25 Golite (Read 13242 times)
marlin55388
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Golite
Apr 22nd, 2010 at 4:49am
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Anyone have any experience with their Goose Down Bags Shocked

Yah I know, thinkin' about breakin' one of my cardinal rules and movin over to down for the weight saving attributes.

5'6" 800 fill 30-40f w/ DWR that wont break the bank is what I am looking for... Roll Eyes
  
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happyjack
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Re: Golite
Reply #1 - Apr 22nd, 2010 at 9:28pm
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I haven't used a Golite bag, but I really like my Cabelas Boundary Waters 40'F goose down mummy bag.  Mine is about 7-8 years old and came with a real nice drybag.  I use it all the time.  It is just the right weight for summer use in BW/Quetico unless you have a really hot July night.  I also have a 20'F one as well which I use for fall trips.  For winter camping I put either the 40' or the 20', depending on how cold it will get (10' above versus 10' below) inside a synthetic bag and have a really nice cold weather sleep system.
Down bags are great as long as you keep them dry.  On a rainy fall or spring trip you have to be really diligent to keep the insid of your tent dry with proper venting and waterproofing.  The high humidity can start to cause a down bag to loose loft.  I put it inside the dry bag whenever I'm not sleeping in it, and air it often when conditions are like that.  Winter and summer don't seem to be a problem.
  
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mastertangler
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Re: Golite
Reply #2 - Apr 23rd, 2010 at 9:54pm
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I keep thinking about upgrading my bag to. Last 2 trips I have been up in the middle of the night adding fleece and socks and knit hats etc. Brrrrr....... After 20 years in FL I went from someone who cleaned the ice out of their auger hole with their hand to the old people I used to make fun of in their coats when the temp hit the 50's.

I spent a few hours looking around. Most all the down bags seem to be the mummy style which is great for climbing but not so great for moving around in. I read all the reviews for the Cabelas bag that happy jack likes and most like them. There were some notable exceptions concerning "claminess" but since I wear a set of long underwear to crash in I don't guess it would be much of an issue. One of the few rectangular down bags out there that I came across. Evidently other people like them to as there is a 6 or 7 week backorder wait. Oh well, just throw some more fleece on I guess for this year.
  
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DentonDoc
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Re: Golite
Reply #3 - Apr 23rd, 2010 at 10:34pm
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I've been using the 20' version of Cabela's Boundary Waters Mummy Bag.  I enjoy the extra width of the bag, so I can easily turn and the bag stays put.  I have historically done paddling trips in the mid-May time slot, so having the extra warmth has always been welcome.  After last season's trip Quetico trip, I checked the reported temp's for Ely for that period.  At least 3 days were in the 27-28' range.  Bag was still very comfortable.

While I don't use the dry bag it came with (opted for a compression-style bag that then goes into a waterproof bag containing other gear), I am conscious of keeping the bag dry, even when its in the tent.  I've even been known to wrap my rain gear top around the foot of my bag when on a slant to keep the foot dry even if it should rub against the tent wall overnight.

I do have other golite gear and have been consistently happy with its performance.

dd
  
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thomasandy57
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Re: Golite
Reply #4 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 1:08am
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I have had my Golite 40 degree bag for 6 years. It did cost a little more, but the warm and the weight sold me.  I hate being cold.  When you are warm the extra dollars are well spent

Tom
  
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mastertangler
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Re: Golite
Reply #5 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 12:46pm
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What do you think of this bag? I usually don't lean to things that are versatile finding (usually) they don't do anything especially well but this has caught my imagination a bit. 25 degree filling (5" loft) on one side and 40 degree (3") loft on the other side. Hmmmm, could be interesting. The only thing worse than being cold is being to hot.
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Snow_Dog
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Re: Golite
Reply #6 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 1:25pm
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MT,

Along those lines, here's what I use for a bag:

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The main advantage over the traditional down bag is that you don't have any insulation on the bottom of the bag, saving space and weight.  Whatever sleeping pad you use provides the lower insulation since any down on the bottom of the bag gets crushed by your body and provides virtually no insulating power anyway.

I've used this bag for several years and it's the best, lightest, warmest system I've ever used.
  
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mastertangler
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Re: Golite
Reply #7 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 3:36pm
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Looks sweet. Looks like a higher tech design for less dough. I had looked at them earlier and 2 things shook me off. I'm not crazy about the "mummy" shape (although I have a hunch for an average sized guy like myself your bag would have plenty of room to toss about) but what really dissuaded me was the 15 degree rating. I run "HOT" anyways and absolutely hate being to hot when I'm sleeping. I've never had a down bag..........do they breathe better and thus less likely to get sweaty or is that just "pie in the sky" wishful thinking??
  
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mastertangler
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Re: Golite
Reply #8 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 8:35pm
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LONGEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE
On the subject of bags some of you might get a kick out of this; When I lived and worked at Mt. Rainier National Park (Washington) I did a pretty extensive array of outdoor activities, hiking, a lot of snowshoeing etc. I lived there 3 years and had housing and meals provided............now THAT'S a base camp. As a result I had little or no actual camping experience. Clever me I decide to hike into a remote off-trail valley and spend the night and hike back out the next day. It was in the fall and it gets dark pretty early. The high country is nice in the day but gets downright freezin at night. Well, about 6 pm I turn in for the night, it being dark and I'm tired and all.


Trouble was, all I had was a cheap little bag but worst of all I had NO mat of any kind. I thought I was tough but old mother nature humbled me plenty that L-O-N-G night. Freezing and uncomfortable I stuck my face in my bag and almost done myself in. I awoke in a panic and struggling to try and get out of my bag. I had to restrain myself to stay put or sacrifice what tiny bit of warmth I had. Talk about a headache!! Tough climb out the next day with my head splitting. Oh man!!
  
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Snow_Dog
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Re: Golite
Reply #9 - Apr 24th, 2010 at 9:21pm
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mastertangler wrote on Apr 24th, 2010 at 3:36pm:
Looks sweet. Looks like a higher tech design for less dough. I had looked at them earlier and 2 things shook me off. I'm not crazy about the "mummy" shape (although I have a hunch for an average sized guy like myself your bag would have plenty of room to toss about) but what really dissuaded me was the 15 degree rating. I run "HOT" anyways and absolutely hate being to hot when I'm sleeping. I've never had a down bag..........do they breathe better and thus less likely to get sweaty or is that just "pie in the sky" wishful thinking??


If you do strictly summer trips, a lighter bag might suit you better, but overall I've had little problem with getting overheated.  I will zip it down and uncover as much of my upper torso as necessary to regulate the temp.  Some nights, I sleep on top of it if it's really hot and humid.  If you have a sleeping bag liner, that's a good way to stay covered without getting too warm.

As far as the bag shape, I had the same reservations going in since I'm a tosser and a turner.  The semi mummy shape still allows me enough room to toss around.  Matter of fact, it's almost easier since the sleeping pad slipped into the pocket on the bottom of the bag keeps the bag from wrapping you up in a knot as you toss.

It's really an amazing system that can't be fully appreciated without trying it.  It's one of the few things I've bought in my life that I liked way better than I thought I would.
  
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