Originally Posted By: quickjoeysmall
I've wondered how to always have a sleeping bag with me, given the problem that:
down bags lose 64% of their insulation if kept compressed for 6 months.
synthetic bags are bulky.

I've got (I think) a partial solution. Halve the bulk and weight of a synthetic bag by only only using it as a top. Like some manufacturers do, e.g 'Big Agnes'.

If I get a sleeve for a mat sewn onto the bottom of a sythetic bag (Wiggys come to mind since they are guaranteed to never lose their loft and even the people who find Jerry Wiggy an obnoxious jerk admit he keeps that promise). Wouldn't that mean I could use a bag a lot lighter than the one recomended for the temmperatures I'm sleeping in?).
With the right material I'll also add a waterproof base to the bag :-).

Questions:
This seems too simple. Am I missing something?
Does any other manufacturer guarantee their bags never lose their loft?
QJS


I don't think you're missing anything. I believe that some Ultralight thru hikers use a down quilt type of sleeping arangement to save on weight. Something similar to this.

http://www.nunatakusa.com

As for the loft, I haven't heard of any manufacturer that guarantees their insulation never to lose loft. I've never tried a Wiggys, but if they do perform as well as they claim, it seems like a great idea. I am a little skeptical though since none of the other manufacturers have been able make such a claim. I kinda compare it to those hydrogen generators for cars or miracle fuel saving devices, if it really did perform as good as it claims, you have to wonder why the other companies aren't jumping on it.