Mean Machine

Hello evberyone,
Well, it got cold this past weekend at Guadalupe River SP(21 degrees) so I need a new sleeping bag. We camp in our '79 Volkswagen Westfalia, so it's not exactly a tent and it's not exactly an RV.
I just need something that'll keep me warmer than the 1950's Army surplus I've been using.

Online, there must be a million choice, like there is for just about everything. I'm just looking for something straightforward, keep me warm to around 20degrees, and that is not some $200 sleeping bag.
Any ideas greatly appreciated,
Gary

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Gary
Round Rock, TX

JohnK

Gary,

For the price, it's tough to beat Coleman. On their website, the Coleman Crescent, rated to 15 F, goes for $48.49 and the North Rim, rated to 0 F, goes for 58.99.

I have several Coleman sleeping bags and have one of their exponent backpacking bags that I payed a little more for that has served me well.

I see you live in Round Rock. There's a Coleman outlet at the outlet mall in San Marcos if you'd like to check these bags out "in the flesh", or you could just pick one out and order it online. Of course, you could find some of these at Academy as well.

The following is a link to the sleeping bag section of Coleman's website:

Coleman Sleeping Bags-Coleman™ sleeping bags – adapt to the sleeping needs of the moment.

Hope this helps!

John

Troop198

Great Link from JohnK, better than I had ,

Other things to know: A sleeping bag is a nylon bag within a bag. The inside material may be a man-made fiber such as "Hollofil" or "Quallofil" or a natural material such as down.
Although down is lighter and warmer when dry, it looses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.
A good quality sleeping bag has a nylon or rip-stop outer shell and some a nylon inner liner.

Stay away from bags with pictures on the inside.

Mummy shaped bags have more warmth with less volume, while rectangular shaped bags are roomier for tossing/turning

Unlesss you hike, weight is not a concern, if you hike weight matters.

Like I once said in another post "What is so sad is 14 oz of the bag is down fill...I told the boys to stay away from that kind of $$$ till they get rich, then remember the old ASM who showed them the outdoors," (see lightweight backpacking)

While looking, look at some of the new sleeping pads if yours is old, they are great for old (or even young)backs

ploddinTod

[quote=JohnK;9414]



I have several Coleman sleeping bags and have one of their exponent backpacking bags that I payed a little more for that has served me well.


JohnK,
Which backpacking bag do you have? Any additional comments about it?

Thanks

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PloddinTod

Mean Machine

Well, it certainly pays off to dig around under the shelves at Academy. While visiting my 2nd store here in Austin(at which point I was very disappointed in how unorganized, how understocked they were) I found a very nice 20degree bag made by Igloo, 33" x 80" for under $15. So we're ready for our next camping trip and the cold! The bag had no tag so they just decided to charge me what some of there lesser bags were costing. A good deal for sure.
thanks
Gary in Round Rock

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Gary
Round Rock, TX

JohnK

[quote=ploddinTod;9429]I have the Grey Fox that I paid $70 for about 3 years ago. Apparently it has been replaced by newer versions, as it is no longer listed on Coleman's website; however, I just found it on Campmor's site for 39 bucks. This is an awesome bag for that price! It's rated to 20F, very comfortable and weighs 3 lbs in it's stuffsack. If I needed another, I'd go for it in a heartbeat! It appears that this particular bag is for those up to 6' in height. I haven't searched yet, but I think there is a "long/tall" version.

Coleman Exponent Grey Fox 20° Quallofil Mummy Sleeping Bag - Regular from Campmor

If interested and the link is broken, send me a PM. I'll try to get the link to you.

JohnK

ploddinTod

Sweet deal at Campmor. I better get one quick before they're all snatched up.

Thanks for the info and comments.

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PloddinTod

JohnK

My pleasure! Hope you enjoy it!

John

toejam

My last sleeping bag purchase was a Sierra Designs Wild Bill. I got it online - Campmor I think. It was $80 and it's a great 20 degree bag that is light enough for backpacking.

My old standby backpacking bag is a North Face Blue Kazoo down bag. They are around $200, but they are really light, pack up small and mine is 11 years old.

ploddinTod

I've got a down bag that weighs 3 lbs. 12 ounces and it's at least 20 years old. But it still functions well with only an occasional feather poking through. The Coleman states its weight at 3 pounds. So that would be a nice saving. I know the synthetic filled bags are supposed to be bulkier but space is not a big issue in my backpack at the moment.

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PloddinTod