Algonquin Adventures / Sleeping bag

**Posted by pjr2013** 7/02/2019 12:16 pm

All - I just wanted to send this out to the ether in the event I have missed anything important. My Thing 1 needs a sleeping bag and he will be taking to a 3.5 week seep away camp in Northern(ish) Ontario during which time he will participate in a 5 day canoe trip. All our bags are down - however 11 year olds are not known for their attention to detail and if it rains/is generally just wet, I worry he will soak the bag and thus might as well not even have it. therefore I want to pick him up a synthetic bag - any recommendations other than the standard SAIL/MEC standards?

Thanks all!

**Posted by Steve E** 7/02/2019 3:45 pm

If you're looking for synthetic maybe check out Wiggy's bags. They are pretty decently priced and very well rated. I have his -60 bag and don't love it for those cold temps (although the synthetic certainly has it's pro's). I also have a couple Big Agnes bags and are very happy with both of them. They are lighter weight as there is no insulation on the bottom - instead there is a sleeve for your sleep pad to go into...works great as you never roll off your pad

**Posted by RobW** 7/02/2019 3:59 pm

North Face has some decently priced synthetic bags. Even though it will still be for 'summer' use I'd still look for a bag rated down to about 0C

**Posted by pjr2013** 7/04/2019 9:34 am

Thanks all - I would indeed get a bag rated to at least 0 C. Nights up north can be chilly mid August!

**Posted by scratchypants** 7/04/2019 5:51 pm

I've been quite happy with my Cat's Meow - May through September with appropriate sleepwear.

**Posted by Methye** 7/15/2019 5:06 pm

Anyone have any experience with Hotcore sleeping bags? Canadian made. Just wondering how good they are.

**Posted by scoutergriz** 7/16/2019 7:25 am

Being a youth, and being a canoe trip, I'd suggest a Eureka, NF, or even North 49. Their bags are affordable, well made, warm, machine wash and dryable (don't forget- kids never change their undershorts!) and plenty durable for youth tripping. I'd say 95% of Scouts that canoe trip use Eureka's for their entire time in Scouting,
One caveat though- get a decent, slightly oversized compression sack (they are bulkier than down) and a separate drybag for in the pack, that way there is never any need to open it EXCEPT at camp.

**Posted by nvm** 7/16/2019 8:05 am

Methye wrote:
Anyone have any experience with Hotcore sleeping bags? Canadian made. Just wondering how good they are.

You really had me intrigued about this brand- I did some serious research when I bought my bag and would have expected to come across Hotcore, as one of the criteria I was trying to meet was that it was a North American made product. I just checked their site and the pricing is a give-away- no way it’s Canadian made at those prices. I can’t find anything on their site to say otherwise- just that it’s a Canadian owned and operated company, which is neither here nor there in my view. Alas, I think the only NA made sleeping bags are Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends. Conceivably the Thermarest brand bags are sewn in the USA too, as a ton of their products are, but they didn’t exist when I bought my bag and I haven’t checked since.

Last edited by nvm (7/24/2019 6:23 am)

**Posted by Methye** 7/23/2019 6:51 pm

My mistake. I assumed something without checking.

**Posted by nvm** 7/24/2019 6:22 am

Methye wrote:
My mistake. I assumed something without checking.

Well they do beat the Canadian drum pretty hard, but alas, not so special.

Sleeping bag - synthetic, not down

Methye wrote:

Methye wrote: