I need the worry of a proper bag taken off my mind.  So, I need a large, lighweight, probably 20 degree bag.  Camping at 3500' I believe.  I think I have the pad figured out but the right bag is vexing me.  What pad and bag has done you right?  Help appreciated!

Check out Wiggys,an Alaskan favorite

I use a 20° down quilt from Enlightened equipment.  I used it for a bike packing trip across the Denali highway earlier this year.  Wiggies is a solid choice for sure mountain hardware lamina and Big Agnes bags are also good choices.  We are having an early fall might want to bump the temp down on the bag maybe 10 or 0.

Early fall.... grrrr.  I get a good discount on big Agnes gear and was hoping to get their 30 degree Gunn creek bag.  With a good pad with some r value and enough room to slip in a lightweight woobie from snug pack.... I'm hoping to make it.

Big agnes bags a good brand then?

Yes BA is a good brand but if it were me i would get this. http://www.wiggys.com/specials/sale-ultra-light-coyote-brown-mummy-style-sleeping-bag/

Bought this 3 years ago for a Denali why hunt in AUG/Sep. wouldn't go with anything rated less. With layers I was just warm enough each night.

marmot 0F

2nd on the Wiggy's. I have had one for nearly 20 years and love it. I used it in the military and now for hunting and boy scout trips.

September is a real time of change in Alaska especially where your headed. I lived and hunted Alaska for years and if you don't mind a recommendation, do not use a ground pad, instead bring a small collapsable cot. I know this goes against all conventional thinking but if you get a rainy September, you will know what I'm talking about. September can be very wet and rainy in Alaska or it can be beautiful, cold and clear. If it's rainy as its most likely to be, I don't care how careful you are, your going to get water in your tent from wet boots or gear, condensation and the fact that even the best of tents manage to leak when you least expect it.

If your worried about being cold bring a small pad to put down on the cot as a lower insulating barrier. They make some very small take-down cots today that keep you off the floor of your tent and from getting your sleeping bag wet. I agree that Wiggys bags are great and especially good for use in Alaska. They work and work even when wet but at a diminished capacity. I would much rather crawl into a dry sleeping bag, off the ground after a hard days hunt in Alaska than get into even the best of sleeping bags if they are wet. With a small cot, your sleeping arrangement will be nice and dry.
Good luck on the hunt...

Top of the line not cheap look at a Recon bag:

http://www.elitesurvival.com/sleeping-bags/

Pick whichever level fits your needs.  I use a Recon 3 well below 32 degrees F.

The bottom of the Recon bags are water proof so they won't soak up water like a traditional bag.

Only go for a "down" bag if you know its not going to get wet.  For limited use don't discount budget bags, I frequently use an "Everest mummy bag" that I got from Walmart with great results.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/2581360?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227001128229&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40969478432&wl4=pla-78912723512&wl5=9005193&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=2581360&wl13=&veh=sem

It is a bit bulkier then the my Recon 3 and obviously not as weather proof but there is a significant cost difference.

I also have a Kelty down bag which packs down very small, but lacks wet weather compatibility.  Super small and warm but is far from weather proof.

YMMV?  

Never heard of Elite Systems, not sure what makes it top of the line and compared to other bags it isn't expensive.  Top of the line would be western mountaineering or montbell.  It's around the same price or lower than slumberjack offerings.  I don't trust Walmart bags in Alaska except in the back yard in my experience they are overly heavy overly bulky and temp ratings are about 20-25 degrees off.

The Kelty Cosmic down comes treated now but I dot have experience with it.  My hunting partner did have a Kelty down bag that was untreated and really likes it.  The one memorable hunt we went on was a week of deluge rain non stop that almost washed the road out that we used to get to the area on.  Condensation in the tent was bad it was an sl5 with nest.every night we would get in the tent with soaked rain gear it was not awesome conditions.

Propper site selection is paramount regardless of your bag.  I go floor less with a down bag on a pad but I have a bora gear bivy that I take everywhere, I have been in downpours but haven't had any streams or rivers run under my tent yet.  

Cant go wrong with the Army issue ECWS. Thats what we used in Alaska year round and it was great.

Western mountanering. I have the Badger 20*. Might think about a 15* for Alaska. And don't forget a good pad.

For those specs and if price isn't a concern, while looking at it from a LW backpackers perspective..

I would use the Western Mtneering Ultralite (under rated at 20*).

Pad would be the Sea to Summit Ulralight (Insulated version) pad.

Top of the line as far as my wallet goes I guess!    I don't live in Alaska though, so I am no expert like you.  I just offered my personal experience in my AO, nothing more nothing less...



We don't see much below negative (-) 20~30 here in the Adirondacks, and I don't camp much below zero degrees any ways so I figured my experiences from budget bag to as much as I am willing to spend, might help the OP with his decision making.  

I am no Alaskan though, and don't or didn't pretend to be one, just a guy who spends a lot of time out hunting and camping in the Dacks and Rockies.

Feathered Friends Puffin. I've had one of their bags for over 15 years and I can't tell that it's lost a bit of loft. Not cheap but they last and you won't get cold.



Made in the USA too.



http://featheredfriends.com/puffin-20-down-sleeping-bag.html

This guys advice needs another bump, I concur.

Makes sense but this isn't an option for me.  This isn't their first time in on the big hike to being alone with the herd.  I hope the campsite is well drained and supports rainy days without flooding.

Hey the camper will only be a half day away.

I bought one of the backpacking cots a few years ago.

 

With a Thermarest inflatable, dang is it ever comfortable!


That said, it definitely make a bag sleep on the cold side.

Good recommendations above...whatever you decide go with stick with synthetic filled or a DryLoft bag. If you're not an experienced multi day (wet environment) outdoors man you like the "forgiving" nature of synthetic and/or Dryloft. Down on the other hand is very, very unforgiving. I always lined my compression sack with a heavy duty garbage bag to keep the bag extra dry while hiking. After several years guiding in SE Alaska its never a question of if it will be wet, just WHEN. A wet bag is useless and a miserable experience. What are you planning on running for a sleeping pad?