The L.L. Bean down filled bag is a great value and can be depended on to ensure a good nights sleep. The bag packs compactly and exhibits high loft when in use. Quality materials are used in the construction of this item. I recently used the bag on bear hunt in northren Maine. Sleeping temperatures were in the upper thirties and low fortys and the bag had lots of reserve warmth left over.
This is my third one of these bags. It is really a comfortable bag. But the zipper has been changed on this one (bought 2/09) and it sticks when I try to open it to get out. First, the zipper tab and ribbon always ends up on the inside so I have to fish around to get it to the outside. Then it takes two hands and patience to get the zipper to start moving. There's no way I can get out of this bag quickly. Once the zipper starts moving it's ok. But if a bear is trying to get into your tent, good luck! In my case, I use the bag indoors in the winter, so it's the telephone that's hard to get to when I'm stuck by this bad zipper.
BTW, with the older versions of this same bag I could be unzipped and out in half a second. There was a way to do it do you didn't snag the fabric...
LL Bean will refund my money, but I like this bag, it's so comfortable! What a dilemma.
At the last minute i decided to purchase a warmer bag for my up coming section hike. I was headed to Bland Virginia to start a 3 week North bound hike on the AT. Last year I froze in my TNF 30F bag and did not want a repeat this year. I considered going all out and buying a WM Bag for over $400. I went to the Freeport store and after comparing weights and warmth ratings I bought the 20F Reg. Mummy bag. It weighed more than I wanted but the price was right. My situation is different than most, I sleep with my bag unzipped covering me and my hound dog like a quilt. We sleep in a single wall tarp tent that allows plenty of ventilation -sometimes too much. The night temps ranged from the high 30's to 60's with gusting wind, rain and snow. We stayed warm and dry every night. At lunch time if we had sun i would hang the bag out in the sun to get rid of any condensation and prevent it from getting too "funky" -even damp the bag was plenty warm. In 2000 i sectioned hiked the entire AT in Maine using a synthetic 0F bag and was not as warm and cozy as I was on this trip. I carried my bag in a medium Event compression sack -? could have used a small. I look forward to using it in Rangeley this May and again this fall in the "100 mile wilderness". I plan to attach velcro along zipper line and fabricate a light weight expander to minimize drafts -you don't need insulation underneath. I used an insulated air core mummy pad and the hound used 4 sections of a closed cell mat.
Purchased for my husband. He reports it is very warm, has an excellent zipper that did not get caught in the fabric. Good fit for his 5 x10", 190# frame. Had enough room to turn over and no cold spots. The only drawback is that the spring cord lock on the stuff sack is tethered to the bag and gives little slack for use. This makes it difficult to open the stuff sack. There's a similiar arrangement on the the bag's shoulder drawstring that's hard to loosen when you're in the bag. Overall, good value for the money.
