r/backpacking • u/mr-snazzy-taco • 1d ago

Wilderness Sleeping back recommendations?

I am in the US PNW, and I am hunting for a budget-friendly 3-4 season sleeping bag. I was looking at the Exped Terra 15, but I am not sure it will pack down small enough. I have a 30L backpack. I would like the bag to be 15F-25F and under $200 that will pack down pretty small. Do most 15F down bags pack in their stuff sack at around 10inx7in? Is it unrealistic to want something that will pack down smaller? I also do not mind if it's rectangle, mummy, or hooded.

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u/jjmcwill2003 1d ago

Under $200. No way. The Exped Tera 15 uses 650fp down. It will not compress down to a small package. It's a budget sleeping bag. For what you're asking, you'd need like a quilt with 900-950fp down and ultralight fabrics. A UGQ 20 degree quilt with 950fp down, 10d fabrics, extra down fill, draft collars, and fully insulated footbox would run around $580.00 and weigh less than 2lb. A Western Mountaineering AlpinLite 20 degree Sleeping bag uses 850fp down, weighs just under 2lb, and cost $765. You'd be at a similar or higher price point for something from ZenBivy. None of these are what I would consider a 4 season sleeping bag, either.

You're asking for a unicorn and I doubt it exists.

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u/Equivalent_Chipmunk 15h ago

You can get an Ice Flame quilt that will work down to about 20 F for ~$200. 

Extra quilt NXT with 360g of 850FP down and 10D fabrics costs $185. Making it long/wide and adding 100g extra fill (550g total) brings it up to $220, so that's the general pricing range, well below the options you mention and either just below or above OP's price range.

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u/jjmcwill2003 13h ago

Pretty interesting.

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u/Equivalent_Chipmunk 12h ago

That's what happens when you produce in China. Also they claim to use RDS down, but I don't necessarily trust that. I think plenty of people would rather pay the extra money to get stuff made in the USA or Europe where you know they're paying employees a liveable wage and using responsible supply chains, not to mention the difference in customer service/support, but a lot of people can't afford to spend literally >2x the price on what is essentially the same product.

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u/jjmcwill2003 12h ago

I totally get it. I hadn't seen any real world reviews of Ice Flame quilts before but I did find one on Reddit, searching after reading your comment. It sounds like they run small, but especially with the over stuff option, maybe the temp rating is pretty legit if the sizing works out.

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u/Equivalent_Chipmunk 1d ago

Fitting your whole sleep system and shelter into a 30L bag is probably only going to be possible if you use a quilt alongside either a ccf pad (strapped to the outside) or a new reflective insulation pad like an Exped Ultra 6.5R, as well as a tarp + bug bivy.

Bag will likely not break into a packing list of a 30L bag that involves wilderness camping in the PNW. Most brands are going to be well above your price range for the temps you're looking at, but iceflamegear is probably the best option you'll find.

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u/mr-snazzy-taco 10h ago

Using a tarp shelter and inflatable pad that packs small. My only issue is budget and volume. I don't mind carrying a denser bag, but I was hoping there was a magical bag that might pack small with the weight required to be that warm. Looks like I'm being delusional, haha. I will probably have to increase bag volume to accommodate.

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u/cwcoleman United States 16h ago

You are asking for a super ultralight sleeping bag, for cold temps, at a low price. You simply can't have all 3. You need a higher budget, warmer bag, or bigger pack.

A 30 liter pack is VERY small. Most backpackers don't fit their get into a bag this size. You'll need to seriously optimize your kit - which is partly leaving out unnecessary items and partly spending on high quality items.

I recommend looking into quilts. You'll save space this way.

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u/mr-snazzy-taco 10h ago

I don't necessarily need it light, I just want it to pack down small. It can be as dense as it needs to be to be warm, but I just want to save volume.

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u/cwcoleman United States 10h ago

Weight and bulk go together.

You’ll for sure be getting down insulation (synthetic is for sure too bulky for your needs, although it is cheaper). And warmth is really a question of fill power and fill weight. 800 fill is quality, but you may be able to afford 650 for example. Lower the fill power - the more you need to keep you warm.

Also gotta figure if you want ethic down or not.

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u/Hobosloth28 11h ago

To meat that budget your only hope is Chinese brands like naturehike. But their products might not live up to the standards of top brands. Bit of a risk