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HuntersHikes 
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 21 2013, 2:10 pm |
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Anyone have any experience with this sleeping bag? It's at Dick's for $89, and the specs don't seem too shabby for the price: 550-fill, 2lb. 9oz. weight, 7x15" packed size, and EN-rated to 32* comfortable/21* limit. Just seems like a decent entry-level down bag with good specs for under a hundred bucks. Thoughts?
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 2
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AlmostThere
I must not be there yet, I keep hiking...
Group: Members
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Joined: Apr. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 21 2013, 2:51 pm |
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550 fill and 2 lbs - not really great quality. Heavier than a bag with higher fill power and probably heavier fabric as well. Lower quality down tends to have more feathers (down isn't feathers, or at least not the kind with quills that poke through nylon). I have a 550 fill pillow that actually has a prickly feel, due to quills poking through the fabric.
I'd still recommend to anyone intending to be in backpacking for years to come to really invest in a high quality, light, compressible bag that will last for decades and just take care of it.
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All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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| Post Number: 3
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treelinebackpacker
Group: Members
Posts: 430
Joined: Aug. 2011
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Posted on: Jan. 21 2013, 4:26 pm |
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That sounds pretty good to me.
There are a lot of people who will convince you that you can't have a decent piece of gear under 200 bucks, but you can. Not everyone needs the best. Good is still good.
550 fill is plenty good enough. That's a light bag, especially if you're new to the sport. More of a 3 season bag, but you know that going in. So yeah.
I would give it a go for that price for sure.
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skolbe
Group: Members
Posts: 128
Joined: Sep. 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 21 2013, 8:00 pm |
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You can probably use that bag a few years and sell it for a decent price. The biggest issue with bags is the ability to compress them in your pack. That was my reason for switching to a Golite Quilt. Sold my synthetic bag and only lost $15 2 years later. The way I viewed it $7.50 a year for a sleeping bag is cheap. You will probably be able to sell this later for decent money if kept clean. I always use a sleeping bag liner.
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| Post Number: 6
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| Post Number: 7
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treelinebackpacker
Group: Members
Posts: 430
Joined: Aug. 2011
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Posted on: Jan. 22 2013, 10:38 am |
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I've never had any problems selling off budget gear in the past.
You just have to know your market. You may only get 50-60 percent back, but that's still pretty great in my opinion.
If you're selling used gear with any discount less that 30 percent full price you're pretty much taking people anyway.
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| Post Number: 8
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
Group: Members
Posts: 10626
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 22 2013, 11:02 am |
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Other than possible odor issues from the lower quality down, the fact that it is EN rated is good. I don't know about being a great deal, but a good enough deal to be worth it if you're not into waiting for a better quality bag. If you are patient, you might find a diamond in the rough. I don't often see good quality down bags less than $100.
In the end, I'll take just about any down bag over a synthetic. The fact that they will out-live their counterpart is worth it alone.
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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| Post Number: 9
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| Post Number: 10
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wcolucci
Group: Members
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Joined: Feb. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 22 2013, 2:07 pm |
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I bought a Marmot 45 degree down bag at Dicks 3-4 years ago and it was actually pretty decent. Around the same price It was 650 down.
I sold it to a friend in a combo of bag, pack, (GoLite) and tent for under $200. He has been using it since...I think I lost $50 on the set.
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| Post Number: 11
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HuntersHikes
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 23 2013, 8:25 pm |
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Done a little bit of research, and it has all the same specs of the kelty cosmic that has been positively reviewed here, minus two ounces and one inch of stuff size, and the cosmic costs $50 more...it's no W.M. bag, but for ninety bucks I can't find any major flaws...
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 12
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GoBlueHiker
Obsessive Island Hopper...
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Posted on: Jan. 23 2013, 8:32 pm |
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(HuntersHikes @ Jan. 23 2013, 6:25 pm)
QUOTE Done a little bit of research, and it has all the same specs of the kelty cosmic that has been positively reviewed here, minus two ounces and one inch of stuff size, and the cosmic costs $50 more...it's no W.M. bag, but for ninety bucks I can't find any major flaws...
Well, you won't really know about "major" flaws until you use it. EN Ratings don't tell you about quality control and stitching and the like.
However, at that price for those specs, that seems pretty damned good for a down bag. No, it's not high-end by any means (my go-to summer down bag from Marmot weighs about half that, but costs nearly triple). But if that's the price that allows you to get out and use it, then go for it I say.
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Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
www.RainForestTreks.com
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| Post Number: 13
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
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Posts: 10626
Joined: Apr. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 24 2013, 12:00 am |
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Sierra Designs makes good bags in general. I'd give it that much at a minimum.
