cold weather sleeping bag

I'm a cold sleeper female, especially my feet. I'm going to be camping in temps as low as 0 degrees F. I'm looking for a synthetic bag, (best capabilities if it gets wet). Any suggestions?

raftingwoman,
The best current fill for synthetic bags (compressibility, warmth for weight) is Primaloft. While I have only gotten one of my Primaloft bags wet accidentally (other times when washing them), they do absorb very little water and you can roll them tightly to squeeze most of the water out, which boosts the warmth considerably over a wet bag. So good choice for rafting. (The accident was getting caught in a heavy downpour/thunderstorm while setting up camp in a hurry in the Uintas - about like being in a firehose, and I got myself soaked in the few minutes it took to get my raingear out and set up the tent).

Anyway, Integral Designs and Marmot are top-quality companies that make cold weather Primaloft bags. Most other companies that make quality synthetic bags use Polargard. The two newest versions of Polargard (Delta is one of them) come close to Primaloft, but I find are not as compressible (you should try stuffing your candidate bags in the store, although since Integral Designs sells mostly by mail order, you might have a hard time finding one of their coldweather bags in a store outside the Pacific Northwest). ID's Emperor 0degF is 4lb14oz in the standard size $285US), which is close to the same as many down 0deg bags. Take a look on the ID website under Expedition Gear, sleeping bags. They do down bags as well, though you don't want those for rafting.

Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, and North Face have 0deg synthetic bags as well. There are other brands and cheaper ones, of course. But stay away from Hollofill and Quallofill bags. These two synthetics do not have the warmth for weight or compressibility.

Hmmmm, I have a North Face Bigfoot (Polargard bag that is/was rated at -10F) that I don't use. Maybe I should sell it ($100 plus shipping?)? I got it when I was doing a lot of winter camping with Boy Scouts. It is not a good idea to have a youth using a down bag, and I as an adult leader have to set the example. The kids see an adult using something (like a down bag) and tell their parents they have to have it - and of course, boys being boys, they drag the wet snow into the tent, which means the down bag becomes useless.

Marmot's Never Summer zero bag plus a pair of the down "snow boots/slippers" will certainly keep you warm. . .any quality bag plus the footwear will be a safe bet. Snow doesn't stick to them, so you can wear them out of the bag and in it without problems. Maybe get something tougher than a zero bag too. . . Good luck.

When this thread was initiated, I was camping in the Chilcoten region of BC, it rained, blew and snowed like h*ll during our stay and we only had a tarp for shelter as the packer had not brought the wall tent he promised. My sleeping bag had a lot of icy water dumped on it when the tarp ripped under snow in the early ayem, not fun!

I was using my current favourite hunting/wilderness working bag, which is just superb and I was dry, comfortable and warm during the entire sojourn about 25 air miles into the wilderness from the hamlet of Goldbridge, BC.

This bag is the Integral Designs North Twin plus Andromeda Strain Overbag listed under "Special Gear" on their website and it is the BEST synthetic sleeping bag(s) I have EVER used in 43+ years of serious backpacking/caamping. I also have a custom ID down/Endurance bag and used to have a genuine Marmot Mtn. custom bag made when they were still in Colorado.

I have bags by Exped,Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering as well and have had others from all over the globe; NOBODY makes a "better"bag than ID and most, including Marmot are not even close. I will only buy bags from ID and WM, they are the best.

So, buy this combo in your size, it will be exactly what you need and easier to pack and carry than the big Emperor version, yet, as warm. The versatility of this bag, plus it's utility and quality will make you a "happy camper"!

I'm wondering why no one has mentioned Montbell. I have a Montbell SS UL Downhugger #2 Long and its wonderful. Their rating system is different than others but a #1 in the synthetic is only $170 and here are the stats.

# EXCELOFT® Synthetic Insulation
# 40-denier Multi-Filament Rip-Stop Full Dull Nylon
# Standard DWR treatment
# Temperature Rating: 15 F / -9 C
# Max User Height: 5ft. 10in.
# Inside Shoulder Girth: 53.2” – 70.9”
# Inside Knee Girth: 42.8” – 57.1”
# Stuffed Size: 12” x 18”
# Size: R/ZIP/ L/ZIP
# Color: OG(Orange)
# Weight: 4 lbs. 2 oz.

Also the temp rating is a comfortable rating meaning it is supposed to be comfortable for 6-8 hours of sleep at that temp but you will be able to sleep down to usually 15 degrees below that rating without being frozen to death.

It's important that you buy a bag at least ~15 degrees colder than a warm sleeper might. Keep that in mind when considering "comfort ratings". You might even consider a -30 bag. Also, try eating a substantial amount of food before going to sleep, it will warm you through the night.