I have a 10 degree FF bag and I loveeeeeee it. I took it on the JMT during a verrryyy hot year and ended up just draping it over me most nights rather than zipping it up.
To me, the peace of mind of having the 10 degree is more than worth it. I used to feel anxious about being cold on basically every backpacking trip and now I never stress about it, I know I will be cozy. And it serves me well for other adventures including snow camping and shoulder season trips.
Before you buy, I'd read through Dan Timmerman's blog: [https://timmermade.com/blog/](https://timmermade.com/blog/)
He says it better than I will. But it comes down to wrapping yourself with the right thickness of insulation for the least amount of weight and money, which means you need a bag that fits your body and sleeping position, and uses the right amounts of top-notch materials.
**Keep in mind insulation is a complete system**. It includes sleeping pads and shelters.
\-A thin CCF pad under an air pad boosts R-value for cheap. Decathlon's foam roll is 210g and 9 Euro. GG thinlite is half the weight and double the price, which is still cheap.
\-A bivy bag can easily add 5C to your warmth because it prevents wind from stealing your warmth. You can find them on aliexpress for \~30 Euro in the 250g gram range, or from cottage makers in US for more $ and less g. Keep in mind, you do still want good ventilation to prevent condensation.
Feathered Friends is gold standard. Quality is top. The price reflects that. Any of the FF 10F (-12C) or 0F (-18C) bags could work. Don't get confused by names. Just look at the girth specs, and fit to height. **Maybe** in your price range with the USD being cheap right now.
I think the Cumulus Panyam and Teneqa series check all the boxes at a fair price. Choose the weight you need, add an extra 60g of down, and size it to fit yourself. Good options on website. You'll come in right around 400-500 Euro.
Cheaper than that is Aegismax.
\-G is the 850 FP goose down UL winter series, Choose your weight and length. Is it totally dialed in? No, but it's a really solid choice.
\-D is the 650 FP duck down budget series. Adequate, not ideal but worth mentioning though
My best personal experiences have been with
\-Feathered Friends Flicker 20 (-7C) for general 3 season use, which I like for versatility. It works down to actual rated temp with the right shelter, pads, campsite selection, clothing.
\-Aegismax Mini 6C which is good for summer use (which is half the year where I live), but was impressed with brand.
Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends or Marmot for bags. Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear or Katabatic for backpacking quilts. Not cheap but quality and comfortable.
I've been a quilt user for years, but if I were looking for sleeping bags, I would go with either Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends. You absolutely get what you pay for with either brand. Awesome quality.
I have some Feathered Friends bags. They typically come with a stuff sack larger than how small they could pack (in fact they can easily be compressed at least another 30-40%), and that stuff sack size generally seems to vary across manufacturers.
Should you compress it more? Debatable. But you can.
frozen_north801
