Big Agnes sleeping bag and air pad

[motomac]

I spent several hours on the concrete garage floor in my new sleeping bag and air mattress by Big Agnes last night.

It only got to 32 degrees, but I was very comfortable in the bag. The air pad fits into a special pocket on the underside of the sleeping bag and the fitting for blowing up the mattress fits through a special cutout in the pocket.

The bag also has a little pocket at the head of the bag to put your pillow in. This all makes for a sleeping arrangement that keeps the bag, the pillow, and the mattress from getting all tangled up. You simply cannot roll off the mattress. The pillow doesn't wander off when you roll around in the bag.

This Elk Park model is huge!!! I can't stretch out and reach my feet to the end of the bag. It is big enough around the shoulders to roll over very easily and not pull on the sides of the bag. It took a while to get the mattress warm, but I think that was due to being on the concrete floor.

The Big Agnes comes with its own stuff sack and the pad comes with its own stuff sack. Both the pad and the bag can be stuffed into the sleeping bag sack, so it is not necessary to pull the pad out of the pocket in the bag to put it away. I will post pictures later.
The 1st picture is the bag and pad stuffed into the stuff sack. The second shows the little pillow holder. The 3rd shows The valve on the air pad. The 4th is the pillow I've had forever before putting in the pocket. The 5th shows the pillow in the pocket.

[dannyk]

Mac, glad to see you survived the night and the new gear did its job, but you were a little slow on the morning coffee so it must have been a good night. :tent8:

[Tx White Knight]

Nice writeup, I hope my Wiskey Park does as well :)

have you rolled it up and put it in its bag yet with the mattress still in it?

Did you get their air core pillow too?

:tent7:

[motomac]

I have it rolled up with the pad in the bag and it fits in the stuuf bag. I did not vacuum it out before I stuffed, so I think it will be quite a bit smaller when I hook the air pump to it. I didn't get the air pillow. I have a little camp pillow that I've had for years and don't know where I got it, but is a perfect fit in the pocket. I cannot get that in the stuff bag however.

[motomac]

Mac, glad to see you survived the night and the new gear did its job, but you were a little slow on the morning coffee so it must have been a good night. :tent8:

You know, I went through all the new posts and there was no coffee thread. So then I went to the forums to post the coffee thread and bam, he beat me to it by seconds!!! It was very close to being a double coffee thread today!!!

[Mark]

Yeah... I was worried about you both... :)

[Blues Traveler]

Mac, It really is a GREAT setup.

Always makes for a long long night and day break seems to take forever to get there when your cold or just not warm enough. Big Agnes, she makes sure that won't happen again.:D

[motomac]

Mac, It really is a GREAT setup.

Always makes for a long long night and day break seems to take forever to get there when your cold or just not warm enough. Big Agnes, she makes sure that won't happen again.:D
I just noticed that when I was putting it in my Helen 2 Wheels bag that it is a long!!! I certainly am not that tall at 6', but I guess I have plenty of room to put my clothes at the bottom of the bag and keep them warm for when I dress in the morning!!!

[Mark]

I don't think you'll mind the 'long in the long run...
I bought a 'long' Cat's Meow because I hate waking up with my toes cold from crowding against the bottom of the bag.

Putting cloths down there would work too... :)

Mark

[Alan]

I have used a Big Agnes insulated air mattress for the last two years while camping and it is a great product. Beats the Thermarest hands down for comfort. Coldest I camped in was 29F at Siverton, CO and I didn't get any cold from the ground.

[Tx White Knight]

I have used a Big Agnes insulated air mattress for the last two years while camping and it is a great product. Beats the Thermarest hands down for comfort. Coldest I camped in was 29F at Siverton, CO and I didn't get any cold from the ground.

Thanks Alan, several of you like those words ;)

[ChipSTer]

Can't go wrong sleeping with Big Agnes... :D
:cool:

[BJFazio]

I just noticed that when I was putting it in my Helen 2 Wheels bag that it is a long!!! I certainly am not that tall at 6', but I guess I have plenty of room to put my clothes at the bottom of the bag and keep them warm for when I dress in the morning!!!

I've had backpackers tell me that if you put wet clothes in your sleeping bag, the next morning they will be warm & dry. Maybe you have your own personal clothes dryer.

[Trailace]

I might have to look at one of these but I have a question.

How does it handle the wet? Because sometimes if it raining or humid the bottom of my tent will sweat/damp. With the air mattress made of rubber it no big deal

[motomac]

That is a factor yet to be dealt with. I would imagine since the pocket that the air pad goes into is the same material as the sleeping bag, it would dry quickly once out of the wet. Or a stop at the laundramat would have to be made before I set up the next night.

[Roadhound]

You are going to enjoy that Bag and Mattress. I've been using a Big Agnes Lost Ranger bag and REM Insulated mattress for a couple of years now. It is a great sleeping system. As you say everything is always where it is supposed to be. Enjoy!!

[Blues Traveler]

Over on the ADVrider forum here is how they refer to the Big Agnes setup when its extremely cold.

