When You Want Lightweight and Compact, Without Sacrificing Warmth
Ledge Sports out of Tooele, Utah has an impressive line of synthetic, lightweight, mummy-style sleeping bags. These bags are much more compact and lightweight than traditional mummy bags, which often weigh 5 pounds or more. The Featherlite 40 Degree Bag is a great summer bag that has a pack weight of only 2.9 lbs and it has a pack size of 6" x 12". The Featherlie 20 Degree Bag is a three season bag that weighs in at only 3.4 lbs and has a pack size of 7" x 13". The Featherlite 0 Degree Bag is a four season bag that is still about half the size and weight of many 0 Degree mummy Bags. The Featherlite 0 Degree Bag has a pack weight of 3.8 lbs and has a pack size of 8" x 16".
I have used all three of these Featherlite sleeping bags in various conditions and they work very well. Like all other bags, you have to have a pad underneath you to achieve the rating of the sleeping bag. I also sleep cold, so I have to have clothing layers to add extra comfort. However, the Ledge Featherlite Bags feel to me that they are close in their rating systems to other bags made by Eureka, Slumberjack, Kelty and Vaude. Many lightweight synthetic bags are very expensive, but these are fairly affordable. Ledge has even come out with a negative 20 degree Featherlite Bag, but I have not tried it out yet.
Down sleeping bags will weigh significantly less, will pack smaller and retain more loft, but they are much more expensive, harder to maintain and do not provide the same heat protection as synthetic when they are wet. My only complaint with the Ledge Featherlite sleeping bags is that their zippers are hard to manage most of the time. I am getting better at holding them just the right way, but they are very finicky. However, in terms of value, performance, size and weight, the Featherlite sleeping bags are great for backpacking, camping, vacations and 72 hour kits. In fact, I currently keep a Featherlite 20 degree back in my backpacking assembly, which doubles as my 72 hour kit.
