OWNER REVIEW
Review Date: February 24, 2004
Reviewer Information
Name: Edward Ripley-Duggan
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Height : 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Weight: 215 lb (98 kg)
E-mail: erd@wilsey.net
Loaction: Catskills, New York State
Reviewer Background
I hike regularly year-round in the Catskills, with occasional excursions to the Adirondacks and elsewhere. A hiker since my teens, I was born and grew up in rural Hertfordshire in England, moving to the US at age 19. Given the harsh winters of the region where I make my home (and the need to keep active or perish of boredom) I make frequent ascents of local peaks on snowshoes and crampons, with an occasional foray on cross-country skis. Nothing could be further removed from the landscape of my childhood.
I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. I through-hiked the Northville-Placid trail over ten days in 2003. Though by no means an extreme ultralight enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a packweight of 12 lb (5.5 kg), more or less, and about 18 lb (8 kg) in winter. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of "lighter is better," within the constraints of budget and common sense.
Product Information
Year of manufacture: 2002
Manufacturer website: www.westernmountaineering.com
Listed weight: 2 lb 15 oz (1.35 kg)
Actual weight: 3 lb (1.36 kg)
Bag length, long: 6' 6" (2 m)
Stated loft: 7" (2.1 cm)
Measured loft: 8" (2.4 cm)
Shell: MicroFiber (also available from manufacturer in nylon taffeta and Dryloft versions)
Zip: Three-quarter length, two-way
Manufacturer rating: 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C)
MSRP: $415
Product description
The Western Mountaineering Antelope is a sleeping bag with a mummy design, but (at least in the long size I own) comfortably roomy. I don't feel constricted or pinioned, even when wearing a jacket, and I am not an especially slender person. The foot box is more than wide enough for comfort. There is a large, snug draft collar. The draft-tube is massive, and there is a stiffening tape along the zip. I note from Western Mountaineering's site that this is a "two-way #5 YKK coil zipper," which moves well from both inside and outside the bag. This is the only bag I own where I have never snagged the zip. All of the seams etc. are very well sewn: there is no bunching of fabric, irregular lines of stitching or loose thread.
I have a bag with a left zipper, without which exiting my tent would be a gymnastic feat (the tent door is on that side). The bag has continuous baffles, which allow for the redistribution of down if required, which (as down compressed beneath the body is a poor insulator) potentially enables one to control the warmth of the bag, though I'm generally reluctant to fiddle with this. Pleasant to say, the down does not (as in some bags I own with the same construction) redistribute itself, leading to cold spots. The hood, which uses WM's "reverse differential" method (the fabric inside is larger than that outside, which seems vaguely counter-intuitive) works exceptionally well, keeping my head warm without sliding over my face when I turn, which can cause a serious problem with condensation in the bag.
The down in the current Western Mountaineering bags is 850 plus fill. I believe that the down in mine is 750 or 800 fill, but I removed the ticket and can't confirm this. There is no tendency for feathers to emerge through the shell—I have yet to see a single one poke out. A large sack for storing the bag lofted is provided by Western Mountaineering, as well as a conventional stuff-sack. I usually carry all my down garments, including my sleeping bag, in ultralight waterproof stuff-sacks designed for kayaking.
Location of testing: Catskill Mountains, New York State
Environment: Rough, mountainous, ledgy terrain to 4000 feet (1219 m). Trail ice and glare ice are frequently encountered in winter
Review:
When I purchased this bag, I had long wanted to do winter camping in my region, where nighttime winter temperatures can fall to 20 degrees F (-29 C) and colder on occasion, although I presently have no especial desire to explore the lower end of that range. With the Antelope, I was looking for a bag that would handle somewhere around 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C), but which would also provide (within shelter) an adequate safety margin for unexpectedly cold nights. I'm not a "warm" sleeper, who is capable of enduring the hardship of chilly bag temperatures: I'm about average, at a guess.
I am planning to use the bag as part of a lightweight winter sleeping system for eventual use at lower temperatures than the bag's rating. I usually wear midweight Capilene long underwear (top and bottom) in the bag in any case, and I carry a Mont-Bell Ultralight Down Inner Jacket for use both in camp and as part of my sleep gear on colder nights (I carry this year round for backpacking, indeed sometimes for day hikes). Thus the bag had to be sufficiently roomy to house both me and a layer or two without constriction, which inhibits the insulating ability of down. I own several lightweight odds and ends (a Moonstone down-filled top liner, a recently-acquired Stephenson vapor barrier shirt), which should extend the useful lower limit of the bag dramatically, but I have not yet had occasion to use these—the bag alone has proved sufficient.
My shelter is a Sierra Designs Divine Lightning tent, sadly no longer made but among the lightest true four-season tents ever manufactured (tiny but effective). I use a three-quarters length standard Therm-a-Rest pad (my empty pack goes under my legs), on top of a reflective layer. This latter is a special lightweight blanket designed for emergency services, which I can wrap around me as well if desired (so far, this hasn't been necessary). I usually use a Tyvek or plastic groundsheet under the tent. This accurately describes the tent environment in which I use the bag—your set-up may vary!
I have slept in the bag down to the rated temperature of 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C) and have felt warm—in fact, almost too cozy. I have yet to sleep in the bag over the freezing mark, but even at freezing it is almost uncomfortably warm and needs careful venting at the foot of the two-way zip (and is, in any case, certainly overkill in terms of weight). On truly cold nights, I usually shove a Nalgene bottle full of hot water (in a bag to guard against leaks) down to the foot of the bag, to provide unfrozen water for morning use (bagged-up boots and some food go down there too). The hot water undoubtedly helps bring the bag to temperature quickly and makes for a comfortable start to the night. Based on my experience with the Antelope (and taking into account that W.M.'s ratings are generally thought very conservative), I see no reason to doubt that I could use the bag to 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C) or a bit less without discomfort and without using any extra liners or clothing.
Oddly enough, this is not, by Western Mountaineering's standards, a winter bag (!), so in the unlikely event that I explore Denali, Antarctica (or even Mt. Washington in the depths of winter), I would be well advised to bring a "serious" sleeping bag along; which (if the occasion arises) I will probably rent, not buy. My judgment was that the eventuality of such trips was remote, and I needed a bag rated for my foreseeable needs.
Summary
The Western Mountaineering Antelope is an extremely well designed sleeping bag, perfect for cold weather backpacking in conditions not truly extreme. It is comfortably sized and (for me) the rated temperature appears to be accurate, and indeed to allow a comfortable margin for error. The quality of materials and construction appear to be first rate, and the manufacture is impeccable. Resistance to external moisture appears extremely good. The weight of the Antelope is quite light for a bag for winter use, and this was also a major factor in my decision to purchase, as was the reputation of the manufacturer (the fact that I was able to buy at a considerable discount from the MSRP did have some bearing on the matter, but was not the determining factor).
To date, my choice has proven a happy one: this sleeping bag is remarkably comfortable at least down to the manufacturer's rated temperature. I have not yet had occasion to determine the coldest temperature at which I can sleep without resorting to extra layers (an experiment which I am too comfort-loving to undertake with any degree of serious enthusiasm). This piece of equipment will serve me well for many years to come.
