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@@josephgeorgeejr7039 Brilliant! Thanks for that tip. I never would have come up with that on my own!

Thank you, I will try to include more personal experiences. It is difficult to regularly find sub zero temperatures in Colorado, but I do my best. Thanks for watching, take care, Matt

Thanks, will do.

You got it! Thanks for commenting! Cheers back to ya, Matt

Man that's wonderful! Thanks for sharing that with us! Cheers! Matt

Thanks for the comment on the thumbnails. I managed to learn some rudimentary skills and my views have had a bump as a result. Once again, thanks for the feedback!

And I can get there in just over an hour from my home.

@SvenVelopeter Ah, the MF, GWS conundrum. The GWS has a colder comfort rating than the MF simply because no air can escape through the outer shell. The MF bags seem to loft a little taller though. If you watch my Bristlecone vs. Lynx video, you can see how quickly the MF on the Bristlecone begins to wet out just being on top of the snow. I don't have much experience dealing with high humidity in cold conditions simply because out west here, it is so dry. I understand your concern about moisture inside the GWS. I haven't experienced it, but some folks do. If you are considering the MF, do know that it can't stand up to any precipitation for any length of time. It sounds like the likelihood of you subjecting yourself to those conditions are slim though. While I enjoy the security and weatherproofness of the GWS, 95 percent of the time I don't need it. At the end of the day, you still have a tough decision to make. I hope my thoughts here are helpful but, they may make it even more difficult for you. Let me know, if you could, what you ultimately go with. I would love to hear about it. Good luck! Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Thanks for this thoughtful and nuanced reply Matt. The thing that worries me about GWS is the prospect of it feeling like sleeping in a plastic bag. I want warmth but I dislike the feeling of a thick rain coat when it's humid and warm. Remember when the Bond girl in Goldfinger dies from suffocation by being covered in gold paint? I don't want to feel like that. You have also said you rarely sweat - which is a lot easier when you're in the dry alpine climate of the Rockies. I certainly do sweat during sleep so if air does not escape easily, then I worry my body moisture will get trapped inside. I won't be able to dry it in the sun on grey rainy days. If I cowboy camp, it will likely only be on dry nights and likely with a tarp to protect from tree debris above - as well as the odd unexpected rain squall. The lighter weight and packability of the Microfiber is a nice feature since Sequoia is already a heavy bag and in the 6'6" model. Similar to you, the vast majority of the time I use the Sequoia, I would expect to be inside a tent and my Nemo Kunai has exceptionally good ventilation for a 4-season tent since it features 4 zippered mesh panels. This should greatly limit the amount of condensation I experience even on cold rainy nights. So I think I could still try cowboy camping with the MF version outside of my tent but probably under a tarp on cold dry nights. But a tent would seem to be my typical use case so the MF. Ultimately, I think I will sleep better in the softer more breathable MF Fabric.

@@SvenVelopeter That make sense. The Bond girl reference painted a vivid picture of uncomfortable agony. MF sounds like the right material for your applications. When I got snowed on in my Bristlecone MF at -10F, only the perimeter where the bag met my pad, and around my face, did it wet out. The top of the bag remained mostly dry even having 3 or 4 inches of snow on it. So there's that, FWIW. I don't want to feel like I am sleeping in a trash bag either. That is a big reason why I'll never buy a WM VBL Hotsack.

That's great Sven! Sounds like the 3 bags will cover you through anything. I have a question, where are you finding Western Mountaineering's comfort ratings? You are not the only viewer who has quoted me WM comfort numbers. I would really appreciate knowing where this data comes from. Thanks, Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness I've replied twice to this question and it's not showing for some reason. Just google WM Frequently Asked Questions and scroll down to temp ratings and you'll see the comfort rating chart of WM.

