Sleeping bag temp rating

[Buck]

Which temperature rating would be best for Alpine hunting in the Skeena from August to October?

[pnbrock]

-25 kept me very comfy in late sept.

[Krico]

Big swings in weather and temps from mid august to late October in that part of the province. In August a -9C rating would be a good choice. Alpine in late October out there will likely be full on winter so a -20C rating would be the minimum I'd recommend. I'd opt for the warmer bag if you want one to do it all as freezing at night can end your hunt. Easy enough to unzip the bag if you're overheating.

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

wish i would have waited to do some more research .but i went and got the mountain hardware lamina zero -17 ..synthetic .. i think it will work tho for late october . it will be frosty on the ground .

[swampthing]

Its hard to carry a bag as big as one needs for the later season. You probably need a -20 bag, a heavy unit. I put a lot of thought into my new sleeping bag purchase last year and settled on a -10 mont bell down bag. It compresses to the size of a thermos. I didnt get it till sept and only spent 1 night on the mountain with it at 0 degrees. I was severely de-hydrated and ate little to nothing that day because of my de-hydration. I was just barely warm enough, but I slept in it with no clothes on. I expect no problem to -5 when in good health and -10 to be a little chilly. I used a -5 bag up until this one and it didnt cut it. I froze in august on one hunt. I usually dont sleep on the mountain in oct.

[Weatherby Fan]

We always use -20 or -30 bags as when we alpine hunt we sleep on the ground,they may be a little warm in early September but you can always unzip them as stated in one of the other posts,
Have always used Cabelas -20 Summit Mummy bag or the -30 3D rectangle bag,the 3D mummy bag is a little to narrow at the feet,they are a little heavy for back packing but we've never been cold,a small trade off considering !

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

yikes im having douts about the MH bag i just got .!.

[Blair]

yikes im having douts about the MH bag i just got .!.

if you wear your fleece pants and jacket and woolen socks inside your bag you can add about 20 degrees to the rating of your bag.

[TSW]

I have a -12 degree down bag that works great year round...I haven't been cold much, but I could have been warmer...the one thing I need to upgrade is my sleeping pad though as on last year's February goat hunt I was only cold from the ground temperature! Keep this in mind and pick a sleeping pad with decent R value.

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

I've been using -7C Cat's Meow NorthFace synthetic bags for the last 5 years at least, I do take along a Kelty Fleece liner, and have been fine in -20C with the bag and liner together, even woke up one morning to discover a small puddle of water near my ankles (leaky tent), the outside of the bag was wet but my feet were nice warm n dry, that was amazing I thought.
I pretty much swear by synthetic bags because of that puddle expeience, had it been a full down bag my feet would have been wet for sure.
This is usually end of August early September, up in Spatsizi and once up Mt.Edziza.
One of the guys I go with uses the MEC Hybird -20C bag, he's usually got it open, because it's so warm.

[gmcgilli66]

a mountaineering bivy sack over your bag can compensate for several degrees by trapping more air close to your body than a traditional tent will. Use one inside your tent to maximize the benefit.

[Weatherby Fan]

yikes im having douts about the MH bag i just got .!.

I think you will be fine with your bag,just so you know we don't use a tent or a thermarest and if it freezes with frost/snows we usually sleep under a spruce thicket or put an emergency blanket over us.
If it's really cold I just sleep in my fleece camo and that helps alot.

[Riverratz]

Better to have too much bag than not enough. It's easy to cool down, but almost impossible to warm up if the bag is not up to the task. Rating of -20C to -30C is good. You can always open it up or toss it off if too warm.

Goose-Down filled is the best for warmth rating with the least amount of weight, and it compresses extremely well, (better than synthetics).
BUT.....Down is hard to dry if it gets wet, and it loses it's warmth rating.
Synthetics dry out quicker, retain better warmth rating when wet, but are heavier and don't compress as well.

If you're not back-packing get synthetic, but if you're planning on packing it around the mountains on your back, down is the way to go.

Combination of Gortex outer shell/goose-down filled is the best, but at considerable cost over conventional synthetic fills and porous outer shells.
Your budget is the deciding factor; a quality bag in this combo can run $500 and up, but you'll have it for a lifetime with reasonable care.
Also, carefully consider the shape/style of the bag. Not everyone is comfortable in a restrictive "mummy" style.
Check out Taiga Works, and similar other brands.

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

thanks weatherby fan .. im going to using a tent .. also im hearing that a sleeping mat .course i was thinking about the prolite 4 thermorest and thats about it .. so im thinking it should be fine for mid october in the koots .. its cool out , but not well below frezzing or snowed in . .course in the moutains you never know.. im sure there will be cold rain .

[troutseeker]

It's always nice to have too much heat rating than not enough. Two years ago I went hiking in Cathedral park with my daughter. I carried a bag rated at -5 and it was July. We got a big dump of snow, winds and it got down to -10. I froze, even in a tent and with a good pad... I ended up borrowing a blanket from the park ranger or I would have been very uncomfortable for three additional nights.

Like someone said, better carry a little more weight and have a warm bag than be cold and miserable.

[yama49]

I have one question. What type of degree rating is everyone refering to
{ F or C } I see that a few have, made it clear.. thx