Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Gear Questions, Information, Reviews and Competitions => Topic started by: RedLeader on November 07, 2012
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Hivemind Assemble! Let's put our (considerable) personal experience to good use and spread some useful information. First up - sleeping bags.
Everyone copy and paste the information below, fill out as much as you can (doesn't need to be absolutely specific, just as close as you can muster). Do it for any bags you own and add any additional information or tips that you think are pertinent. Feel free to duplicate or add your own comments for bags already added.
This way we can provide a single resource for peeps wanting to buy a bag.
Make/model :
Price :
Lower comfort rating :
Down or Synthetic :
Weight :
Thoughts :
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I'll go first.
Make/model : Alpkit Pipedream 400
Price : £150
Lower comfort rating : -3
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 1200g
Thoughts : An excellent bag for all year in Northern Ireland, plenty warm.
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Make/model : Berghaus Flare 1100 Mummy Sleeping Bag
Price : £65
Lower comfort rating : 2.6C
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic (Polyester (HEAT - Honeycomb Engineered Advanced Thermals))
Weight : 1155g With includes Compression sack
Thoughts : I love this Sleeping bag, I was bought as a replacement for my Snugpak sleeping bag. It has been used in Northern Ireland in all weathers ranging from snow to sunshine and has never let me down. It was also used when I went to Kilimanjaro and performed very well there to. My only problem is the zip is on the right and have yet to find a left sided one (My tent is left sided).
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Make/model : Tesco Comfort Mummy Sleeping Bag
Price : £5.26
Lower comfort rating : -2.4C
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1900g with compression sack
Thoughts : It's a cheap bag as it was on sale and it weighs more than i'd like, but it's managed to keep me warm and more than comfortable. The zip is on the left* despite me being right handed but the price was a bargain.
*edit: Actually meant to say, the zip on the sleeping bag is on the right which is a bit of a hassle being right handed.
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Currently owned:
Make/model : Snugpak Jungle Bag
Price : £30
Lower comfort rating : +8/10
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 700g
Thoughts : Square, opens into quilt, built in mosi-net to seal face.
Packs small, cool features, but the clue is in the name: Not really warm enough for this country. Has a reflective layer inside. I find it weird - my core can be sweating from the heat radiated back, but everywhere touching the bag is cold from conductive loss.
Also a bit clammy - fine for a wet jungle environment, but down would probably be more comfortable for other warm environments.
Make/model : Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20
Price : £110
Lower comfort rating : -7
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic (laminated to reduce stitch-thru/increase loft)
Weight : 1400g
Thoughts : Comes with compression & storage sacks. Packs fairly small for a synthetic. Pretty accurate temperature - I've done a back-garden-bivvy at -8 in just a base layer on still night. Have also jumped in with soggy clothes on a wet, windy, sub 5 night and been very comfortable. Plenty of room inside too - I'm thinking of buying a light down bag for travel/adventure races and use it as a liner in this for super-cold conditions, but plenty of room for other liners or insulated clothes, or drying out gear with your body heat. Certainly can be used all year around in the mountains in this country, but I think you could probably get away 90% of the time with the smaller, lighter Lamina 35.
Only downside is the zipper is quite snaggy...mainly on the stiffer bits that are to stop it snagging on the soft material!
edit 28/3/13 - Noticed a draw-back to the roominess on my recent trip to Scotland that remained below freezing the whole time. When I shifted in the night I would feel cool air which took a minute or two to heat up again. It was most noticeable without a bivvy bag. I was wearing full base layers. A liner might reduce the effect further. Otherwise, it was great as usual.
Previous owned:
Make/model : PHD Hispar 700 (2007)
Price : £280
Lower comfort rating : -18
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 1400g
Thoughts : Superb quality, but is a hi-tec/ultra light bit of kit, so needs more care than say, my Lamina. Coldest was a -12 bivvy (no bivvy bag) on a mountain ridge at 3000m - toasty. At 0 I had to sleep with it open as it was so hot. Black inner to help airing in the sun (after 2 weeks use never aired it gained 200g moisture, but lightened again with a good airing at home). I sold it after my travels as it is too hot for this country. The new Hispars are about 50% lighter for the same rating, but 50%+ more expensive!
