Sleeping bag choice

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Vojtonus

New Member
Oct 7, 2020
1
0
30
Blyth
Hi Everyone!
I am looking for 3 season sleeping bag.
I have found Berghaus Intrepid 1000 and Snugpak Softie Elite 3, but I am not sure which one should I choose. Do you have any opinion about these bags?
I am open for other options as well but I do not want spend more than £80 on it.

Thank you in advance.

Regards
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,368
Bedfordshire
Have you considered second hand?


I don't know about the exact bags that you list. My first bag, in 2003 was a Softie 6 Kestrel which was not really warm enough for under a tarp or in a hammock outside late spring - early autumn. I took the logical step of getting a Softie 10 Harrier, which I found okay, but still could be cold in early winter/early spring tarp/hammock conditions, probably more to do with my under-insulation than the bag itself. I didn't like the weight and bulk so eventually sold it and bought a Marmot Helium, followed by a down quilt.

The Snugpak bags were okay. I cannot think of anything that made me think they were great, nor anything that stands out as terrible. Looking at the Sungpak military site, its hard to see any significant difference between the Softie 9 and Elite 3, so I think my Softie experience is probably representative of what to expect from the Elite.

The Intrepid 1000 is rated as comfort to +5C while the Elite 3 is rated comfort to -5C, with a 640g mass penalty and larger packed size. Since my experience has been that rated comfort temperatures are always a bit optimistic for my use. They are generally arrived at for two people sharing a tent, while I am solo under a tarp, which is a lot cooler. So for that, the Intrepid would be a two season bag at best, late spring to early autumn, say a night time low of +10C.

Do you plan to use the bag in a tent, no drafts, with someone else to help warm the space, or are you thinking solo tarp/bivi camping? Do you think you will be camped in places the wind blows, or its hard to get shelter?

All the best, and good luck!

Chris
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,984
7,761
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Hi Everyone!
I am looking for 3 season sleeping bag.
I have found Berghaus Intrepid 1000 and Snugpak Softie Elite 3, but I am not sure which one should I choose. Do you have any opinion about these bags?
I am open for other options as well but I do not want spend more than £80 on it.

Thank you in advance.

Regards

If you really mean 2-3 season (i.e. you will not be sleeping in sub 5C conditions and protected from the elements) there are loads to choose from and your consideration may be more about pack size and weight - depending on what you're doing.

The last bag I bought was a couple of years ago when I wanted a small lightweight bag for my canoe treks. I don't go canoeing in sub-zero temperatures or, obviously, high up in the mountains, so I was happy with a 2-3 season and pack size was a priority. I ended up buying a Mountain Warehouse Microlight 500 for about £30 and I have used it for all my outings since, even in near freezing conditions under a tarp. OK, I wouldn't take it up the Glyders in winter but for the money it's excellent.

However, I do sleep warm and often end up sleeping with my shoulders out of the bag.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
I highly recommend to start with 1 part of a 2 bag military sleep system.

You start now with only one, later you buy the second. They fit perfectly in each other to create a very comfortable winter sleeping bag for extreme conditions.

They have a well fitting bivvy bag.

For example Snugpak Special Forces 1 and 2 and SF bivvy bag.

Or Carinthia Defence 4 and Defence 1 or Tropen. Here you have several options to choose. Over it fits the Sleeping bag cover of the German Army.

The Carinthia Defence 4 and the German Army Goretex bivvy bag you can buy used from surplus shops pretty cheap. Often the Tropen too.

But the cheaper british army bivvy bags would fit too, to the Carinthia system as well as to the Snugpak SF system.

If you scroll down here, you will find such systems explained in videos:


The following is just an example.
It's possible that you find the same stuff somewhere else cheaper.

The British army uses a similar system which you can perhaps get cheaper too.



 
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