Mountain Hardwear - Lamina 0

Have used a Lamina 0 degree fahrenheit bag sea kayak camping in Patagonia. A little bulky to pack but never slept cold even when the wind was tearing through my tent. It was a very good bag. I kind of learned to deal with the bulk when packing. I ended up keeping a few items inside the bag, such as dry sleeping layers, because it didn't make a huge difference in size. So your bag is heavy and bulky, but it's going to keep you warm in almost any condition you want to camp in. Get a full length foam pad in addition to your inflatable pad, a good 10x10 tarp, a good bivy that breathes, a stove that works well in cold conditions, and you have a setup that will work well for colder weather camping. As a teenager I went on an Outward Bound style winter camping trip in Maine. We dug snow shelters and used tarps to cover them. We had sleeping bags similar to the Lamina -20 and they worked great for that application. The bags were heavy and bulky, but not carrying tents saved us a lot of weight and space.

I have the marmot sleeping bag and the lamina sleeping bag you reference here. While I was in the military I was taught ounces are pounds. That said, for your purposes these two sleeping bags are fairly negligible either way for your purposes. I like how small the marmot packs down, but I use the lamina more in all sorts of weather. It’s more comfortable to sleep in. I would say you are fine with sticking with the lamina until you decide just how much you like hiking and camping and then spend a little more time to build out your kit list and budget then go from there.

Welcome! I love the lamina, and it’s pretty versatile in my opinion. Is it “top of the line” no, is it comfortable yep!!!

Mountain Hardware has a couple bags that are compatible, my wife and I use them. They are a little bulkier, but affordable. You could also look at something like the Zenbivy Double bed.

I have the Mountain Hardwear and love it. My kid has a North Face Inferno and loves it… and I worry less about water damage. I trust OutdoorGearLab.com for reviews. 

It's really a personal choice. I would suggest you try the MH sleeping bag. It's a free way to test a type of sleeping bag. Worst case, you buy another one later. I personally use down sleeping bags because they are lighter and compress better. But they are more expensive and take a lot longer to dry if it gets wet.