Also used:
Make/model : Mountain Hardwear Phantom 32
Price : £250
Lower comfort rating : 0 conservative - reportedly a few degrees below.
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 640g
Thoughts : Used for a mountain marathon. Incredibly warm. Snugger fit than the Lamina. Nearly full-length zip for good ventilation options & access. I packed it into a yellow exped drybag easily, and could have been compressed smaller. Top kit...I'm impressed. Could probably do well as an all-rounder 3 season for the UK if you are prepared to keep it dry.
Phantom 45 has definitely become a top choice for my down summer bag because of this one.
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Make/model : Deuter Travel Lite 300
Price : £70
Lower comfort rating : -3
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1400g
Thoughts : A good value synthetic bag that packs well and isn't too heavy. I think it seems difficult to better this bag without spending a lot more money on a top-notch synthetic or down bag. Fulfils most requirements in NI, I have supplemented with a cheap one season Tesco bag for when it is expected to be really cold. Never had a problem with the zip snagging. Inside the bag there are different shaped pull cords to help distinguish easily between the adjustment for the shoulder baffle and that of the hood. Comes in a choice of right or left zip.
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A personal tip for camping in cold weather: try not to sleep in your sleeping bag with all your clothes on. When you wake in the morning and get out of your sleeping bag, you'll be cold. Standing round while cold and dismantling a tent is not a nice way to start the day.
If its really cold, wear your clothes when you initially get into the bag, but take them off before u go to sleep. Keep them inside the sleeping bag so they stay nice&warm. They can be used as a pillow or to smooth out any rough ground underneath you.
In the morning, put on your nice warm clothes and get out of the sleeping bag.
I've found a lighter sleeping bag used in conjunction with a sleeping bag liner is often better than using a winter sleeping bag.
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Make/model : Berghaus Flare 1100 Mummy Sleeping Bag
Price : £65 - £70 cant remember thought i got it on sale ;-/
Lower comfort rating : 2.6C
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic (Polyester (HEAT - Honeycomb Engineered Advanced Thermals))
Weight : 1155g With includes Compression sack
Thoughts : Ill keep it until it runs away or dies some how
Sorry for the mistake it was extreme risk i put in ::)
Cheers TypoOn
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bigq, I agree except for the 'if it's very cold bit': to get the best out of your bag (typically your biggest insulator), you should strip off before or as soon as you get in so that your body heat goes straight into the bag and lofts it fully. With your clothes on your heat will leak slower into the bag...it feels warmer initially, but the bag never gets enough to loft and you can wake up cold later on.
Typically you should be exposed to your best insulation. Certainly keeping your clothes warm in there with you is a good idea for a cosy start in the morning, or to be added if the bag can't cope :)
Then again there are situations were wearing you clothes is best... like using a bag that is inadequate in it's own right, or if your clothes are better insulating (eg. down jacket inside a 2-season synthetic bag). The bag is just another layer. Alpinists sometimes carry a summer down bag for emergency bivvies... it adds a little extra heat over their clothes for the lower metabolism of resting. Keeps the hypothermia at bay if anything!
Some light hikers also use their clothing insulation for sleeping as they are carrying it anyway, so they can get away with a lighter bag.
A personal tip for camping in cold weather: try not to sleep in your sleeping bag with all your clothes on. When you wake in the morning and get out of your sleeping bag, you'll be cold. Standing round while cold and dismantling a tent is not a nice way to start the day.
If its really cold, wear your clothes when you initially get into the bag, but take them off before u go to sleep. Keep them inside the sleeping bag so they stay nice&warm. They can be used as a pillow or to smooth out any rough ground underneath you.
In the morning, put on your nice warm clothes and get out of the sleeping bag.
I've found a lighter sleeping bag used in conjunction with a sleeping bag liner is often better than using a winter sleeping bag.
