I have the ability to get a MH Phantom 32 bag for $200/shipped. Has anyone (in the last year) seen this bag for a better deal?

I am/was saving up for a WM Summerlite, which I know is better - but not sure it's$150 better for me. I already own a Marmot Helium 15 and am looking for a lighter 2-season bag for the warmer weather.

Am I likely to get a better deal out there on this bag, or is there a better deal on a true (EN Rated) 32 degree bag of better quality?

That's a pretty good deal.
I'm rocking this, and it's a pretty solid deal too. http://www.backcountry.com/stoic-somnus-30-sleeping-bag-30-degree-down

I'm still not totally sold on the center zip, but time will tell.

the summerlite is en-rated to ~35F .. the phantom 32 to 28F .... im not quite sure how the summerlite is "better" for warmth ...

Hi eric, it's good to know that WM bags are now being en-rated. Can you point me to a chart? Thanks.

if you do a search on the european sites youll find the ratings ... for example ...

http://www.sackundpack.de/product_info.php?products_id=2922

the WM bags have been en-rated for years in the EU ... they choose not to publish the ratings for the US market for some reason ...

Thanks for the link, Eric!

On a seperate, competely unrelated note...

Having lived in Germany for half of my adult life (~6 yrs), I find this quote from the webpage (previously in German) to be hilarious:

Note: Western Mountaineering is a small company in the United States. Which has a very different attitude towards 'now' as compared to the old-fashioned European.

My experiences in Europe, with a completely open-mind on the matter, has found the exact opposite to be true --- hell, it takes on average 14 business day just to get your internet switched on when you move flats!

Back to the topic at hand.

deal? dont know, define better deal.

Past reviews here have said the fabric really wasnt very water repellent on the MH phantom 32. That could change yr to yr easily. Others said the bag was more like a 40, but you will find some that say that about the summerlite too.

What we do know is that montbell and WM are very very water repellent, you can pour water on them and it just runs off. That is worth a lot when condensation issues occur. They are also both several ounces lighter. So there is possibly some value to the extra $ spent.



The stoic somnus 30 can be had for about $188 right now. (209 - 10% Mr. rebates )
That is also a decent price deal for a 30 degree down bag too.

If your willing to try a quilt, check out Enlightened Equipment. I don't have any experience with them, but they receiving alot of praise.

DWR wont help with condensation from yr body ... at best it helps with drips and dew ..

the lighter bag can simply mean it is somewhat less warm ... as proven by the en ratings ... no one knows what the montbell is rated, but most experiences from other BPLers indicates that it is less warm than the 35F rated summerlite .... which in turn is less warm than the phantom 32

at the end of the day a bag needs to insulate ...

the only consistent way we have of comparing the insulative capacity is en-ratings ...

Campsaver has quite a few Rabs on sale in their outlet. Additional 20% off of their outlet prices right now, as well.

I was referring mostly to rubbing against wet tent inner walls for condensation.
But dew , etc if sleeping under stars is issue too.

I dont know if EN ratings necessarily tell the whole story with continuous baffle bags. Shifting down to the top increases the puffiness and loft there and becomes warmer on very cold nights with my megalite, than with it more evenly distributed.