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Hi !
I'm new to this site. I'm going to Denali in May 2016 and I need me one of the sleeping bag that will make me want to go in another expedition AGAIN. So will you have a Valandre's Thor, or would it be a Featheared Friend's Snow Goose EX -40 or a Western Mountaineering's Bison GWS or Cypress...or anything that is THAT warm and full of down, please e-mail me. I definitely don't want to buy this new. Thank you !!!

From personal experience, having been on several expeditions to some high peaks including Denali and the Himalaya, I would recommend NOT getting a -40F bag. I think a -20F or even less is enough. I think it's one of the most common misconceptions about needing such a warm bag for climbs like Denali. On most if not all other climbs from 6,000-7,000m peaks you can get away with a true 0-degree bag. Now on Himalayan climbs, the strategy is to go with a light bag and sleep in the down suit.

Thank you Kevin, I'll try to keep this in mind. My partner goes with a -20F. SOme folks have told me it's not enough, some folks have told me that if he even sleeps in his down, it won't be enough... What to think of all that? I've been myself on mount Logan, Yukon, with a Marmot CWM (-40) and it was perfect. Let's see what the rest of the mountaineers have to say about Denali.

G

I went to Denali in mid May with a FF Widgeon, with 2 ounces extra fill, so conservatively rated to -15 F. I used a single thick yellow Evazotte foam pad from MEC. I wore MH Chugach insulated pants at night and draped my Wild Things Belay parka over the top of the bag. We experienced overnight temps of -30 F at 17k.

I ran into an old partner at 17k who had a recording thermometer so the temperature was accurately measured. He happed to be quite an experienced guide with many previous Denali trips under his belt, and he said it was the coldest he had experienced on the mountain. My partner, an AK Range virgin on that trip, has gone on to guide Denali many times and has said our trip was the coldest he has yet experienced.

My point: even during a particularly cold season, my FF Widgeon with a little extra fill was warm enough. If you are looking at boutique bags like FF, WM, Valandre, then certainly a -20 should be warm enough, and probably even a -10 would be fine.

I'm glad I had a -40 bag on Denali in May. I was bitterly cold throughout the trip. Towards the end of the month, temps warmed up a bit but I was glad to have the extra warmth especially at the start of the trip.

Of all the extra things people bring up there, a couple extra ounces of down to sleep well at night is not such a bad thing, in my mind. Also, pm sent.

I have a minus 40 Marmot Penguin gortex sleeping bag.

It's in great condition, ready to make a great deal


James

Sunny Buns wrote: Why would you want to bundle up like the abominable snowman in your clothes BEFORE you crawl in your sleeping bag - sounds like misery.

So that you can be extra warm and save weight. I pretty much always do this combo. Less weight = less effort!