I use an Exped Megamat or Megamat Max. I have reviews of these on my channel. I usually use a pair of down pillows from Goosefeet Gear. I have a review of those on my channel as well. I sometimes use my Western Mountaineering Cloud Rest Pillow, which is a slightly smaller down pillow. I will be making a review on it soon. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching, Matt

@azclaimjumper I could not imagine, in any scenario, Western Mountaineering refusing to overfill a bag because the outershell fabric has changed since its purchase. I mean if I owned an older WM bag with the Gore Dri-Loft fabric, I would fully expect them to add overfill to it if I requested it. Our GWS bags will always be awesome, regardless of how this new fabric performs. What I don't see them likely to do is re-shelling one's GWS bag with the new fabric. I think you would have to purchase a new bag to get that new outershell material. But, think about it. How much better can the new fabric be? A little lighter, a little more compressable, and a little more breathable? Hardly reasons for me to want to sell my GWS bags to get the "latest greatest" that is soon to come out. There will always be a "latest greatest". But the GWS fabric has never leaked down in any of our 7 OVERFILLED Gore Windstopper bags. An occasional pin feather has come through the inner fabric but never the outershell that I can ever remember. I have had a few pin feathers leak through our OVERFILLED extremelite and microlite XP bag outershells but not with the GWS. With all due respect, my friend, you might be overthinking this news a bit. I'm sure that WM would be happy to overfill your Antelope GWS today, tomorrow or ten years from now. I will leave all my GWS videos up until I get an opportunity to replace them with reviews of the new material bags as WM makes them available to me. There may be GWS owners out there who feel they must have the latest outershell. They may temporarily flood eBay and Craigslist with some much needed used WM bag selections. It will be interesting to see what happens. One thing that I am pretty sure of is that I won't be suffering "Outershell Envy". At least not that I would admit to.

@@mattsmountainmadness I WANTED GWS outer because of its 15,000 hydrostatic head pressure - something I doubt will be part of any new outer fabric. If I spill coffee on the GWS outer intentionally or accidentally, I'm certain it won't be absorbed by Down or the GWS outer fabric. I called & talked with WM customer support & they assured me they will overfill my GWS outer fabric on my Antelope. I will be packaging my bag & mailing it in the next day or two. They told me the turnaround period would be a maximum of 2 weeks, which is outstanding. Keep up the excellent product info on WM sleeping bags, your channel is 2nd to none on Western Mountaineering Sleeping bags. Keep, nurture, & maintain your personal relationship with WM

@@azclaimjumper I definitely will strive to grow that working relationship with Western Mountaineering. You brought up a real good point regarding the stain and moisture repelling qualities of the GWS fabric. I think I shared with you a while back that I once splashed my Cypress with a combination of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon and butter. I wiped it off a couple of times with a damp pellet cloth. You literally cannot see where it was. I am glad that you got confirmation from WM about the overfill. I only purchased my Cypress through Hermit's Hut with the overfill added at time of construction. My son has purchased 3 of his through Hermit's Hut as well. The other five bags of mine I sent back for overfill. They all had turnaround times consistent with what they told you. I think they all came back within 2 weeks. If you think of it, maybe weigh it first, so that you can determine how much down they actually added. I didn't do that to a couple of my bags and in hindsight, I wish I had weighed them prior to shipping. Just something to consider. Thank you for the accolades. WM is sending me out an Alpinelite next week. I will review, pack and field test that bag. They will try to send out a Versalite after that. So, pretty cool. Looking forward to that. I am excited for you pulling the trigger on the overfill. If you don't mind, I would love to hear what think of the results, once you get it back. Cheers, Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Weighing my Antelope B4 sending it for the refill has been my plan from the get-go. I definitely want to know how much weight is added with the Down refill. Will must assuredly inform you of details once I get it back with the added Down. Really good news to hear WM is sending you 2 of their Sleeping bags with their new outer fabric. EVERYONE will be watching those videos.

@azclaimjumper The Alpinelite and Versalite both come from the extremelite series. That outershell material remains the same. I hope to receive bags in the future made with the GWS replacement though. I'm just happy for now that they are sending me bags that I can review that I don't otherwise own or have access to. Good luck on the overfill, Matt

@azclaimjumper Yes. WM told me. I don't know yet what they are replacing it with, but it will be next year.

