sleeping bag

[andy1984]

Hi all,

I'm after a couple of sleeping bag's. One for me and one for my partner.

I'm guessing prob a 3 season? I want to use it now, prob be camping below 500m in the hills. So temp range.. comfort maybe down to between -5 and -7? I want it to be warm enough.

it for hiking so has to be reasonably light and small.

now problem is i'm on a budget so cant afford much... maybe £40 -£60 each or so? i will go a little more if needed however prefer not to as i need other gear.

I'll be using it inside a tent and sleeping on a cheap foam mat. I want something that is going to be usefull for all the year?

Cheers

Andy

[RedLeader]

You'll get as many opinions as there are sleeping bags

My tuppence is that people get too caught up in bag ratings when the most important thing is how warm you sleep. If you're generally warm in bed then you don't need such a serious bag, if you're chilly in bed and need a hot water bottle in summer then you'll want something decent. Alot of people on here have bought Alpkit bags and like them but they're £120+. For your price I'd say that something like a Vango 300 would be a good place to start at £50ish. Personally I'd rather have a bag that was lighter to carry and wear thermals in bed rather than a winter bag that I can sleep naked in.

http://www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/acatalog/vango_ultralite_300_2009.html (First link I came across, have no experience of the seller).

[andy1984]

cheers J.

Well i sleep pretty warm to be honest. i'd rather be slightly cold than too warm!!! lol

my partner on the other hand..... lol

what do the ratings actually mean? does comfort of say +2 mean the average person will be comfortable sleeping at +2 naked?

so if you where to wear thermals it might be comfortable to say -5?

cheers

[RedLeader]

As far as I'm aware the rating is a temperature for sleeping naked or almost naked. However, different manufacturers use different rating systems. Alpkit are quite transparent and use a BSA rating created by some UK university but other manufacturers could technically use any rating system that they can justify so most of the advice I hear suggests that you take ratings with a pinch of salt.

[andy1984]

i was just looking through reviews fo the Alpkit Pipedream 400, its £120.

I know its over twice my budget! lol would this be suitable for all year use?

i'd be open to paying more money to get something that is going to be lightweight, pack small and warm...

[RedLeader]

I have a PD600 and it's well toasty (theres at least 3 others on here that bought one too). Jon (suspectmonkey) just got a PD400 - he'll be able to give you some thoughts.

[andy1984]

i'm thinking the PD600 would be just too warm for all year use?

I take it, if its a warm summer night you can open the bag up and use as a blanket?

[ulsterwalker]

The PD 600 probably would be too warm for all year use, especially if you sleep warm! -10 is pretty darn cold.

The PD 400 should cover you all year round unless you sleep cold or there's a heavy frost on the ground. In the height of summer it'll prob be a bit warm, but the zip is there for a reason.

If you can afford it and you're sure to use it I'd say buy down gear, of which Alpkit probably makes the best bang for buck. I'd also trawl all the outdoor website gear sales as you might get something at a bargain price.

[chris]

This might help shed some light on the mystery of sleepig bag jargon

http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Videos/Search-Results/Camping--backpacking/Gear-Exclusive-What-the-numbers-on-sleeping-bags-REALLY-mean/

[andy1984]

Hi guys,

I really need to get a bag sorted for this type of weather!!

Obviously I need to get one  for me and the girl so money is a problem. I do like the look of the PD400 but at £120 each that turns into £240 for two which i just cant justify at moment.

I was looking at the skyehigh 600 at £85. How suitable a sleeping bag would this be for me for all year use?

I know its a bit heavier than the PD400.

£85 is still a bit much but i'd prob stretch to it for the right bag, if anyone could offer any better cheaper options?

Cheers

andy

[RedLeader]

The one thing to bear in mind is everyone has a different comfort level for temperature. Some people sleep warm, some need a hot water bottle in summer. The important thing is to work out is if you think you (or your partner) need to be more or less warm than average.

It's one of those tricky topics where everyone is different and no-one will want to tell you to definitely get a piece of gear only for it to turn out that while it would be well suitable for them, for reasons unknown it's totally unsuitable for you.

However if you want a recommendation - the Skyhigh 600 is rated to -5 for comfort which I think is plenty. If it were me and that was my budget I'd get it and the first few times out if the weather looked cold I'd carry extra clothes to wear in bed!

I'll probably be sleeping in a Vango Ultralite 300 this weekend which is a <£50 3 season synthetic bag rated to +2. I'll report whether I survived okay when I get back.

[chris]

I have a Nanok sleeping bag rated to -5 £70 in tisos a while back, never had a problem with it they are def worth a look.

[andy1984]

cheers J.

Yeah i know i do sleep warm most of the time but i'd say partner would feel the cold alot more! I think -5 would be plently too.

I just dont want to get it wrong and have to spend more!

i had looked at something like the Vango Ultralite 300 aswell but i'm just not sure if it wud be warm enough!! but at £50 it would be more inline with my budget! but on the other hand it would  be £100 wasted if it's not warm enough!

Also what type of mat do you's sleep on? i have a couple of the foam roll out mats ? is it worth getting a self inflating one? or would the foam one do for now?

[chris]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nanok-Performance-5-Sleeping-Bag/dp/B000PHUYIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1267524312&sr=1-2

£74.25 which I know is slighlty over your budget but to be honest I think you'd be hard pushed to get a better bag for that price, did I mention its down aswell?
I wouldn't get too hung up on wether you sleep warm or cold either mate, Things are a good bit different with bricks, motar and a duvet! When it comes down to it you'll be glad you went for those few extra degress. Your right to be looking at a good mat to compliment your bag, a little slef inflator is good the only problem with them is they take a while for the air inside to warm (sapping heat from you) this is minimal tho and you'll prob never notice it! I find foam ones just as good, but if you cant justify the space it takes up then self inflator it is.

Also dont forget that women fell the cold more than men, so although you may be fine in a 0c bag she may not be.

[RedLeader]

I tried foam mats and found them too uncomfortable. Then I tried full length self inflating roll mats and still found them a bit uncomfy but also heavy (1kg). Then I tried extra thick foam mats - guess what - still uncomfy. Then I tried a 3/4 length self inflating mat from Alpkit (454g / £20) and the extra thick foam mat and guess what - comfy! Just goes to show, like Goldilocks, you get there eventually

So I carry a full length foam mat with a 3/4 length wee airic rolled inside which I put just beneath my shoulders and reaches my knees. The bonus is the wee airic and the foam mat are still cheaper and lighter than the full length inflating mat and I can also use the foam one to sit on.

Score!

I posted a sample gear list that might be helpful:
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=885.0