Of all my bags I use the Alpenlite the most. Have used it all over North America from the Arctic to Utah. It’s comfy, light and when needed - warm.
I’m roughly the same size as you and it’s plenty big. You don’t need the overfill.
I'm 6'2 and have the 6'6 version of the alpinlight. It's a very warm bag and if I'm in night time temps of 0 - 5 celcius, I just unzip the bag and use it like a blanket over me, and my body temp is kept perfect. I'm a side sleeper and it's a comfy bag to use for that even when zipped up. Ive never felt the need to overfill it. It's the one and only bag I own, and it works good in all conditions!
I'm a 5'9" male and fluctuate between 155-160lbs. I've owned the Megalite and still own the Ultralite. The Megalite is the same dimensions as the Alpinlite. At your stated size, I would definitely recommend the larger size of the Alpinlite. I think you'll appreciate the extra room. I always recommend the over stuff. It really helps to firm everything up so that there is less down shifting, which helps to eliminate cold spots.
My Western Mountaineering Alpinlite bag. It's roomy, warm, and light in my pack. I once did a trip in Arkansas when I was still somewhat new to backpacking and didn't understand sleeping bag comfort ratings. Temps at night got down to low 20s and I had a 20 degree so I thought I'd be good. Froze my damn ass off every night and was miserable. I swore I'd never make that mistake again and splurged on a nice bag when I got home.
I owned a WM, and I use a GG now.
I think these are two very different bags. Can you handle a mummy design with a mummy hood cinched over your face or do you need a hoodless bag cinched around your neck coupled with a separate down hood? That’s the key question for me. Otherwise, both bags are top of the line.
I am a very active sleeper. I toss and turn. I sleep on my stomach and side. I used to own a WM Alpenlite 20F, and I just can’t do a mummy hood. I end up sucking on fabric because I’ve stated my head inside the mummy hood. It’s a great bag if you can lay still on your back.
I went searching for a hoodless sleeping bag so I could toss and turn without getting my face bride inside the mummy hood. I found Gryphon Gear among some other hoodless sleeping bag options and full-zip quilts.
After careful analysis and comparison, I bought a Taurus 10F (not the vapor barrier), and it’s perfect.
The fabric is comfortable against the skin. It’s very warm. The cinch around the neck is easy to access and tighten and loosen. Left handed zipper is easy to maneuver behind the draft collar. The down is intense and quick to expand to maximum loft.
I think Gary at GG really has his science down with this craft sleeping bag. I’ve never had it colder than the 20s F, but it kept me very comfortable. I sleep very cold.
So, you really have to decide whether you want a mummy bag with mummy hood or a hoodless solution. You say you’re a tossing and turning side sleeper, and that screams hoodless sleeping bag to me.
With your height/weight I dont think you'd have a problem at all. I'm a fair bit bigger than you and can easily side sleep in my Alpinlite even with a leg up or in fetal (slightly snug in fetal but very doable). They cut their bags very generously around the legs compared to almost every other bag manufacturer that has a sharper taper from the waist down.
WM makes great bags. Their hoods and draft collars are phenomenal. I dont know if you've been in one before but most people find them very warm because they seal so well. I would only caution you that something like an Antelope is going to be far too warm for temps closer to freezing. My Alpinlite buttoned up will easily get me into the teens (F) and I dont feel like I sleep particularly warm as a rule.
As far as if you need it overfilled, I dont think so. The baffle design allows you to shake the bag biasing where the down is pooling so you can kind of do it yourself focusing max fill toward the top of your body. It does help with degradation over years of use but you can also ship the bag back at any time to have them overfill it.
If you do decide you want factory overfill buy from HermitHut as they include it at no charge (and ship free and dont charge sales tax outside of CA). You have to ignore their website stock status as they kind of update it based on popularity. If something is not available to order just give them a buzz and they'll let you order whatever you want. There just might be a few weeks lead time.
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Spacious for side sleepers; bulky, temp rating optimistic.
907choss
