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.

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.

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.

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.