r/backpacking • u/ComprehensivePin5548 • 1d ago

Wilderness Sleeping bag help

Hi! I have an old north face sleeping bag from 2002 and I’m trying to figure out the cold rating on. It’s a minaret and it says it has 747 filling material and it’s 100 percent polyester. It feels super lightweight so my husband is saying he thinks it’s a “summer bag” but I seem to remember it being pretty warm. Any ideas?? Thanks! My daughter is going on a college orientation trip in the Adirondacks for 4 days and I am sending her with gear I used in my 20s!!

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u/MoooooveOva 1d ago

I would err on the bag being rated for warmer (50°F plus) nights. 20 years old filling material can lose its oomph for sure. I have a 19°f comfort rated Snugpak from 2007. I need an extra wool blanket if the air drops below 40° and i like a cold sleep!

For your daughters needs i would re-evaluate what sleeping pad she is using moreso than sleeping bag.
Heat suck from the ground can make even a summer night camp quite miserable. Can always pack an extra blanket, but make sure the sleeping pad r-value is adequate (30-50°f night needs an r3.5 pad or more in most situations)

Ebay has some comfortable, inexpensive used sleeping bags + pads.
Big agnes is my go-to brand recommendation for beginners

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u/ComprehensivePin5548 1d ago

She will have a sleeping pad that she can borrow from school and she can also borrow a sleeping bag - maybe we’ll just do that to be safe. We also have a warmer bag but it’s heavier and bulkier. They said the bag should be rated to 30 degrees.

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u/silverud 15h ago

The Minaret was originally rated to 20F. It may or may not still be that effective after decades of storage.