can anyone recommend a winter down sleeping bag

[brambles]

I use the Carinthia Defence 4 and Carinthia Tropen in combination with a USMSS Gore-Tex bivvy bag, which I find gives massive flexibility - Tropen alone, Tropen with Bivvy, Defence 4 alone, Defence 4 with Bivvy, Tropen inside Defence 4 alone or all in Bivvy for when it gets truly arctic! It could be a lighter less bulky system but for my height 6'5'', it is the warmest , most comfortable system I've ever had.

 

[Wayne]

I have several down bags but then I use them a lot. I have a 1 season Rab that's I use for summer use April to October. Couple of 3-4 season bags. And a dedicated serious cold weather down bag.

This year if all goes to plan I will be outside 235 nights so need all temperature ranges covered. I use a silk liner a lot to keep my bags clean.

Buy the best you can afford and be nice to it. Don't squash then in compression sacks unless you really have to. Generally only when I'm flying on exped.

 

[coolerking]

The Carinithia 4 is rated to a comfort level of minus 15 (although its described as a 3 season bag!), but weighs 1.9kg and costs about £223.

The Rab Ascent 900 is rated to a comfort level of minus 18, weighs 1.53kg and costs £225 (if you shop around).

Your saving very little in pennies, but you are saving over 400g in weight.

Sorry, you're right, I was looking on ebay and the prices i was getting were around £100 but they were used.

 

[Old Bones]

Frankly, getting a Carinitha 4 for £100 on Ebay is a great deal, and good luck to anyone who snaggs one. But looking at the retail price, there is not a lot of difference. I think people should buy what suits them, and we all have different needs, etc. I know that as I near 50, and with a dodgy back, a lighter bag makes sense to me, so down is the way I'll go when I can actually afford it!

 

[Robmc]

I have a Rab Ascent 900, and can vouch that it is a very warm bag (Only used it once, but that was in the Cairngorms at -12). I would say though, that at 6' 1 and broad shouldered, I find it a bit snug, but that would probably be the same for any 'mummy style' sleeping bag. I have recently bought the Coleman 'Big Bath' bag, which is not as warm so I use an extra blanket inside the bag. This gives me a much more comfortable nights sleep as I can move around more.

 

[brambles]

You can currently get brand new Defence 4s on eBay at £150 from Germany - as with everything you just have to keep checking as price and availability goes up and down.

 

[Teepee]

PM incoming.

 

[mikedefieslife]

Worth a punt, or steer well clear?

http://www.mountainwarehouse.com/ca.../everest-down-sleeping-bag-p12038.aspx?cl=RED

 

[JayOram]

Hey Guys -

Loving all the talk of winter bags down vs. synthetic - With my Alpkit head on, we have some bags arriving early March - but not for winter use, followed by some more late May/June time and some proper Winter ones ready for Winter 2015/16.

Will keep you guys all updated!

Jay

 

[brambles]

Worth a punt, or steer well clear?

http://www.mountainwarehouse.com/ca.../everest-down-sleeping-bag-p12038.aspx?cl=RED

The latter.

 

[BillyBlade]

Mountain warehouse. Seriously, just don't.

 

[Old Bones]

I gave it a good kicking on this thread a week or so back - http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128809 - but the phrase 'Mountain warehouse. Seriously, just don't' pretty much covers it.

Jay, thanks for the headsup on the new Alpkit bags. At least we know the timescales for the various season bags.

 

[rorymax]

Mountain warehouse. Seriously, just don't.

This ^, £ for £ you are not going to get a lot of pleasure from their gear.

 

[BillyBlade]

A good mate of mine bought a MW bag a couple of years ago. 4 seasons my backside. He was starting to go hypo at 3am, we had to get him doing some star jumps and get the fire stoked for him.

He also bought a head lamp. It looked great in the packaging, all multi LED goodness etc. Within two minutes of being turned on, we'd nicknamed it the photon spitter. You can guess why. We could have did the double split experiment with it.

Utter, utter overpriced cheap charlie junk dressed up to look like quality kit.

Mountain warehouse? Not even once.

 

[mikedefieslife]

Hey Guys -

Loving all the talk of winter bags down vs. synthetic - With my Alpkit head on, we have some bags arriving early March - but not for winter use, followed by some more late May/June time and some proper Winter ones ready for Winter 2015/16.

Will keep you guys all updated!

Jay

I signed up to the newsletter last month waiting for a sleeping bag announcement. Unfortunately it looks like the Winter ones will come too late for me this time round. Still looking forward to see what you release.