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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| Post Number: 14
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bigredd
Group: Members
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Joined: Sep. 2012
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Posted on: Jan. 29 2013, 8:48 am |
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You might want to check out the selection of sleeping bags at Sierra Trading Post. Lots of decent bags for around $100 (free shipping) after using a 35% off coupon.
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SmokeyBear
I know shoe-fu
Group: Members
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Posted on: Jan. 29 2013, 10:24 am |
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(GoBlueHiker @ Jan. 23 2013, 8:32 pm)
QUOTE Well, you won't really know about "major" flaws until you use it. EN Ratings don't tell you about quality control and stitching and the like.
However, at that price for those specs, that seems pretty damned good for a down bag. No, it's not high-end by any means (my go-to summer down bag from Marmot weighs about half that, but costs nearly triple). But if that's the price that allows you to get out and use it, then go for it I say.
This +100! That being said.
Resale for more than a pittance is unlikely for that type of bag, so I wouldn't figure that into the equation.
As AlmostThere pointed out, there is a large difference between 550 (duck) down and 650 (goose) down. The quality of the down itself is much better at 650 - frankly, 550 down in my experience tends to actually have odour and definitely a bit prickly. Which means you'll lose more down (well, feather mostly) to bits poking out of your bag.
Where are you hiking? What temperatures do you expect? This will definitely be a 32* bag. The EN rating is a good indicator.
If I were you I'd ask myself this - are you buying this because it is all your budget will allow, or because the price point makes it seem like a good deal? If it is the former, than that bag will do you well, but if it is the latter, you've taken $90 that you could have put into a much, much nicer bag and spent it on one that is ok, but possibly not what you'd really wanted/needed.
Personally, unless it was absolutely vital to my budget I would save another $50-$100 and get a much lighter bag for the same warmth or a wamer bag for the same weight I've purchased 650 down 20* bags from REI outlet for $100. For $150 you can find clearance 15* marmot 650 bags.
Good luck!!
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| Post Number: 16
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TigerFan
Group: Members
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Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 29 2013, 10:50 am |
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Just browsing the 'sale' tab at rei.com and they have the Kelty Cosmic down 20* on sale for $97. 2.5 lb for the 'regular' size, 20oz of 550 fill down.
Advantage of purchasing from REI is that you can return if it doesn't work for you.
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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HuntersHikes
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 29 2013, 6:54 pm |
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awesome points people, thanks so much for chiming in... @SmokeyBear, I appreciate your comment quite a bit about taking the $90 that I could have put into something more worthwhile...the beauty of this site, right here. Thanks a lot guys, I'll be sure to pop back in with more questions down the road!
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 18
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SmokeyBear
I know shoe-fu
Group: Members
Posts: 3702
Joined: Mar. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 31 2013, 12:11 am |
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Thanks for saying
BTW - this is in the REI outlet store right now:
http://www.rei.com/product....ial-buy
I own this bag, though the regular version not the long. It's not blow-your-mind amazing, but it has 600 fill down, and is almost certainly a warmer bag for nearly the same weight. As a long version this is 3 ox more, so if you're not over 6' tall you'll probably find the extra length undesireable.
The 15° rating is a bit generous, it's not EN rated, but probably a 20-25° bag. Sometimes they go further on sale and you can pick them for around $100 (I did ). I also have the women's long version which they rate at 10° but is probably a 15-20° bag - I really like that one, even more than the men's version (better loft).
Anyway, keep your eyes open there - if you don't need a bag ASAP good deals pop up regularly. You can sometimes find the Marmot sawtooth bag on for around $175 - a proper EN rated 15° bag.
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| Post Number: 19
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HuntersHikes
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 01 2013, 7:34 am |
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Awesome, thanks for the heads up...will keep checking the outlet.
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 21
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HuntersHikes
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 02 2013, 8:40 pm |
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Loft, I don't know; it has 21oz. of fill...the Kelty Cosmic has 20oz. of 550, and gets pretty rave reviews all around for a ~$100 down bag.
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 22
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HuntersHikes
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Aug. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 04 2013, 6:54 pm |
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Dick's also has another made-for-Dick's sleeping bag, a Marmot Aspen Adventurer 15* Down, EN-rated (to what, I forget), 600-fill, 2lbs 9oz, packs to 8x15...found some solid reviews online and read (even on this site) that Marmot stands behind the bag even though it's a for-store product...sells for $139...not too shabby!
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If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball, and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without considering if there are men on base.
Latitude:N 42° 7' 34.7232"
Longitude:W 71° 42' 28.6164"
www.huntershikes.com
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| Post Number: 24
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
