Penguin YF

Single bags that zip together are what my wife and I use. Very versatile and easier to store and to backpack with. They are available at all price points from Naturehike/Aegismax to Feathered Friends.

Single bags that zip together are what my wife and I use. Very versatile and easier to store and to backpack with. They are available at all price points from Naturehike/Aegismax to Feathered Friends.

Feathered Friends will customize bags. They did it for me.

Feathered Friends has short bags for women. Temp ratings are spot on. The YF bags save $ over the UL for very slight weight increase. They also have a kids Flicker; 5ft hoodless bag that can unzip to quilt. I have a regular YF 30 that I love. Worth a phone call. 

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.

I backpack with my 9 and 6 year old boys. Last summer, I had them both in 12L REI Tarn packs that I picked up on Facebook marketplace for like $40 combined. They use 8 and 6 sections of Z lite foam pad. I bring quilts for them, one of which is an old 28 oz 10 degree EE quilt from when I first went ultralight, and the other is a Feathered Friends hoodless sleeping bag that I bought for basically half price on Facebook marketplace this off season. Just make sure to bring a warm beanie for the kiddo to keep his head warm. 18L is about the most volume I would recommend in a pack for a 5 year old. You’ll want the pack light and small enough that you can easily carry it in an extra hand if he gets tired of wearing it. The torso size (assuming the pack has a hipbelt) is one of the more important factors at that age. Ideally, you’ll want a pack with an adjustable torso length, th shorter the better at his height. My 4’4 9 year old has about a 12-13” torso measurement for reference, but it’s easy to measure. Bottom line, you’ll end up with some extra weight and volume in your pack in order to make the experience better for him. I

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.