Trestles Elite Eco 0° (2024)

Warmth starts from the ground up. Starting with a good thermal pad. Not all pads are designed for cold temperatures and using the wrong pad is why many people get cold. -15 degree bag should work just fine. That means if you had nothing else but a sleeping bag it would keep you warm at -15 degrees. Adding a good thermal pad will keep you warm. When buying a sleeping bag you will need to consider your height. If you are using a long sleeping bag and you are 5’10” tall, all your heat is going to the empty space below your feet. Getting a bag that fits you perfectly will help keep you warm. I hunt all over the PNW for the past 35+ years. My fall sleeping bag is 15 degrees my winter or late hunt is -15 degrees. Combined with my thermal pad I have never woken up cold. I use a SlumberJack for my 15 degree bag and I use a Marmot. REI Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 0 Sleeping Bag $209 Kelty Cosmic Down 0 Sleeping Bag. Reg $294 on sale $219. I would suggest investing in a better quality thermal pad. Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping Pad Or NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad **** Best ****

Ok, that's something. Make sure your stove uses white gas, not an isobutane canister. Isobutane works poorly, or not at all, in winter temperatures. Melting snow for water uses much more fuel than you'd think, and you also need to start with some liquid water in the pot, or else it'll scorch. A -18 rated bag should be enough for at least -10 with a similarly warm pad underneath. One of the best priced winter bags is the Marmot Trestles Eco Elite 0 - however it's very bulky. That's the trade-off for the low price. I'm sure that tent is an okay one for occasional fair weather use. Winter is an absolutely different beast. Everything from pole design and material to venting to fly design to stake design can be different for a winter tent, and for good reasons. That $50 one would be a coffin under any snow load. If you can still find a Eureka Mountain Pass on closeout somewhere, that would be probably the most accessible winter-ready tent in terms of price. I see by your post history that you're looking to go to Kananaskis. Have you had avalanche training? I don't mean to be overly negative but winter camping is an order of magnitude more dangerous than camping in any of the other three seasons. Add mountain terrain and weather to that and you're looking at a very steep learning curve with a very high cost of failure. I would implore you to get some experience in the warmer months before trying winter camping, especially solo.

Not sure if weight matters, I have an older version of the marmot trestles 0°f/ -18°c synthetic fill. I find it to be a very warm bag. I have been comfortable in that bag sleeping in my jeep on a cold Vermont night. It’s $200 usd not exactly the most packable or lightest bag I own but it’s def warm.

DO NOT BUY A KIDS’ BAG. They are not rated accurately in comparison to adult bags. I’m 110lbs/5’3” and I brought a kid 0F bag on the John Muir Trail. Learned the hard way.  I have a 0F Marmot that I love.

Used Marmot Treasles Elite Eco. You can find these used on eBay and REI ReSupply for around $50 or less often.

Naturehike Mongar 2p. If you really can get a Marmot Limelight for under $150 definitely get that over the Naturehike (DAC aluminum poles and a lifetime warranty are primary reasons). For a bag I would look for a deal on a Marmot Tressles Elite Eco. I have seen the older models on clearance for under $100. These pack down much smaller and weigh far less than traditional synthetic bags. If you can afford a down bag go for. Paria Outdoor Products Thermodown 30 or 15f. Otherwise if you are with used try to find a quality down sleeping bag. Cots under $75 go with a Naturehike, iClimb or Kingcamp cot with aluminum poles and legs. Aluminum cots pack down way smaller and weigh significantly less than steel. For the sleeping pad I would recommend a knockoff of the Exped MegaMat. Semi inflating mats are way higher R value than the junk Intex and Coleman air mattresses and way more comfortable. A budget alternative to the MegaMat would be th Stoic Cloud or Cloud Lux or the Hikenture semi inflating mat. These are 3-5" thick and feel like sleeping on a bed at home. Combine them with a cot and it's pure luxury.

Marmot Trestles line are good deals on good bags. If you’re younger, just get a blue foam pad.

Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends or Marmot for bags. Enlightened Equipment, Hammock Gear or Katabatic for backpacking quilts. Not cheap but quality and comfortable.