple of Western Mountaineering down bags for $5 and sold the them on eBay for a hefty profit and the buyer still got a screaming deal on a very clean bag in excellent condition.
Don't rule out a used bag. The King Tut I bought on eBay for $225 was used once on Mt McKinley and it retailed for over $700 +

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

No idea your body size, but I have broad shoulders and am 6'2" so that really limits what I can fit into. I end up having to get long bags and usually use a wedgie extender from Big Agnes to fit in.

I use an REI bag, works well, but not a lot of room without the wedgie....

 

[BackofBeyond]

I've got a Marmot 0* synthetic bag, it's not my favorite piece of kit, but it gets the job done. I think sleeping bags are a lot like boots, a lot is going to depend on variables solely related to you. Need more room in the knees? How wide are your shoulders, etc?

One other thing to think about, lots of heat is lost to the ground, where you'll be laying on your bag and compressing it. Take a good look at your pad, and see where you can increase the R-value and minimize heat lost that way as well.

 

[Willy Dee]

I have used Big Agnus for a few years and am really impressed. I also use their fleece liner to add a little more warmth.

 

[blueridge]

I also have a Nemo Sonic and love it. Got mine at a discount from Moosejaw.

 

[MITCHMO]

Marmot never summer 0 deg. Pretty happy with it. Packs small for a zero deg which is nice.

 

[pilsner]

Nemo bags are notorious for being "optimistic" with their temp ratings.
I picked up a Stone Glacier Chillikote 0° bag a while back and love it. Pricey but the quality is high enough that i should get a couple of decades of use out of it.

 

[pilsner]

And forget a sleeping pad with an R rating of 4.0 or over!

 

[BucksnDucks]

Something to consider is a bivy sack or a down "woobie" light weight blanket. An inexpensive, light weight, very compactable "topper" or affectionately called a woobie can add a lot of extra warmth or can be used as a pillow.

 

[danielboone]

Not sure if you are truck camping or backpacking but I used a Kodiak Canvas bag last year and really like it. It is heavy, so would only work for truck camping but you will stay warm.

 

[grizzly_]

My favorite backpacking bag is from Enlightened Equipment, they're a USA-Made boutique company.

If it was a truck camp, I'd definitely use a canvas "old man bag" (as my dad calls them )

 

[TheNorthStar]

I've got a couple of them. The Marmot Trestles isn't the most feature rich 0, but it'll keep you very warm at the cost of the weight and bulk of a synthetic. I've woken up in the middle of the night inside it desperate to shed layers, in fact. I also have an overfilled Western Mountaineering Antelope MF. It's a whole 2lbs lighter and packs down to half the size. Down, I'm sure you're aware, requires a bit more care in keeping dry, but this thing is my backpack bag no matter what the temperature from mid Fall on. I love the thing. It's gonna be a couple hundred bucks more than you're hoping to spend, but as someone mentioned above, you're gonna get what you pay for. Good luck finding something that works for you!