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Make/model : gelert freedom 400 dl xl
Price : £36 from amazon
Lower comfort rating :-2.2c
Down or Synthetic : synthetic
Weight : 2.2kgs
Thoughts
these are a bulky,heavy 4 season bag, completely filling the sleeping bag compartment in both our packs, very warm (the wife likes her heat) and at a reasonable price IMO. features below
Ridge hood
Anti bite locking zip
Zip baffle
Shoulder baffle
Internal security pocket
Loose shell
Ripstop panel
Compression sac
Soft peach lining
Piping on the front panel
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Make/model : Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20
Price : £85. On offer plus some discount.
Lower comfort rating : -7
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic (laminated to reduce stitch-thru/increase loft)
Weight : 1400g
Thoughts: Bought this as part of my replacing kit process. I had been using a
Hi-Gear Snooza 300. The Lamina is lighter and packs smaller. I have found it adequate so far, in the Mournes summer and winter. In the winter I wore a Canterbury long sleeved warm top and cotton long bottoms and socks. I was cosy enough. When the shoulder and hood are tightened it gets really warm.
The zip is on the left, I'm right handed and was advised that this was the proper option. I'd prefer a right handed zip. The zip tends to snag easily and this is frustrating.
Make/model : Hi-Gear Snooza 300
Price : £35 approx. 5+ years ago
Lower comfort rating : -0.5
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1800g
Thoughts: Bought 2, for son and daughter doing Duke of Ed and they worked very well. I have used it as well and found it adequate for summer in the Mournes. The drawback was the weight and bulky pack size. Certainly value for money.
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Make/model : Rad Accent 700
Price : £150 on sale.
Lower comfort rating :
Comfort -5°C
Limit of Comfort -12°C
Extreme -31°C
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 1310g (+155g stuffsac)
Thoughts : I've owned a few vango and snugpac (which are awesome too) bags and the Rab is the best one so far, it packs smaller and its lighter than any of my other cold weather bags. It warms up pretty quick and the draw stings are elastic so even when you tie yourself in tight you still have freedom to move about. It comes with a cotton bag to store it in when not in use. I guess the down side is the down, and the effort it takes to care for it.
As mentioned I've used snug pac, I found after about 6 years the filling got a bit thin and lumpy, but thats 6 years of washing, drying, packing and sleeping bag races....
The vango I own the the sleeper extreme, its about 30 quid and its pretty good, but its heavy so not much use for a long trek.
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(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/580864_10151185475117870_1008970184_n.jpg)
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Lol. I want that for sitting infront of the TV ;)
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so here's my real bags then
Make/model : Alpkit Pipedream 400 (same as redleaders but his has diff spec!, is yours maybe a 600?)
Price : £80 (2nd hand) - currently £150 new
Lower comfort rating : -3
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 750g (+20g for stuff sack or +120g for compression sack)
Thoughts : Love it, keeps me toasty warm, lowest i've camped in it is minus 2 in a bivvy bag with no wind and i felt ok (not exactly toasty though) with just my base layers on (& a cotton liner).
Make/model : Vango Voyager 100 lite LPrice : (on long term loan ;) from my sister) approx £30 new
Lower comfort rating : 7 (extreme 2)
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1000g
Thoughts : its baltic in here mate, summer only, and not an irish one! but at least its light :)
Make/model : Slumbalux Adventure 300
Price : another long term loan from my wee sis :) can't find an online price
Lower comfort rating : says -5, but that must be the extreme rating,i'd guess it should be +3
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1700g
Thoughts : This is my favourite bag for car camping, not just because it bright red and i can find it when i'm drunk! have also used it on a few cold hill camps and it performs very well, not yet tested sub zero. I have my best sleeps in this bag, just seems to fit right and have the zips and cord pulls in the right place.
