Western Mountaineering - Bison GWS Expedition

Hello. I went with the Western mountaineering Bison, the decision was "helped" a lot because I could buy it for whole sale price, still very close to 1 thousand euro though. If not I would have also looked very close at the RAB. But I think the WM bison is very rugged, and warm, it also has good room in it, not too much but still good for moving around. I just had it out for 3 nights here in Norway, and it worked really well. Although water/ice scares me a little because it can build up quite quickly (If you make the same stupid mistake as me and take semi-wet clothes into the sleeping bag without thinking about it...). It managed -30 C in Norway really well, I was too warm to start :) But for my next trip - 14 days to Greenland I will take a synthetic overbag, some kind of Carinthia maybe. And I would probably also try a VBL just for fun :) You will be happy with it. And I'm confident about sleeping with a dog in the tent with that sleeping bag. I also slept with someone who had the Pajak, and the outer shell is just sooo thin, I would not like that, it seems very vulnerable, and the little extra weight vs extra security in the bag not opening up, don't matter when you have it on a pulka. Hope it was helpful

I am a cold sleeper too. And I’m embarrassed to admit, I could afford a western mountaineering bag. It was 0°. And I’m 59 and I got the 6 foot six version. Giving me tons of down to snuggle into. I actually use this bag way more than just the winter and I’m always toasty warm.

I liked my quilt when I was doing shorter trips. Once I started doing months at a time I grabbed a western mountaineering bag and I have no regrets. Helps me extend a bit more into shoulder season

Western Mountaineering mummy bag. I do a lot in shoulder season and these are very warm for the weight

There isn’t really an absolute best, but I like Katabatic for a quilt and western mountaineering or feathered friends for a bag. I prefer quilts down to around the low 20s, bags below that. Having a pocket in your quilt for a sleeping pad seems silly to me.

Western Mountaineering is the benchmark. Their bags really are great. In addition to WM, I also own a Gryphon Gear quilt and can say that their quality is top notch as well and they make both bags and quilts. For a few hundred less than a WM bag, you can get a Gryphon Gear Taurus bag. They are a small cottage shop so you get to deal directly with the owner and he'll make it custom to your liking if you want it a little more roomy. I think there are so many better choices than the EE quilts.

Western mountaineering… cry once, but once

WM bags are expensive and absolutely worth it. I'll never buy anything else!

Numeri 1 - Western mountaineering - Feathered friends Li tocchi con mano e capisci subito di che pasta son fatti. Subito dopo metterei Katabatic, pieno di accessori e features utili. Poi ce ne sono tanti altri sotto molto buoni. In EU trovi piu facilmente Cumulus, fatti veramente bene. E poi ci alcuni piu piccoli che fanno roba custom made molto buoni. Ma c'è un abisso tra tutti questi e i classici commerciali e costano giusto qualche euro in piu o a volte in meno. 100-150€ per una roba che ti deve tenere caldo, essere leggero, compatto e deve durarti anni e anni, mi sembra un investimento molto piccolo. Ci prendi giusto qualche taroccata decathlon o ferrino. Io mi farei regalare lo zaino, il sacco a pelo è molto personale. Se poi dormi a pancia in giù o laterale devi prendere un quilt, col sacco non dormi.

I own two sleeping bags: one from Western Mountaineering (superb quality, but very expensive) and one from Cumulus (high quality at a fairly reasonable price). After a lot of comparison, I personally think both brands provide reliable comfort temperature ratings and are absolutely worth the money. Just remember: if you're physically worn out, the lower limit of the comfort range might not be enough-so it's smart to give yourself a little warmth buffer.

Good suggestion! I love my western mountaineering. But Radiant 20 is legit for under $200.