I just purchased a Montbell SS #3 Long. It is rated for 30 degrees and weighs about 25 oz. I am concerned because I have heard about problems with empty baffles etc. When I received the product yesterday, I held it up to the light to make sure there was down in all the baffles. There was, but I could see areas in each cell where the down had "congregated", leaving the corners of the cell completely devoid of any fill. Is this normal or should the bag be impermeable to light? Also, why do I have to be such a large person? I'm 6'3" and 240 lbs. and so there is almost no bags out there that will fit except this one. Thank you for your help!

Dylan, i also have a # 3 and have owned a #1 as well. To answer your question it is normal to see through the fabric and yes the baffles are not completely filled . I do love the bag very much as i am a big guy also. However i am not so sure of the temp. rating and need to do some further testing for myself. Just don't forget your pajamas if it's really cold.

I had your bag, and test slept in it at 30 degrees in my garage, and was not warm enough. Sent it back, got the #2, am good to go, warmth wise. The #2 is way warmer then the 5 degree rated difference, IMO. That being said, both bags had maybe what I would consider low fill pockets. However, most of these were in the center of the top of the bag, so I am not sure if this is designed that way. Mine also had some low fill near the feet area. I am tinkerer by nature, and happened to have an old very nice eddie bauer down coat that was trashed by battery acid. It became a down donor. I carefully cut small slits in the low pocket areas and filled them up with down, resewed them, and put seam grip on the repair. Better than new, and I love the bag, added 4 ounces of down, more like a 15 degree bag now, from my coldest sleeping night.

Interesting

Edited by FamilyGuy on 01/15/2011 13:47:49 MST.

The 25oz. weight is correct for that model, so shouldn't be underfilled. MB bags are very light and they seem "under fluffed" -- but they are as warm as rated for the average user.

Thanks y'all. I just ordered the WM Megalite Long. I'm gonna test 'em side by side and see how they compare. I've heard a lot of people say that the Montbells have incorrect temp ratings so I'm gonna see which one fits the best and send the other back. Thanks again for the advice!

Great - will like to hear back as to your assessment. I should also say that the Montbell bags sit wider than other comparable bags which will give the sense of under loft.

Dylan:

When you "test" the bags -- don't just measure the loft or shine them through a light. That kind of superficial "test" reveals very little.

Both brands are first rate. But credit the Japanese for being masters at making things "small and light". When I first got my MontBell No. 3 bag -- I was totally skeptical. No way would something so "thin" keep me warm at the rated temp. I took extra insulation jacket and pants just in case -- and was pleasantly surprised that it did indeed keep me warm to 30F at Wind Rivers, WY -- wearing only light weight polyester long johns. WM bags are made the traditional way and loft up like heck and they're great. MB's elastic design, however, is more efficient -- and provides more space when needed but without the penalty of less warmth or added weight for the space.

Anyway, in my long-winded way, I encourage to truly test them by actually sleeping in them overnight. A visual test will do little, given the two bag's very different designs. Have fun!

Edited by ben2world on 04/16/2009 11:15:04 MDT.

Hi Dylan,

I'd think that as long as you don't mind having some temporarily cash tied up in a second bag, nothing beats a side-by-side comparison to discover which best meets your needs.

Owning bags from both makers I have my conclusions, but they're just mine.

If you haven't already, try breaking up the wads of down in your MB bag to maximize the loft in each cell. That might help fill obvious gaps in the insulation. There's no way to know how long the bag's been in storage or how tightly it was packed for shipping.

Cheers,

Rick

"temporarily cash tied up"

Nah, that's the beauty of using a credit card -- just order at the beginning of the billing cycle and there will be plenty of time to test and decide. :)

And if you order both from the same store, you can probably save on shipping as well.

Edited by ben2world on 04/16/2009 11:29:34 MDT.

The MB UL SS #5 has been a favorite part of my kit for some time now. When I started reading rumors about underfilling on this site I immediately discounted them because I knew better from personal experience. If they're underfilled then they're truly miracle workers, because I've never been cold, and so it didn't matter.

At home I fluff up my down pillow before I sleep on it; on the trail I fluff up my bag before I climb in...the down will clup up from being stuffed and it wont migrate to those far cormers on its own, so I give it a vigorous shaking.

I tried the Montbell. I tried the Western Mountaineering.
Decided to go with the WM because it had a good fit and I have NEVER heard one negative comment about them. Even though I am 6'3" and 240 lbs, there was still enough room in the WM bag for some casual tossing and turning during the night. Anyways, I can't wait for it to get cold again so I can take this puppy out and let 'im run around. You know what I'm sayin? Plus I like the color too.

I've used this bag with the BPL Pro 90 parka and pants down to 12F without issue. Seems warm enough to me.