@@mattsmountainmadness Hermit's Hut is where I'd first go to shop in hopes they can still get WM sleeping bags with GWS outer. They sell their bags with FREE overfill.

@@mattsmountainmadness WM website is showing Infitium as the outer fabric as of now/THIS year.

@azclaimjumper Infinium is Gore's product category that the Windstopper 830 fabric is featured in. WM told me that GWS and Infinium are one in the same as it applies to their manufacturing. They didn't change the fabric at all, just the tags and labels. This new fabric that will be coming out next year, I know nothing about. It will be interesting to see. WM told me they might need some help testing it out, for which I am happy to assist!

@@mattsmountainmadness If you have an Antelope with GWS outer & want to sell it, Let's make a deal.

Sitting, sorry! At 70 degrees F. ;-)

@@stephanmariamoser2313 Hey Stephan, thanks for watching and commenting on the video! Take care, Matt

It is an interesting query. I mean, here it is, late October, and I am still using my warmest weather WM bag. Might have to throttle back the big beast bag lineup a bit!

I would prefer it doesn't all just hit at once and rob us of an actual Autumn.

@camouflage962 I was headed out this weekend, but the forecast took a turn to the warmer direction. Last trip out was in the 30's for low, I'm shooting for lows in the mid to lower 20's next. Probably another week or 2. I'm chomping at the bit though!

@@PrepperTankar Just perfect! As always, thanks for watching!

@curtl1694 You are going to love that Kodiak! As far as sleep pads go, I use an Exped Megamat. It is a bit heavy, but Exped makes other pads that are lighter and more compressable. I have video reviews of both the Megamat and Megamat Max. I've been very pleased with the brand. Hopefully that will get you headed in the right direction. Enjoy your new bag! Matt

Right on man, right on! I'm sure you can't wait to try it out. Let me know how that goes if you think of it! Take care, Matt

Exactly! I am going to try to do a field test with the Sycamore this weekend. It should get down near 25F. So stay tuned for that one. I will try to remember to show the continuous baffle and zipper design. I will likely be shifting most of the down to the top, while wearing a light polyester base layer. I would think that shifting the down to the bottom, while opening up the footbox would be the ticket at 50F! Take care man. Matt

@@mattsmountainmadnesshella excited for this one. Thanks!

Interesting, let me know how that works for you! Matt

Thanks for sharing and explaining your system. I am glad the pack size of the Bristlecone worked for your Arc Haul. As you said, it is a beast! I hope you continue to enjoy your bags as you refine your outdoor sleep system. It is my pleasure to make these videos, and I thank you for your viewership! Matt

@@Humbertodown It is a nice one, that's for sure!

Ya, so, I haven't seen this color available in years as it is discontinued. I have, however, seen fine examples on Ebay from time to time. It is called "Dark Loden". It's a pretty awesome color in my opinion. There are other nice colors as well. One of my viewers recently picked up a "Rust" model, that is pretty sharp. Thanks for watching and commenting on my video. If you do end up picking one of these up, and trying it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this serious, cold weather parka! Take care, Matt

@rlb209 That it does, but I'll take it! The alternative is a slog! Thanks so much for watching, take care, Matt

Man that's great! I am happy for you! Let me know what you think of it when you get it if you could. I would love to hear your impression on it. Take care, Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Thanks! Your reviews of Lynx and Puma helped me to make the last decision. Lynx would've been sufficient for my needs otherwise, but I'm a side sleeper also so the two baffles around zipper are needed. Also some extra down fill won't hurt during longer trips. I've had other, lower quality winter sleeping bags before, but wanted to upgrade to something I can fit in my backpack and still sleep well in those coldest nights.

@Inarilla Ya, as a side sleeper myself, I just couldn't get used to the Lynx. The Puma is way more comfortable. Good luck and let me know what you think of it if you get the chance. Thanks for watching, glad I could help. Matt

Oh that's awesome! You're in the right state for that bag! Glad I could help. Matt

@SurvivalSavvvy Thanks man! I tried to give 'er hell!