"All I need to keep me warm is a fat chick named Agnes." :D

[Millsaps2]

Has anyone tried placing a Thermarest pad inside a sleeping bag to simulate to some extent the Big Agnes setup? Maybe a Thermarest in a rectangular bag? I always have trouble with the narrow Thermarest pads with my arms on the ground and had to go to the 30" width size. Going to Ormond Beach and on to Key West the 1st week in February for camping.

[Blues Traveler]

The Big Agnes bag has no insulation on the bottom side of the bag, just the pocket. I've tried the Thermarest and to me its like sleeping on the ground. With the 25" wide Insulated aircore mattress made for the Park Series bag I don't touch the ground even when sleeping on my side or sitting up. To me its more than just the mattress staying with the bottom of the bag as that is a big plus. I like the fact that the air mattress being isulated is as warm and more comfortable than the Thermarest.

[Mellow]

So, how small does the BA bag pack? I really like how small my down bag packs but I'm always open to new choices. Also, how small does the pad pack as wel"?

[motomac]

So, how small does the BA bag pack? I really like how small my down bag packs but I'm always open to new choices. Also, how small does the pad pack as wel"?
The pad came in a little bag about 3X8", but I leave the pad in the sleeping bag and roll them up together and stuff them into the stuff sack for the sleeping bag and it is about 10X18".

[Mellow]

The pad came in a little bag about 3X8", but I leave the pad in the sleeping bag and roll them up together and stuff them into the stuff sack for the sleeping bag and it is about 10X18".

Thanks Mac.. that's not big at all considering it's the pad too.

[Blues Traveler]

Joe, Big Agnes does make down bags that have the same simi-rectangle shape as the big park series bag. There Classic Series: http://www.bigagnes.com/str_bag_series.php?cid=1 With these you can get the comfort and small packing of a down bag. Even more so with the small packing of the insulated aircore mattress.

They even come in a short or long.

Not all the bags in the Classic series are down. You need to view each one and read the specs. In the specs they also show The compressed packed size.

Exsample: Mystic SL 15? has a compressed pack size of 8" X 6" .

[Mellow]

Joe, Big Agnes does make down bags that have the same simi-rectangle shape as the big park series bag. There Classic Series: http://www.bigagnes.com/str_bag_series.php?cid=1 With these you can get the comfort and small packing of a down bag. Even more so with the small packing of the insulated aircore mattress.

They even come in a short or long.

Not all the bags in the Classic series are down. You need to view each one and read the specs. In the specs they also show The compressed packed size.

Exsample: Mystic SL 15? has a compressed pack size of 8" X 6" .

Thanks Keith... 8x6.... I Like that..

[michaeln]

I have the BA Summit Park, which is the size & shape of the other Park series bags, but it's down filled. Rated for 15 degrees, it packs down real small and is super comfy.

[Blues Traveler]

I have the BA Summit Park, which is the size & shape of the other Park series bags, but it's down filled. Rated for 15 degrees, it packs down real small and is super comfy.

I did not know BA made a Park Series Bag with a down fill. Guess I assumed the Park Series were all a synthetic fill.

As with the Classic series bags I was showing Joe. The Battle Mountain, a -15? bag is the only BA bag that has insulation on the bottom of the bag between you and the mattress.

[pearlblue1800]

I purchased a Big Agnes Dual Core Long/Wide air mattress, along with the Big Agnes bag inflator. After reading various critiques on this product.
"www.Backcountry.com"
My first opportunity to use the air mattress was two weeks ago, when the outside temperature hovered around +10c.
I must admit that I was hesitant about spending so much for a sleeping pad.
However my comfort was at stake and because I would rather be too warm I choose to get the insulated Dual Core model.
This sleeping pad is everything that it claims to be. That this pad provided the additional insualtion and made what could have been 'cold experience' a totally comfortable one.
It wraps to a small 9"x 15" roll, and weighs about 2 lbs.
I highly recommend this product.

[kayakinbiker]

I've had backpackers tell me that if you put wet clothes in your sleeping bag, the next morning they will be warm & dry. Maybe you have your own personal clothes dryer.

I am buying a new sleeping bag for my trip out west.. I was just gonna buy a liner then I did some research and found out that I would still be cold in the mountains in June so I am getting a new bag..also will be stuffing it in my H2W bag..hope a synthetic bag still fits...I also found taht down retains water too easily so i am opting for synthetic, hoping I can still stuff it in the bag....

Nothing worse than starting a day of riding being cold from a toss and turn sleepless night...will write a review of the bag I am buying..

[badger]

I have a Big Agnes synthetic bag ... the encampment ... and the insulated pad. It is a very comfortable system for me as I tend to toss around a bit when I sleep. My bag did not come with a compression sack though (the norm for Big Agnes I think).

If you are thinking of BA bags ... you might want to check their website for closeouts and such: http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Special

[quadancer]

I got the Hog Park for the same reasons as Mac - I'm wide in the shoulders and need footroom too. Only I use a 25x2" self-inflating pad in the pocket and love it. Those closeouts rock. Mine is the synthetic, and it is a real woolybejaggasmacker to get it into the stuff sack. Pad has to go in it's own bag.