<p>CC my source for all shopping advice!
We are thinking about buying my son a nice sleeping bag for his birthday or Christmas. Looking for something nice that will last him a lifetime. This summer he backpacked using my down sleeping bag that I purchased at age 20.
Seeking opinion on down versus synthetic? H and I have down bags but I know that synthetic does better if it gets wet.
Want a bag that will keep him warm in the fall but also want a bag that will be usable in the summer in the Western US. How low should we go temp wise? In the next few years his backpacking will probably be mainly in the Sierra Nevada’s in the summer.
Must be a backpacking bag.
Brands? I notice that prices vary greatly depending on the brand. My bag is an REI bag. I know REI is good but what other brands should we be looking for?
Also for the CC bargain shoppers. Have you seen any good sales on backpacking sleeping bags?</p>
<p>Im sure you already know this but REI will have some after summer sales coming up in the near future. We buy practically all our camping and hiking gear at REI and find that the folks there only carry dependable products. I will be keeping my eye on this thread as well, as our bags are getting a little sad and musty.(much like ourselves)</p>
<p>Kelty, Marmot, REI are good brands. Go to the next Scratch and Dent sale at your local REI and get a gently used one for $35 that once retailed for over $200. Make sure comes it comes with a storage bag and a small pack sack. Spend your money on a good sleeping bag liner. You can use it for additional warmth in the sleeping bag as well as a way to protect yourself from bedbugs in hostels.</p>
<p>My son won a $50 gift cert for North Face in a climbing competition, so we got him a NF Cat’s Meow. Synthetic 3 season bag (rated to 20 degrees F, I believe). He’s taking it to Big Basin (Santa Cruz Mountains) this week and the Sierras next week. It should be plenty warm enough for both places and be able to withstand the fog in BB. The bag was about $150, as I recall.</p>
<p>S1 likes to hike and camp (Appalachian Trail in NC). He got a Kelty. It is good to 20 degrees and is very light for backpacking. I think it was around $95</p>
<p>He had a Cats meow when he was in middle school. He has since outgrown it and it has been passed on to his sister. She complains that it isn’t warm enough.
Batlo-REI is a good two hour drive each direction.</p>
<p>We bought sleeping bags at Wilderness Exchange (across the street from REI in Berkeley) about 15 years ago and they are still in good shape and my sons have taken them backpacking in the Sierras many atime. </p>
<p>The REI labor day sale is already in full swing. Also, check out their online clearance. S2 picked up a new tent for me this weekend to replace my 15yo Costco tent</p>
<p>It is worth the 2 hr drive. Of ourse, there is plenty of stuff on their website! And the ongoing labor day sale has some great deals.</p>
<p>DD got a Cat’s Meow 20F bag for 2 reasons: it is baby blue (the female version) and she liked the name. OK, there was a third reason - it had a cell phone pocket. She is testing her new bag in the North Cascades as we speak 
Seriously, we chose the synthetic fill because it dries much, much faster than down. Down compacts a little better (bag will take up a bit less space), but if it gets wet, it is not pleasant to deal with. REI will not let you simply grab a bag off of a shelf and pay for it. They will make you get into the bag and test it :)</p>
<p>usoutdoorstore.
Portland OR. Niece has migrated from the beach surf to preparation for mountain snow.</p>
<p>If it were me, I’d give the son the old down bag and buy MYSELF a new bag, of one of the snazzy synthetics. I went from a down ski jacket some years ago to one made from synthetic insulation (can’t remember which one) and it made a HUGE difference… I’m now warm even with a light shirt underneath.</p>
<p>dmd77- my husband had a similar suggestion. He wants to give my son his REI down bag that Husband bought when he was in high school. All these years later the bag is still in great shape. Husband would take my bag (which is in even better shape) and I would get a synthetic bag since I don’t use a sleeping bag nearly as much as they do.
Our Cats Meow has over 300 nights out in it and has traveled the globe with my 3 kids. My son is looking for something lighter. When he did his NOLS 30 day backpacking trip he left his Cats Meow home and rented a down bag from NOLS. Our Cats Meow was bought at an REI labor day sale.
From my beginning research it appears that a down bag with proper care can last a lifetime. A synthetic bag will not. But the cost is much lower and care is easier.</p>
<p>For coastal camping in Norcal you really need the synthetic, especially if you think you’ll be sleeping outside the tent. When the fog comes in it can drench a down bag.</p>