I recently moved to Portland, and I'm looking forward to doing some winter mountaineering in the Cascades. Hood, Adams, maybe North Cascades too. I've been eyeing the Nemo Sonic 0 degree bag, but am tempted to get a used Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends bag instead. I have a line on a lightly used WM Lynx -10 goretex shell bag for $375, which seems like a good deal. That should be enough for winter climbing in the PNW anything except maybe Rainier, right? Is the Nemo Sonic baffle opening thing really a game-changer, or more of a gimmick?

I've used my Western Mountaineering Apache Super Dryloft, rated to +15 F (circa 1997) for multiple winter ascents of Rainier, early spring ascents of Mt Hunter, Mooses Tooth, etc. in Alaska, as well as many other winter alpine trips in the Cascades. I've also owned a Feathered Friends bag for expeditionary use. I feel that WM and FF temperature ratings are very conservative relative to big name brands. Unless you know you sleep cold, a -10 WM will be overkill on pretty much everything in the Cascades in winter, even Rainier.

My +15 WM has never let me down, temperature wise, even first week of May in the Ruth Gorge and January on Rainier. The issue for me has been the down insulation absorbs water from my body and the ambient air and after the second night is pretty much useless in the Cascades. AK is different, much drier.

Look into one of the manufacturers using water resistant down. I think Sea to Summit has some good offering. I think the jury is still out on the efficacy of the treated water resistant down, but it is worth a try.

I don't know anything about Nemo.

I reposted this on a couple other sites and have gotten wildly varying advice. Everything from that a +15 is enough for Rainier in Winter (thank you ExcitableBoy!) to suggesting a -40 FF bag for Cascades in Winter. That seems unreasonable to me, but I do have questionable circulation and prefer to err on the side of too warm. I went ahead and bought the WM Lynx GWS -10. Beautiful bag and too good of a deal to pass up, even if it's more for future climbs at higher latitudes and higher elevations, or Rainier in the dead of winter. With that, an StS liner, and my OR alpine bivy, I figure I'm good down to -25 at least.

Sangye wrote:I reposted this on a couple other sites and have gotten wildly varying advice. Everything from that a +15 is enough for Rainier in Winter (thank you ExcitableBoy!) to suggesting a -40 FF bag for Cascades in Winter. That seems unreasonable to me, but I do have questionable circulation and prefer to err on the side of too warm. I went ahead and bought the WM Lynx GWS -10. Beautiful bag and too good of a deal to pass up, even if it's more for future climbs at higher latitudes and higher elevations, or Rainier in the dead of winter. With that, an StS liner, and my OR alpine bivy, I figure I'm good down to -25 at least.

You are welcome. I have done quite a lot of winter climbing in the Cascades, and generally it is the wet that is the problem, not the cold. A -10 WM Lynx is an excellent quality bag and although it will perhaps be warmer than necessary for the Cascades, a few extra ounces in the pack won't kill you and it will be good for AK, the Andes, etc. I'm willing to bet whoever said -40 FF was trying to sell you a bag or being funny or simply has done almost no winter climbing in the Cascades.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Ice Pack - Extremely light for volume, very comfortable on approach, good ice tool attachment, 100% waterproof.