Easy Sleeping Bag Entry

[Take-a-knee]

Would be cool if we could make a list of such bags that are available.
Feathered Friends Rock Wren
Feathered Friends Winter Wren
Exped Wallcreeper
Speer Frog sac
Golite Adrenaline

Anyone know any more ?

Nunatak Raku

http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/other_bags/raku.htm

[Greg Dunlap]

I also use the Big Agnes bag with a left side full zipper. I use the Cross Mountain bag in a long left side zip with the Air Core pad backed up by the Sleeping Giant memory foam pad. Works great in 40 degree and above weather. Seeing as I'm a kayak kamper, I don't go out in the cold or wet. That's weather for staying by the fireplace and sipping red wine. No problems with getting in or out.

[mozzie]

Iim with SHUG OF THE SQIRM.i loved that last min. sqirm before sleep,until i sqirmed a little too much and broke the zipper.the next morn the micra busted me out and i became a quilt guy.

[Take-a-knee]

Iim with SHUG OF THE SQIRM.i loved that last min. sqirm before sleep,until i sqirmed a little too much and broke the zipper.the next morn the micra busted me out and i became a quilt guy.

Quilts rule in a hammock but a Rock Wren is just as manageable.

[nemo327]

Try laying the sleeping bag in the hammock zipper on top! Next get in zip up and turn.

[psyculman]

I made a pad to go inside my Keity Zephyr, yes a little much at -15, but, oh so warm, and, you can never be too warm up in the White Mtns. It is made a Wally blue pad, a layer of 1/4 poly batting, spray glued on, and, a cover of nearly sheer Wally fabric (???). It has velcro tabs on each corner which mate to loops in the Keilty bag. With the stiffness of the pad, and the slippery nylon cover, it is very easy for the bag to stay put, and me to slide into. Yes, it is an extra bundle outside my pack, and, I only use it in very cold weather, below 20 deg. But, have been out with low teen temperatures, and that DIY pad and my down bag were plenty warm, not sure how low the temperature could go on this.

I also have a Big Agnes insulated air core, just tried it out last weekend. Now, that's nice!!!! But, although it did also fit inside the bag, there was a little condensation beading in the folds, so after two hours of sleeping, at 30 degrees outside temp. I placed the insulated pad between the undercover, and space blanket. Very warm, no cold spots, but, not what you would get from a UQ. The BA Pad takes up a waterbottle size volume in the pack though, and, weighs 21 oz. and, untill my UQ budget is sufficient, will be on all my trips. I have a HH/SS

Did I mention the pads are not as good as an underquilt. Just wanted to be sure about that.

See pictures on my CP

[toddkmiller]

It can't be tht easy an exercise since I have had some of my scouts end up completely BACKWARDS in the hammock after trying to get into their bags. Very entertaining.

[Peter_pan]

Difficulty also varies with the hammock and amount of sag and practice. Most difficult is my HH ( unless I get mostly in before hammock entry, that makes it easy with any of them). Easier is my Speer, easiest is my Claytor.

At first, in my HH, I simply could not get in other than quilt style. Now, depending on some variables, I can be in with hood and neck collar zipped up in from 30 secs to 2 minutes. And for me, every time I am even close to the bag temp rating, that is always SO MUCH WARMER than trying to use any of those mummy bags quilt style. ( I still don't yet have a quilt) But some practice helps, or sure. The main trick for me( for getting in the bag once in the hammock) seems to be sitting in the bag and putting my feet and legs in the right distance, smoothing the bags inner surface out. Then I just reach back and pull the hood up over my head while still sitting, and zip up as much as I can, usually to the chest area. Then lay down and make a few final adjustments and zip up all the way if needed. Or, leave it partly unzipped enough to just put one arm or elbow out , but with the hood still over my head and the neck collar sealed. This can make all the difference in staying warm, compared to trying to use a mummy bag as a quilt. At least in my experience. Of course an actual quilt with a separate hood or thick balaclava, might work better than trying to use a mummy bag as quilt.

But still, it is really hard to beat the heat retaining efficiency of a 3" thick hood and neck collar surrounding every bit of your head except your nose/mouth and blocking all drafts. Also, I think the somewhat mummy like aspects of the PeaPod is one reason it works so well, especially considering how big of a bag it is. Depending on how much breathing hole you allow yourself, you are more or less sealed in a mummy bag head to toe. And if you have some sort of summer weight top quilt or bag or thick jacket, it works like a neck collar. So that there is very little heat loss from draft when you move around. Or, if you close it up all the way, zero loss.

BB58,et al,

Not to steal TAK's frequent battle cry about the JRB Down Hood, but the JRB hood when attached to any shirt/vest/jacket collar give you this super warm head cover that a full hoded bag does but retains the ease and simplicity of a top quilt.... and it moves with you, staying in proper position no matter how you move....far better that turning etc when in a hooded bag.

Pan

[animalcontrol]

Not to steal TAK's frequent battle cry about the JRB Down Hood,
Pan

and here I thought I was the only person who noticed...

[Cannibal]

TAK likes the down hoods? When did that happen?