Big Agnes sleeping bag with Pad insert

**tgreening** · 05-22-2010, 21:48

I have a BA Lost Ranger and 2 different pads to go with it. One is a self inflater and the other is a blow up insulated. If I recall the blow up is rated to 15 deg (same as the bag) and the self inflater is good down to 0 deg. I slept with the 15 deg down to 32 and was more than toasty. I have the long version of the bag so it's plenty roomy for any sleeping position, at least for a person of 5'10" stature and on the wrong side of 200 lbs. I know all the gram weenies (

) will say it weighs too much but I have my own views on packing light and for me it fits right in. The system as is will keep me plenty warn down to any temp I'm likely to hang at and if I get a wild hair and really want to go cold I can always add a Yampa overbag.

I'm not a big fan of the over-quilt under-quilt systems since to me they are too expensive for what they are and too specialized. I can use my bags/pads anywhere and everywhere and all of them together cost less than a lot of the over-quilts, let alone an over under combo.

I tried the standard bag/pad combo and keeping everything where it needed to be made for a poor nights sleep at best. I'm pretty happy with the BA system.

**Browny** · 05-23-2010, 06:06

As for the tapered mat/bag scenario, I would think that a semi inflated mat would be ok
to shove in the footend as any "crinkles" wouldnt be under your main body anyways?

**Arky1** · 05-24-2010, 21:17

I'm new to hammocks, period. Just purchased a WB BB; haven't decided on a tarp, yet. I already have a BA Merkel and a Stephenson Warmlite air mattress. It's a good combination on the ground and I'm hoping it will be just as good in the air.

**JWinNC** · 08-03-2010, 01:35

Originally Posted by tgreening

I have a BA Lost Ranger and 2 different pads to go with it. One is a self inflater and the other is a blow up insulated. If I recall the blow up is rated to 15 deg (same as the bag) and the self inflater is good down to 0 deg. I slept with the 15 deg down to 32 and was more than toasty. I have the long version of the bag so it's plenty roomy for any sleeping position, at least for a person of 5'10" stature and on the wrong side of 200 lbs. I know all the gram weenies (

) will say it weighs too much but I have my own views on packing light and for me it fits right in. The system as is will keep me plenty warn down to any temp I'm likely to hang at and if I get a wild hair and really want to go cold I can always add a Yampa overbag.

I'm not a big fan of the over-quilt under-quilt systems since to me they are too expensive for what they are and too specialized. I can use my bags/pads anywhere and everywhere and all of them together cost less than a lot of the over-quilts, let alone an over under combo.

I tried the standard bag/pad combo and keeping everything where it needed to be made for a poor nights sleep at best. I'm pretty happy with the BA system.

I have the same BA with the 15 deg air core pad. I have used it on the ground for a couple of years now with good success... one night down to 17 deg which was a little rough but tolerable. It's a good rig. I have not used it for hanging, but I am planning on trying it in September.

jw

**Jsaults** · 08-03-2010, 10:30

I too have a LR, with a self-inflator and a Air Core mattress (very comfy for ground-sleeping).

This discussion got me to thinking that - and this is radical - the LR could be turned into a winter underquilt by cutting the sleeve out (gulp!) and installing appropriate shock cord attachments. Or it could be turned into a TQ.

I am not going that route just yet though. Just thinkin' outside the box.

Jim

**tjm** · 08-03-2010, 14:24

Originally Posted by Mundele

I've got a BA pad and sleeping bag, a rectangular one, and I find that I'm colder in it than in a mummy bag. there's just too much air to warm up down around my feet. I got the bag as a warm weather solution, so it's usually not an issue.

This was my experience as well. I have the BA encampment model, synthetic insulation, rated 15 deg F. There was just too much room and air that needed to be heated up by my metabolism. The bag is good to about 30 degrees for me.

I bought a MARMOT down bag rated for 15 deg F and that bag is awesome.

I found a second use for the encampment; I use it as an overbag to extend the temp rating of the MARMOT bag. They fit together very well and have gotten me down to 0 deg F.

I use the BA insulated aircore pad in my JRB BMB hammock and wish it was a bit wider. The BA insulated aircore pad is a great pad.

**tleruner** · 09-09-2010, 19:27

I also have the Lost Ranger and insulated air core pad. So far they have been great but I have not hung in anything less than about 45 F. Maybe this weekend.

**Kaliram** · 09-12-2010, 20:33

I use a Big Agnes with a BA pad with my Warbonnet Blackbird. When it's warm, I don't use any other insulation; when a bit cooler, I stick a $2.00 space blanket between the double bottom layers of the Blackbird; when it's cold, I use a homemade close-cell foam pad between the layers, with wings, which I've detailed in another post:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=14196

**Rhandhali** · 10-17-2010, 17:28

I slept on a big agnes insulated air core for two months this summer and it did great by me. I was sleeping on the ground in the desert; it was COLD, not sure exactly how cold but a 20F bag was good enough.

The pad worked really well the two or three times I've used it in the hammock too, maybe 45 or 50 degrees over the night.

**Desert Reprobate** · 10-17-2010, 18:32

I used a BA bag this summer. When it got cold I wanted to open the bag up and use it like a quilt. That didn't work out too well due to no insulation on the bottom.