Western Mountaineering - UltraLite

It's almost certainly the low r-value pad and quilt combo. 40 degrees is where I really start to notice lack of ground insulation, I've been cold in a 25 degree bag on a 3.2 r-value pad at that temp. Get an Xtherm or similar and stick with the quilt if you like it, or maybe look towards something like the WM Ultralite.

I came into this thinking that WM and FF were premium bags that I wanted. However, I've learned differently. Case in point: Western's Ultralite in the short length is a labeled 20 degree bag that weighs 28 oz. It has 15 oz of 850 fill. Compare that to the Sea to Summit that weighs a total of 25.7 oz with almost 2 oz more 850 fill - 16.9. And it's $100 cheaper. The S2S bag is comfort rated 30, and with less insulation of the same power there's really no way for WM to be warmer (conveniently they don't test against EN standards so we can't compare comfort or limit ratings). RAB Neutrino is another bag within .8 oz of fill weight that's 1.1 lighter. So no, I don't buy WM as being better. Their fabric isn't any lighter, nor are their zippers, according to the actual measurements. BTW - the reason I'm using comfort rating instead of limit ratings is that this is for a woman, and since they sleep colder it is suggested the EN comfort rating is actually a limit rating for women. And yes, for myself I use a warmer rated lightweight bag, then sleep in my down jacket if it's cold to extend the season. But it's not for me.

Good comment. I went out an re-searched WM EN ratings. While they don't list it on the website, they are rated. And it looks like I was wrong - the ultra has a WM comfort rating of 25. That makes it slot in somewhere between something like a Spark 15 at a comfort of 30 and a Phantom 15 with a comfort of 23 So * Spark Womens - comfort 30 - weight 25.7 * WM Ultra Short - comfort 25 - weight 28 * MH Phantom 15 - comfort 23 - weight 33.2 So yeah, it's about 3.25 oz lighter than you would expect it to be based on a prorated scale for EN performance. That's not nothing for sure. But it's also not massive for $300-400 more. (though this is warped a little since the phantom is a longer bag, so maybe the difference is lower - something like 2 oz - if you control for size) And I trust the EN test numbers more than I trust my perception of different bags I've used over the years (perception based too much on differences of energy, food, humidity, altitude, sleeping alone or not, tent, wind etc) or others perceptions (same reasoning). I know EN isn't perfect but it's the best we have.

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.

I own a WM Ultralite. It's a great bag and WM is the benchmark. I also own 2 Gryphon Gear quilts. I think their stuff is very high quality and a great bang for the $$$. They also make bags. Take a look at the Taurus 20\* bag. It's a bargain compared to the Ultralite and it's fully custom so it can be made any width you like.

I got the wm ultralite and I slept comfortably and warm at -14°C last winter on a exped down mat 7 LW. So I think that's a pretty good bag and the rating is an understatement

Then I guess you meant to say “But I **DON’T** want to get them Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends quilts, haha”. Anyways, considering this is UL and Mountain Hardware’s lightest 15F bag (comfort rated to 26F) is 924grams and $580, you could spend a mere 20$ more to get a Western Mountaineering Ultralight *short* comfort rated to 20F, and a full 4.6oz lighter at 795gram! On top of that, WM actually uses more durable fabrics!!

A couple of notes on Western 1) their temp ratings are the comfort ratings, not lower limit. 2) the Ultralite is narrower than the Alpinlite, but if you look at comps the Ultralite can generally be considered a standard width. 3) if Megalite is of interest the Sunmerite is the narrower (again standard by industry norms) version.

Are you a warm or cold sleeper? I use a Western Mountaineering ul bag (no clue specific model) likely rated to 40 down to below freezing comfortably, but my wife uses my WM Antelope in the same temps. The entire sleep system is critical, I would spend more time picking out a pad…I am partial to the insulated Tensor or Exped models.

Loving my WM Ultralite (rated to -7°C) and my NEMO tensor all-season mat (r-value of 5.4) set up. The bag is a bit warm for me / needs to be unzipped above 20°C, and I found my set up to be a bit chilly one -25°C night when sleeping in a very drafty kitchen shelter once our fire died back. I’m not sure I’d recommend this exact set up for consistent -10°C trips, but I’ve appreciated the quality and low weights of both products and, as others have commented, I would encourage you to check out other products by both WM and NEMO.

Western Mountaineering is great. Also check out Feathered Friends.

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.

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, awesome bags and uber lightweight.

Partner Stove and Western Mountaineering sleeping bag.

The weakest link spoils the fun. Sleeping back: -5 degrees in winter, ignore the rating just get a Western Mountaineering bag for all but summer, in that rating. Bottom layer for ground: closed cell foam like RidgeRest, I don't like air matressesl they take work Old sleeping bag on top of that foam pad. Another sleeping bag or blanket over you. I can't stay confined inside a mummy bag but I need one for warmth so I keep the zipper open on top so I can turn and the blanket/sleeping bag on top. It's all fun with advice at home, but bring more than you need and experiment what works for you. I was more cold and shaking in 20 degrees (rectangular bag, foam pad, little else) than I was later on in -10 degrees with the right gear and "layers" described above. https://preview.redd.it/ceia9yeziire1.png?width=1569&format=png&auto=webp&s=4dcb31bd3abce5073f985278d6ac184f36e8a144

I buy Western Mountaineering lol!

Our go to is Western Mountaineering bags. They have specific tailored bags for mountaineering.