Well, I'm ready to spring for my first really nice down bag in 30 years. I hang mostly in the Pacific NW, usually in the Cascades at or above timberline. I tend to be a summer fair weather hiker, but I want to extend into spring and fall. Not looking for a bag that will keep me warm in winter by itself. In the future, I'm thinking of a longish Sierra ramble and would like a bag that will be my main sleeping gear for my 2010 PCT thru-hike, should the stars align just right to allow it to happen.

I am 5'8" tall, average to heavy build and a side sleeper. I tend to turn over, but I don't flail. I use a tarp or Hennesy Hammock for shelter.

I am leaning toward the Arc Alpinist, but will listen to reason. I am considering the Epic fabric option. Though slightly heavier, I think it makes sense for Pacific NW weather. Should I be looking at some overfill? If so, how much? Any other modifications I should request?

Thanks for any an all comments and suggestions.

I recently purchased an Arc Ghost and I love it. After reading reviews and talking to the owner of Nunatak, it seems that 2 oz of over fill, on a Alpinist, would be just right. Also for me, being almost 6 feet tall, adding a third strap on a size large Ghost seems to keep the bag fitting well around my torso. For a side sleeper like your self, an Alpinist sounds like a perfect choice since a Ghost is narrower and may not drape enough to cover your front and back to keep out drafts.

Something to keep in mind when ordering what size you want. My Ghost is made for someone who is between 5'10" and 6'4". That makes it almost 5" too long for me. This is not a disadvantage, on cold nights while wearing a beenie I can tuck the lower half of my face into the sleeping bag to stay warm. It also gives me the ability to layer up on chilly outings. This gives me the ability to take a lighter sleeping bag and use the insulating garments that I already bring to boost the temperture rating of my sleeping bag.

I will be purchasing an Arc Alpinist from Nunatak in the future. When I do it will be a size large with the third strap added to it, also with 2 oz of over fill.

P.S. Nunatak can add over fill to the entire bag or just where you want it. Meaning that if your feet are always cold the extra down can be placed in the foot box only.

I have an Arc X that I like a lot for temps down to the upper 20's. I am a side sleeper and it is just wide enough for me at 55". The Ghost would be way too narrow to keep drafts out. 2-3 ounces of overfill would be about right. Talk to Tom at Nunatak, he is more than willing to discuss your requirements.
I am 5'10 1/2" and I ended up with a long quilt. The extra space is a bit of a waste in a summer bag, it would make more sense in a cold weather mummy.
Tom

Edited by tbtravis on 11/22/2006 11:25:44 MST.

I have a down jacket with an Epic shell(Feathered Friends Hyperion), which seems to loose a lot more down through the Epic than any other down gear with regular shell material that I own. I don't know if anyone else has this problem with Epic or not.

Thanks for your comments, everyone. Keep 'em coming. I am interested in comments on the Epic fabric. My current bag looses down when one of my duct tape patches falls off. I'm hoping Epic will be better than that.

I wouldn't call the down loss though the Epic excessive by any means, just more than I expected.

I have the .85 fabric on my Ghost and have lost a few feathers. It's not because the feathers go through the fabric, but through the hole left from the sewing thread going into the fabric. I have also lost 1 or 2 feathers coming out of a seam. Is this the same problem with Epic, or does the feathers actually go through the fabric itself?

Down seldom goes thru these lighter materials....It is the minute feathers which have small quills which go thru because the quills poke thru... some times they will bring a down cluster along (like kleenex coming from a box)...Higher the fill power the lower the percent of these minute feathers...hence less of an issue.

Pan

Yes, that is exactly what happens to mine,the qwills poke through and then bring more down out with them. I have found that if I hold the fabric near the protruding quills, you can usually pull the feathers back into the jacket before they come out all the way. It's just kind of a pain to always pull the feathers back in.

I haven't tried this but, if you clipped off the end of the quill before you pulled it back in you might reduce the chance of it poking though again.

Eric, good idea I will give it a try.