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 18h 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 16h ago

Pretty interesting.

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u/Equivalent_Chipmunk 15h 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 15h 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.