Make/model : Gelert Freedom 400 DL-XL
Price : approx £35
Lower comfort rating : -5 (extreme -10)
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 2700g !!!! (although t18con's similar bag is only 2200g)
Thoughts : very very comfy, maybe too warm! too big for hill camping, although i did take it to Doanard summit camp, had a cold night in it up there at +2 deg, but i think i actually wore too many layers inside the bag and i didn't warm up properly before going to bed, the gales didn't help either ;D
A good nights sleep for me is when my feet don't get cold, the rest of my body has no bother with the cold, just seem to have a problem with my feet, have tried many different thick socks and even tent boots, hard to compare as no two nights seem to have the same combination of temp, tent, wind (one of my tents has a mesh inner which the wind just blows straight through). I sometimes bring the bivvy bag or cotton liner to get a bit more warmth out of the bag. Next purchase may be a silk liner.
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Bought myself a lamina 20 tonight, looking forward to getting a night out in it ! :)
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Bought myself a lamina 20 tonight, looking forward to getting a night out in it ! :)
new or second and,much ? ???
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I bought one last week and used it last weekend. Was very comfy and seemed warm enough on a 3c night. Cotswolds have them on offer @ £90 at the mo which is as cheap as I've seen them.
Bought myself a lamina 20 tonight, looking forward to getting a night out in it ! :)
new or second and,much ? ???
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I bought one last week and used it last weekend. Was very comfy and seemed warm enough on a 3c night. Cotswolds have them on offer @ £90 at the mo which is as cheap as I've seen them.
Bought myself a lamina 20 tonight, looking forward to getting a night out in it ! :)
new or second and,much ? ???
90 quid in Cotswolds, got some cash from a few folk for my birthday, so ended up I only had to put a tenner to it! Back of the net!! ;D
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As a supplementary issue to which type of bag is used I would be interested to know how folks sleep in their bags. By that I mean do you turn in the bag or turn the bag with you when you move?
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As a supplementary issue to which type of bag is used I would be interested to know how folks sleep in their bags. By that I mean do you turn in the bag or turn the bag with you when you move?
I move my bag with me, which can be a PITA as I sleep on my side so shifting to the other means it has to loft all over again :(
I was just wondering if there is a recommended way or if it's just down to personal preference. I do both and there are advantages/disadvantages for each.
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I always try and move inside mine. Now that you mention it it doesn't make that much sense.
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True, but I find it hard to turn in the bag without some leaping about which tends to aggravate my tentmate :)
I always try and move inside mine. Now that you mention it it doesn't make that much sense.
Surely that makes more sense as you've warmed the bag and by moving inside it instead of moving the bag your keeping all that lovely warm air inside it still.
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I would normally move with the bag, but have had nights where have woken up half suffocated with the back of my head freezing, because I have turned right round!! :o Am hoping this new bag wont have that problem though! tried it out on top of the bed last night, didnt want to get out was so comfy!! ;D very impressed with how small it packs down and its stuff sack seems like it would take a bit of abuse too!
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I just let the bag do its thing lol
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rated to minus 70 :o
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/sleepingbag.jpg)
http://phdesigns.co.uk/trans_antarctic_winter_expedition_the_coldest_journey_on_earth.php
The Coldest Journey Expedition sets sail today with the departure of the SA Agulhas from London's Tower Bridge. The ship is carrying more than one hundred tonnes of specialist equipment including PHD Down Jackets, Sleeping Bags, Trousers, Mitts and Boots.
Sir Ran Fiennes and his team will be attempting to walk across the Antarctic continent in the polar winter of 2013. No one has attempted such an expedition before, which will take place in total darkness and in temperatures down to minus 90 degrees Celsius.
Our slide-show below includes pictures of some of the extraordinary kit we are making for the team, including the warmest sleeping bag we've ever made (perhaps the warmest sleeping bag ever).
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Cosy!! ;D
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Lofts like Fellaini's 'fro!
