Western Mountaineering AlpinLite: 20 Degree Down - 2005 BCS

I own the Western Mountaineering Ultralite and LOVE my bag. But so I wanted to get a WM bag that would really fit my boyfriend who is 6'1" and about 160 lbs. So, I bought this bag for him and he loves it. He stays very warm and definitely in temps lower than 20 degrees. WM makes the best sleeping bags. They have a high fill count for light weight, packable, but warm!

I bought the AlpinLite last year when it first came out and it has been my "go to" bag ever since. It has huge versatility in temperature rating: if it's a warm night, you can actually move some of the down off of the top to the bottom with the continuous baffles. And if it dips below 20F, no problem - this bag is so warm. And at UNDER 2 pounds! It's awesome to have in my camping arsenal. You will love it!

Although rated at 20 degrees, this bag goes comfortably down to 10 degrees, perhaps even lower. It does get hot on warmer trips, which makes the full zipper nice. Stuff sack it came with is not very useful, but use the XS Granite Gear compression sack instead.

We all have to agree that Western Mountaineering makes one of the best sleeping bags in the biz and the Alpinlite is no exception. The zipper never snagged, loft was exceptional, and the 850+ fill power down is all standard from the company. But what really amazed me was the loft. WM claims it to have 5 inches for a 20F rating. However, when the night temps dropped to 25-30F near the summit of Mt Whitney I never for once became cold nor cool. Being a cold sleeper, I measured the loft and found that it approached 6 inches! With such loft I'm sure it can be a 15F degree without blinking. Moreover, it’s very roomy and light making it a very versatile bag.

I bought this bag for myself and an ultra light for my girlfriend. Zipping the bags together is neat, but not fun for when it’s cold. I heard over and over again about how tight and uncomfortable these bags were for people. I find completely the opposite. We used both bags camping this weekend in low 30's and were completely toasty. I slept half out of the bag I was so warm. It’s a great all around bag, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Plus I think this thing will last the rest of my life, and its American made!

Coupled with my husband’s bag for a roomy, warm, soft sleep on top on Springer Mountain in 50mph winds and rain! Shell got wet when rain blew in through the tent vents, but it was waterproof enough that down stayed dry. Great loft!