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Curious what you guys (especially you Sierra guys, but you Cascaders and others feel free to chime in) are using for your go-to winter bag? I'm thinking I'm going to need a new one as my winter synth bag is HUGE, would have to go up a pack size

I'm all about down for its lightweight and packability. If I lived in the PNW or somewhere really damp I might look at an ultralight synthetic bag.

As for brands. If money is no object or you see the bag as an investment, Western Mountaineering probably can't be beat. If you're looking for something less expensive, I'd look at the usual suspects like Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, Marmot, etc.

I'm a Mountain Hardwear grassroot athlete so that's what I use. For the Sierra's I use the Phantom 15 degree. You'll need the Long which is only 2oz more than the Reg at 2 lbs 1oz. Pretty damn light and packable. To make the bag warmer you can sleep with your down jacket in the bag too which will make it go down a few more degrees. I'm getting softer in my old age so I got a zero degree Phantom for this year (2 lbs 14oz).

Lots of options here:
http://splitboard.com/site/Sleeping_bags.html

Pretty much the same as BCR, I use a MH 15 degree down bag for most winter Sierra stuff, with the exception of Shasta where I carry a MH 0 degree down bag. A 15 degree bag plus some synthetic pants and an ultralight down jacket should be good to at least 0 and provides you a multitude of options for around camp and on daytrips out of basecamp. If you will be using a double wall tent you should be warm to much lower temps. with this setup.

budget option for the keen slacker.

I've rocked an mec raven for a few years now. combind it with an Emporor Pinguin and you've got every thing from fast and light summer trips to stashing out in a tree well at -20c covered.

though if you've got the money for a Western Mountaineering bag, go that way. those bags are very good.

I've got a 10 year old 20 degree down NF bag that keeps me warm in the Sierra. I run hot so I've never had an issue staying warm, even while not in a tent. As bcrider says, I am getting a little more finicky in my old age so I'm seriously considering a 0 degree bag as soon as the right deal comes along.

Really cold: Marmot Couloir (goose down)
Kind of cold: Backpacking Light UL 180 Quilt and a Backpacking Light UL 60 Quilt as well as my puffy coat and pants (all synthetic)

Cool, thanks for the input everyone. About what I thought. And yes, will more than likely be using an REI Arete 2 (double wall) for trips.

Bump....
Any thrashers out there found a good bag to accommodate the mummy bag challenged? I rarely, if ever get more than a couple hours sleep in a mummy bag.
I've looked at the Big Agnes stuff and it looks perfect. Unfortunately, the reviews by people in actual winter conditions all point to sketched out performance.

Have you tried any of the down quilt setups? They seem to be more the realm of the UL weirdos, but there's probably a quilt setup that would work better for you than the mummy setups. Maybe one of the Montball stretchy mummy bags?

I am/will be using a montbell super stretch 15 degree synthetic. I wish it was a bit warmer, as i have to layer some clothing to sleep comfy on cold nights. But as far as having it "stretchy" nothing beats it! I can actually change all of my clothing while still in my sleeping bag.

Some of the bags in the Western Mountaineering lineup offer a wider but through the shoulders and footbox for those that like a little more room to move.

You can also try an alpine quilt type thingy:

http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm

It's basically the same idea as a big agnes bag.


Feathered friends have a variety of shapes to choose from:

http://www.featheredfriends.com/Picasso ... gBags.html


BTW, two notes regarding weight: a rescue bivy (esp. inside the bag) might not be very comfy or durable (doesn't breathe, rustles, tears) but it lets you stay safe even with skimpy gear, and sure beats staying up doing situps. Secondly, a 5lb 0 deg bag is meaningless on a 3 season mat =P

Thanks for the replies... Western Mountaineering fits the bill perfectly.