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makes you wonder how big the tent is :o
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makes you wonder how big the tent is :o
its a modified shipping container dragged by a bulldozer! ;D
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For anybody looking for a pillow and loves ham, there's this. ??? ???
http://goo.gl/k7jKz
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
Nowt at all, apart from the fact that I'll eventually climb into one on Saturday night. Oops :-[
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
Nowt at all, apart from the fact that I'll eventually climb into one on Saturday night. Oops :-[
Or fall into one! ;D
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
Nowt at all, apart from the fact that I'll eventually climb into one on Saturday night. Oops :-[
Or fall into one! ;D
Let's hope it's my own!
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
Nowt at all, apart from the fact that I'll eventually climb into one on Saturday night. Oops :-[
Or fall into one! ;D
Let's hope it's my own!
Now where did I put that padlock...... :o
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I'm still trying to work out what I have to do before heading and what I want to do. Not sure what time that'll put me there at ???
What's that got to do with sleeping bags? ;D
Nowt at all, apart from the fact that I'll eventually climb into one on Saturday night. Oops :-[
Or fall into one! ;D
Let's hope it's my own!
Now where did I put that padlock...... :o
It's on your wallet :P
Sorry folks, I will now exit the thread having taken it way off topic!
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Just a quick question.... im looking for a new sleeping bag with around £100 to spend. Any recomendations advice will be much apreciated :) its for a bit of wild camping in and around the Mournes.... an all year round sleeping bag is prefferable. Ive read through everyones kit and some sound ideal ! but what would you all recomend ?
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I think this is a bargain:
Mountain Hardware Lamina 20 @ Cotswolds on offer @ £90 (http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/code/82410083)
Just a quick question.... im looking for a new sleeping bag with around £100 to spend. Any recomendations advice will be much apreciated :) its for a bit of wild camping in and around the Mournes.... an all year round sleeping bag is prefferable. Ive read through everyones kit and some sound ideal ! but what would you all recomend ?
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My wife got me £100 worth of vouchers from Cotswalds for crimbo and i had spied this very sleeping bag and another .. the never summer bag ( cant remember the brand ) >:( but i ended up buying bits and bobs that i needed instead. kind of regretting not getting a sleeping bag with the voucher now lol
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I can vouch for that sleeping bag. Its great, I've had in on summit camps and its toasty warm. Don't think I've ever been sleeping in it when it hit the -7o "comfort rating"
Well worth the money I paid for it.
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Make/model : RAB alpine 600
Price : think it was 240 when i got it a few years back
Lower comfort rating : -7
Down or Synthetic : down
Weight : 1.1kg
Thoughts : pertex endurance it lovely to touch :P and its super soft inside. very warm when you need it, and just open the zip if you get too hot. nice neck baffle and zip pocket inside. dry bag, and storage cloth bag. haven't used it terrible amounts since buying but i think i'll have it for many years, can't see why not as long as it's stored right
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Make/model : Snugpak Chrysalis 3
Price : 80
Lower comfort rating : -5 °c
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1.6kg
Thoughts : Nice bag, has always kept me warm, but I grow tired of how little it packs down. When I store it inside my pack, it takes up a lot of the pack before I even get started with the rest of my stuff.
As soon as the pipedreams are back in stock with Alpkit I'll be ordering a PD600 - hopefully in time for my birthday end of February.
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I think this is a bargain:
Mountain Hardware Lamina 20 @ Cotswolds on offer @ £90 (http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/code/82410083)
Just a quick question.... im looking for a new sleeping bag with around £100 to spend. Any recomendations advice will be much apreciated :) its for a bit of wild camping in and around the Mournes.... an all year round sleeping bag is prefferable. Ive read through everyones kit and some sound ideal ! but what would you all recomend ?
NOW ONLY £65 !!! but i don't like the colour :(
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Dammit, that's one of the best bargains I've seen in a while.
I think this is a bargain:
Mountain Hardware Lamina 20 @ Cotswolds on offer @ £90 (http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/code/82410083)
Just a quick question.... im looking for a new sleeping bag with around £100 to spend. Any recomendations advice will be much apreciated :) its for a bit of wild camping in and around the Mournes.... an all year round sleeping bag is prefferable. Ive read through everyones kit and some sound ideal ! but what would you all recomend ?
