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Blanket or Sleeping bag?

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Samon

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,969
45
Britannia!
I'm in need of a bit of advice regarding staying warm in my British army bivi bag.

As always I'm on a budget and I've been looking around at some cheap sleeping bags and various wool blankets to use to keep me nice and cosy during our colder nights.

Sleeping bags on amazon that are going for about £30 and under have gotten some good reviews so they are an option but I quite like the idea of a blanket.

The wool blankets seem practical and at a low cost (from £10-30) are something I'd prefer to use. The Dutch army blankets seem popular and not as itchy as the cheap ones so that could be an option.

Any advice on what would be good enough on a tight budget of around £30 or less?

If so any links or models/names for me to check out will be appreciated! :o
 
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Also I really don't like mummy sleeping bags, just normal roomy ones and any experience with cheap sleeping bags and wool blankets as the main source of warmth would be very usefull.
 
I love blankets but they're heavy. If you don't have to carry it far, i'd go for blankets. They're much more comfortable than sleeping bags in my humble opinion. If you find wool a little itchy use a cotton sheet as a liner.
 
The only way is to try both yourself and see witch you prefair. Imho
some people i no just cant stay warm enough with blankets, depends how warm you get when you sleep
 
Think on what you asked. Wool blankets are warm, but heavy and not as good pound for pound as a sleeping bag. You could make blankets into a sleeping bag, I did in the scouts using blanket pins but trust me when I say that my first night in an old WW2 feather/bit of down sleeping bag was a much nicer experience. Whilst the aesthetic appeal of a blanket over a sleeping bag can be powerful, 'Look I'm a bushy' type of thing, the reality is so often different; ask yourself why campers in all seasons choose a sleeping bag over a blanket or two?

The sub £30 army arctic bags on eBay are ideal for you as like me, you want to move around a bit and these have a boatload of room in them, designed so pongo's can keep their boots on. Also take into account the value of your army bivvy bag, this may add to the efficiency of blankets, it will make a big difference to the thermal value of your sleeping bag.

If your a summer/good weather camper then go with a blanket or two (dropped to 1c night time temp a couple of days ago here), if you want to stay warm, get a sleeping bag.

Look at your motives for wanting to use blankets. Ask why? What are the advantages of a wool blanket over a sleeping bag? None is the honest answer. Play with them in the summer, but please don't rely on them in cold weather.

These are big, warm, machine washable, under £30, do yourself a favour and get one, put this in your army bivvy and there are no temps in the UK you won't stay warm in.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRITISH-ARMY-...tingGoods_SleepingBags_SM&hash=item4158cc1866
 
I've got a crappy sleeping bag atm, just some thin burnt and abused cheapo that really doesn't do much.. but I don't like being claustrophobic or constricted so a blanket would be good for that.

'Blanklet' that would be a bout of dyslexia mate.

Weight isn't a problem, if it were I'd lose a few stone of fat before moaing about my kit. ;)

I've been told snugpack do some budget quality gear..any knowledge on these?

I'd say I stay warm in the cold quite well but I've spent nights out in late summer/autumn (frost in the morning) with nothing but a tent and my clothes and it wasn't nice.

I'd like to buy a good blanket and a nice sleeping bag but I can't put too much money in these items atm as I have a baby on the way and other financial commitments.
 
rik_uk3, the blanket idea is merely for the room and the fact I can use it indoors on the sofa as me wife likes to snuggle :)

I understand alot of people like the gimic of old fashioned methods/materials but for me it has more used than a sleeping bag.

However that sleeping bag you linked looks good, is that the average price for one? and what are they like in use?
 
I've just returned from camping on the north Welsh moors with an old army wool sleeping bag and a thickish blanket on top. Insulation underneath was pretty good. As Rik said, the overnight temp dropped to just abover freezing a couple of nights ( I was around 1200 feet) and I was just about warm enough with base layers and a warm jumper and hat on.

I hope that gives you some idea of how they perform. They are not as warm as even cheap modern bags and they weigh a good deal more.

However, when I returned to the tent after a very windy day out to discover that the wind on the tent wall had knocked over my water can and it had leaked over the bedroll I was glad I had wool. It was damp but remained warm and had dried by morning.
 
A £2 space blanket is good to loosely wrap around you should you wake up in the night. Works great over my summer bag if it's a clear night. Get a nice big one and it can be tucked in under the feet end to stop it slipping.
 
I got a Nonok Endurance 0 from ebay for £30 plus a fiver postage, been out in it several times an very happy with it, i am big guy (23+stone) and its loads of room. But i will be getting a -10 or -25 for winter (but that comes at some cost)
 
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