Trailmade 20 Sleeping Bag

If you’re hitting the trail only 3 times a year, go with the Marmot Limelight 2P of your list. It’s better than the Kelty or ALPS and almost always includes the footprint which will save you a $30 hidden cost and keep your gear from soaking up ground moisture Alternate - Naturehike Star River 2 (20D) because it’s the budget UL king from everything I’ve tried and tested in the past. [11 Best 2-Person Tents for Camping and Backpacking](https://alaskanarrows.com/11-best-2-person-tent-camping-and-backpacking/) would be a good source for other tents in your budget range too For your sleep setup - stack a NEMO Switchback foam pad under a Klymit Static V2 and you’re set with the back support you need for your joints while actually insulating you from the ground. With that + a TETON Sports Trailhead 20 or an REI Trailmade 20 and you’ve got a legit setup that fits your $300 budget

I’m 6’4, 290, and I love my long/wide trail made 20. Doesn’t make me feel claustrophobic, and is incredibly comfortable.

I think your thought process is great. As a greenvest, my advice is always to use what you’ve got, then upgrade when you feel comfortable doing so. To your other concerns: Weight/packed size — Go to REI and ask to put them both in a compression sack. That’ll give you a good sense of that compressed volume and weight in the hand. Water resistance - Down and outer fabrics have come a long way since the old days, so they hold up to condensation and a little rain pretty well. You don’t want to dunk a down bag in a lake, but you also wouldn’t want to do that with a synthetic. It’d be a cold, uncomfortable night either way. Couple other thoughts: - The Radiant is comfort-rated to 25F, the Trailmade to 31F. So not only is the Radiant one pound lighter, it’s a fair bit warmer. - Down will last longer than synthetic — a lot longer if you take proper care of it. We’re talking decades. Synthetics tend to degrade over time, shed microplastics and lose their temp rating. They also get stinkier.

I had to find cheaper products and be on sale, or better yet on closeout sales. Don't buy tents or sleeping bags from Walmart they are poor quality and heavy. Do not buy a tent that requires trekking poles to stand it up, you are bikepacking not backpacking. 1 person tents are smaller and lighter, but they will form condensation faster than a 1+ (person and a half). or 2-person tent. Tents are pricey, if you know you are going to like bikepacking then I would suggest the Durston X-Dome 1+, but do your own research. It is wise to buy the optional ground sheet made for the tent you buy. You can get cheaper tents, but they will weigh more. If the Durston tent is too much try REI. Sleeping bags are weird, you might think a bag rated for 40 degrees will be good enough, not really, that rating is the survival rating not the comfort rating, the comfort rating is between 15 to 20 higher, so you should get a 20-degree bag to be comfortable in 40-degree weather. My first bag was a 40-degree bag, but it was a cheap bag, I was cold at 60 degrees on a rainy windy night. Depending on if you are hot or cold person, humidity level, you will have to adjust. Make sure you buy a liner to go with the bag to keep it cleaner longer. On hot nights all I use is the liner and the bag stays stashed. Too many variables here for me to mention which bag, but you could look at the REI Co-op Trailmade 20, it cost $83. Sleeping pads are more comfortable if they have at least a 3 R rating or more, mine is 5. Amazon has a brand called Naturehike 20oz ultralight sleeping pad for $85 to $110. Don't go too cheap or they will be noisy, slippery, and get leaks faster.

You don't need to upgrade since you have a serviceable bag for 30\* temperatures that you don't hate, but in my opinion it would still be really worth it to get the Radiant. The trail made works and is effective safety equipment, but you start getting a nice bag at the radiant level. It's still a "backpacking mummy" shape, but it's the roomiest cut we have in that category. The material is better and feels much nicer on your skin. It's more than a few degrees warmer, and the 600 fp down will last for ages with basic maintenance. The down is treated to be hydrophobic (pretty much all down these days is) so it isn't easy to saturate unless you fall in a river and don't bother getting out for a couple minutes. The face hole-lining and the top of the footbox incorporate synthetic insulation just in case since those are frequent moisture areas. It packs up smaller and is about a pound lighter. It's a compelling buy at $200 and IMO a no-brainer at $140. You don't get perfection in a $200 bag - tbh I still like my roomier Nemo bags better. But the Radiant is fantastic and you would notice a serious difference from the trail made. If you have the cash and think a warmer, more comfortable bag would help you sleep better while you're trying out new things, I would definitely recommend it.

IF you can afford it. And IF you see a need for it, the answer is yes. The Radiant is a terrific bag for the cost. But I'm not really reading that in your post, and the Trailmade is an okay bag that likely suits your needs, and may for a couple years. Despite working for REI, I'm also wary about hyper consumerism driving everything. I agree with the others posts. Use what you already have first, upgrade when you feel comfortable doing so, or really have a true need for an item. If you have plans for a few backpacking trips, can really see the weight difference being a factor, then go ahead and pull the trigger. Otherwise, you're probably fine just saving your money. I personally like having both a synthetic and down bag. But I use down almost always. What of it's a wet trip? It actually takes quite a bit to get a sleeping bag wet, especially if you keep it in a dry bag, and only use it in your tent. You'd need to be somewhere like backpacking the Olympic Coast in spring, or in tropical downpours and humidity, where after a while the moisture gets into everything. And that takes a while.

None of those are super budget friendly, I got a rei trailmade 20 that yes is kind of bulky but was only 70 bucks at memorial day

There's a difference between comfort and limit ratings, my REI trailmade 20 is limit rated to 20°F but comfort rates to 31°F so I really don't take it into anything below 35 or so. I would get a warmer sleeping bag for colder temperatures