NOW ONLY £65 !!! but i don't like the colour :(
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Think ill treat myself since its such a bargain !! Hopefully it will be on at least until the end of the month ::)
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Guys,
I'm considering a Mountain Equipment Titan 650.
I had my eye on an Alpkit pipedream 600, but now their site says no stock until summer (and this is kinda meant to be a birthday pressie end of feb).
Any thoughts on the bag?
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Guys,
I'm considering a Mountain Equipment Titan 650.
I had my eye on an Alpkit pipedream 600, but now their site says no stock until summer (and this is kinda meant to be a birthday pressie end of feb).
Any thoughts on the bag?
dont know anything about that bag, looks good tho!
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Couldnt help myself and ive went a bought the Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 .. £65 ! I couldnt turn down that bargin .. colour doesnt bother me as long as it keeps me nice and warm ;D headin up for a wee overnighter up Binnian on Thur/Fri so ill let you know how it handles .. wish me luck ! I need it if the weather stays like this lol
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Any thoughts on the snugpak black tactical 4? its expensive but its awesome on paper.
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Couldnt help myself and ive went a bought the Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 .. £65 ! I couldnt turn down that bargin .. colour doesnt bother me as long as it keeps me nice and warm ;D headin up for a wee overnighter up Binnian on Thur/Fri so ill let you know how it handles .. wish me luck ! I need it if the weather stays like this lol
I was in Cotswolds yesterday and had a long stare at the Lamina 20 and 35 (only £60 and a nicer colour :) ), managed to resist buying one, now if the lamina 0 had been on sale i'd have bought 2 ;D
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I've crawled into my new SkyeHigh 800 to try it for size. It is very roomy for a man my size, but roomy means comfortable so that's not a complaint.
Zips are fine, anyone who says they snag easy just aren't being careful to straighten the baffle when zipping.
Generous shoulder width and a good comfortable hood.
Seems fine, but won't be able to make a proper judgement on it until I get it out.
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Make/model : Snugpak Chrysalis 3
Price : 80
Lower comfort rating : -5 °c
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1.6kg
Thoughts : As yet not field tested. Looks the business tho. Best of a limited bunch really: had to purchase a sleeping bag from Podium 4 Sport as part of another deal. I kind of like my gear to compress down quite compact so hoping that with a bit of tactical brute force it'll go down to a nice wee bundle.
Previously owned one of those Tesco Mummy ones that compresses down really small. It was the business for £10. But after a night on Cavehill in about 0 degrees I'm firmly a believer now that those tesco ones are for summer use only (the comfort rating on the Tesco one was +8 degrees and the extreme rating was about 4 degrees I think)
Got a Snugpack Stratosphere Bivvy Bag to go with it.... Anyone used one of these before? Looks good on paper but haven't used it yet
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Make/model : Tesco Comfort Mummy Sleeping Bag
Price : £5.26
Lower comfort rating : -2.4C
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1900g with compression sack
Thoughts : It's a cheap bag as it was on sale and it weighs more than i'd like, but it's managed to keep me warm and more than comfortable. The zip is on the left* despite me being right handed but the price was a bargain.
*edit: Actually meant to say, the zip on the sleeping bag is on the right which is a bit of a hassle being right handed.
+1 (well +3 since I got two more in the sale last year for £4 a piece ;D)
Cheap as anything, get it stinking, machine wash it each time you use it, squashes down to nothing [1] , use two if it gets realy cold
[1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/6426808329/
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Make/model : British Army Issue Arctic sleeping bag "the maggot" (LRG)
Price : around 30-40 quid online
Lower comfort rating : I've used it down to -10 and been fine
Down or Synthetic : synthetic
Weight : too much, little over 2kg with no compression bag
Thoughts : nice bit of kit but it takes up a huge deal of space inside my bergen, I might start putting it in a drybag and lashing it to the outside but that's still less than ideal. heavy at a little over 2000g. It is however quite cheap and very very warm. I've used it down to minus 10 and know of them being used with a bivvy down to -30. Would like to switch to a decent down bag for compression reasons when I can
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So now that my sleeping bag is frozen to the side of Bernagh, I've opted to buy another:
Vango Latitude 300
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/26/de4a2y4y.jpg)
Just arrived in the post. Very light, feels much thinner than my previous one yet still warmer. Uncompressed it is the same size as my last one (and my brothers, shown in the pic) but it compresses down nicely.