WM says that overfill to any bag model is measured at 10 percent of standard fill amount. They say that it adds an additional 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit of protection. I've seen Hermit's Hut advertising 8 to 10 degrees, I think WM is more conservatively accurate. But my Cypress and Bristlecone have so much more extra down than my other bags, it makes me wonder how much below the stated ratings that they will keep me warm and comfortable. I'm old school and compare bags by thickness. My North Face Ibex was good to -15F and it was 8 1/2" thick. Both of these bags are WAY thicker than that. At -15F the Bristlecone was a furnace. Matt

While I do not own any FF bags, I am aware of their reputation, and they are generally considered to be of comparable quality to WM. I have no reason to believe that they are anything less than an awesome quality sleeping bag. That's pretty much all I can say on that. Thanks for watching! Matt

Thanks for catching up on my vids, great to hear from you!

The amount you get in overfill, is 10% of standard fill weight. You do not have the option of choosing how much. I have just found that on some of the models we own, it seems like they went way overboard. I mean if someone tells them they need overfill in a Cypress, they probably take it serious, and load up on the plummage. Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Ok good to know 👍

This is a 6' 6" model.

Njce bro​@@mattsmountainmadness

That is so crazy James, I am quite literally slogging through editing the video you are requesting as we speak. I filmed it this morning and should be posting it sometime tomorrow. I made this one extra detailed with more personal accounts in it. I really hope you will find it to be as helpful as some of the others you have watched. Let me know what you think of it if you could. Thanks again for watching, and I am so happy that you have found my work of value. Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Awesome! Thank you Matt! :)

@@jamesbrittain9564 My pleasure....really. Should be up later this afternoon. It will be a bit more lengthy than others in this series.

Oh Jason, that's great! I am so glad that my efforts were helpful to you! No shame in needing a little more room in your sleeping bag. If you are interested in purchasing an overfilled model, as a reminder, you can get the overfill for free by ordering it straight from Hermit's Hut. When you do get your bag, I would love to hear what you think about it. Thanks for watching, Take care, Matt

@@mtbjonny9502 You said it.

Hey

Great price! I've really liked mine. They are a serious looking parka for sure! Thanks for watching and thanks for sharing your new purchase!

Every time I set mine up I think one of those black plastic pole clips is going to break but they never do.

@@mattsmountainmadness never will, I think one of the best " bad weather " tents ever constructed.

@@tomlorenzen4062 I concur. Hey thanks for watching and commenting! Take care, Matt

You got it.

@LadyWarbucks Embarrassing, but it had to be in there! Thanks for watching!

It had us laughing too, that's why I included it in the video. Thanks for watching!

Ya, I didn't know what it would turn out like, but it was fun, viewers seem to enjoy it and I can't wait to do another one! Thanks for watching and commenting! Take care, Matt

Yes, I've often thought of that, but have yet to employ it in the field. I have, however, just drawn the cord around my neck, like I would in my Mitylite, and just let the hood "exist" under my neck. I don't find it uncomfortable at all, and it serves the purpose. Still though, I should have purchased the Alder. Same bag as the Sycamore only no hood.By the way, the Sycamore will be the next field test I do here in a week or two, so stay tuned! Matt

@@Skytrainguy Yes. I really enjoy spending time with my sons.

Good​@@mattsmountainmadness

If I was smart, I would buy it's replacement now while it is still available!

@mattsmountainmadness you know that's a great idea put it with all my preps

@@stephanmariamoser2313 Makes for priceless memories. Thank you so much for sharing! Take care, Matt

@@mattsmountainmadness Welcome! The most important item has been a big tarp. Hilleberg Tarp 20 XP. ;-) If you have an email-acount, I could send you a video.

@stephanmariamoser2313 I'd like that @mattsmountainmadness@gmail.com

@@mattsmountainmadness I forgot to mention the Exped Magamat for my wife! The most, most, most important item indeed! ;-)

@@stephanmariamoser2313 Absolutely!

@@TunngaviksChannel More on the way for sure. Thanks for watching.