your favorite winter sleeping bag? (mountain, weather, renting, buy)

[vastobean]

It would be very helpful to know what others are using for winter and reasons they like. Despite I already have an impressive 0 degree sleeping bag from timberbrother which is perfect for beginner likes me, it' not enough in sub-zero temperatures

[HusBea]

I used to winter camp. I have a bag from Eastern Mountain Sports that is rated -20F. It is synthetic fill and baffled. And I use it in -F temperatures. No problems with keeping warm, but I recommend you always sleep with a knit cap on as well as socks. Nowadays, they make those handwarmers which you can stick in your bag for extra warmth. My bag also has a baffle on the inside of the bag to prevent air infiltration from the zipper.

[kavm]

You can also buy silk liners. Very nice on the body and add warmth. We used them in winter hiking to high elevations in Nepal and were warm and toasty.

[hikernut]

I don't have a particular brand preference but do prefer synthetic for cold weather, as down becomes worthless if it gets wet. Every person is a little different so you need to know what sort of rating you'll need. You might try renting a couple of bags just to experiment. I personally prefer a warmer bag, so if I'm expecting 10F I might take my -5F bag.

One trick you can use is to heat some water right before bedtime, put it in water bottles, and then put them in the bottom of your bag to keep your feet warm. Just be sure those bottles do not leak, and don't make the water so hot that you'll be burned if the bottle happens to touch your skin.