Here they are side by side, fully compressed - beside a size 10 shoe for scale.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/26/a6erete3.jpg)
This should make packing a whole lot easier, and lighter.
Price: £50. Which is 5pound extra than my previous one - but hopefully it will be worth it.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/26/ebehu8us.jpg)
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Make/model : gelert x tremendous lite 1200
Price : 35
Lower comfort rating : -1
Down or Synthetic : Synthetic
Weight : 1.5 kg
Dimensions: 210 x 78 x 50 cm
Bought again on recommendation from site. 3 season and very toasty inside tent.
Had to put on my photon jacket but I do feel the cold easily.
Loads of room for me I'm a size 10/12 5-6 but if you were per 6foot I'd imagine it tight.
Intend to bivi in it with British armi bivi bag over summer months and confident it will be warm.
Compresses well down
Nice flap inside that tightens up as well as a snug hood
I uses 99p pillow from b&m bargains which does the trick
Will update once I've been in a bivi
Intend it to be a starter bag and next winter ill upgrade to a down (possibly).
Ill ask for advice again on here.
Great bag for the price
Bought on amazon
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(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/04/14/7uryju4a.jpg)
Here's a pic. Next time I have it out will take better pics
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This seems like an interesting alternative to synthetic or down bags, Llama Fleece. It's a Kickstarter campaign at the moment so whether it makes it to market is another thing, worth a quick look though:
http://goo.gl/x9uDjB
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Make/model : Mountain Equipment Xero 250
Price : £230 (but got it with 50% discount ;D)
Lower comfort rating : +0°C
Down or Synthetic : Down
Weight : 600g
Max user height 185cm
Packed Size :16cm x 19cm
This sleeping bag has served me well for over 5 years now. I'm 5'6" and am carrying around 14 stone and I find it is a very snug fit but that doesn't bother me. It is probably been used around 100 times now, in varying conditions. It's recommended sleep zone is rated as +0°C to +25°C with -11°C being at risk. In my humble opinion I would change the lower comfort rating to around 4°C as I have found me needing a fleece and hat on my chillier adventures. The bag would tend to roll with me when moving around and despite being a rather snug fit I do manage a very comfortable 'stork' or 'foetal' position.
All in all I have been very impressed with the performance of this little bag over the years. If I had to replace it someday I think one would opt for a Xero 300 or an equivalent bag. The Xero 300 being a slightly warmer bag thus has a decreased lower comfort limit but also retaining a very small pack size with a low weight.
A Jetboil stove, cup & spork are pictured below as a comparison to the sleeping bag's packed size.
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:)
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This seems like an interesting alternative to synthetic or down bags, Llama Fleece. It's a Kickstarter campaign at the moment so whether it makes it to market is another thing, worth a quick look though:
http://goo.gl/x9uDjB
Looks interesting. I hope they manage to get their product off the ground.
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Make/model :Vango Venom 150
Price :£65-£85 worth spending time looking as I got mine for £64.95 with free p&p
Lower comfort rating :11-7 extreme -7
Down or Synthetic :Down
Weight :600g
Thoughts : Haven't used this yet as it only arrived this morning. I wanted a down bag and something ultralight, I generally sleep very warm and get squeeze 4-5 degree off most bag lower ratings so this was fine for me. The pack size is silly small and will happily fit in the palm of two hands. I have also got an escape lite bivvy on the way and intend to use it with this bag as a system to get another 5-8 degrees on the lower end.
Will be testing this bag out in a couple of weeks so i'll throw up some real thoughts and review then along with the bivvy bag.