Considering Sleeping bags

[PhotoGirl]

I sleep rather warm, sometimes I get a bit over warm with even the smallest of sheets. I have always lived without heating and had rather thin quilts (maybe about a 3.5 tog and a patchwork blanket in winter on top on extreme days maybe a fleece sheet.)

 

[Dougster]

There are women specific makes and models. You coud get yourself a ponch liner for outside and a silk for inside to give you huge flexibility.

I started with an Ajungilak bag and stayed dressed when it got very cold. Then I got a Rab Goose down bag and have never looked back. My friends think I am mad for camping in the Cairngorms in February, but when you have 2 small children 12 hours in a goose down bag is sheer, utter, unadulterated pleasure.

That said, there is no point spending £380 on a Rab bag if -12 is not your type of camping weather.

 

[Old Bones]

Dougster - writing as someone who's also got two small kids, £380 for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep sounds like a bargain!

 

[Old Bones]

Just spotted http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=126&products_id=1351 on Endicotts site. Its the same Phantom 250 (made by Highlander), but what's interesting (apart from the fact that its cheaper than Genuine Army Surplus) is the temperature rating. Endi's love the bag, but put its extreme rating at minus 3 degrees, rather than minus 15 (which is what a couple of other websites have, including Highlanders).
Only goes to show that temperature rating are a bit on the flexible side...

 

[Dougster]

Dougster - writing as someone who's also got two small kids, £380 for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep sounds like a bargain!

When you do it for four consecutive nights it verges on religious.

 

[Minotaur]

I sleep rather warm, sometimes I get a bit over warm with even the smallest of sheets. I have always lived without heating and had rather thin quilts (maybe about a 3.5 tog and a patchwork blanket in winter on top on extreme days maybe a fleece sheet.)

You can learn tolerance to the cold. Also there is a Gene, the Viking gene gives a cold tolerance.

One of the big arguements against central heating is they think the old wives tale of catching a chill going from hot to cold might have some point to it.

 

[PhotoGirl]

The CE ratings are different for men and women. Also, whether the stated temperature is comofort or extreme differs from different makers, just something to keep in mind. I have slept in -32 with a bag that had -20 as an extreme. I obviously survived, but wouldn't do it again, my point is, the concept of extreme can be discussed as well.

Aalpkit are good. As are www.roberts.pl. Roberts only sews when they've got the order, every sleeping bag is a custom. Down is what you want if you want low weight, and longetivety.

The linked bag seems incredibly heavy for what it is. And probably huge. And why boast a feature such as breathable lining? Doesn't all bags have that? Treat yourself a down bag instead, you're probably worth it.

I like these! For quickness sake for the summer and autumn I got one of theseSleepung bags but it came with the stuff sack as advertised on the slightly more expensive one. I can get a different one for winter when i need it. Gives me time to look through all those useful links and decide which of those bags to get as there are good suggestions.

 

[ged]

For quickness sake for the summer and autumn I got one of these[...]

Don't forget a mat to sleep on. A cheap foam one will do fine.

 

[Minotaur]

Like the look of this Coleman Exponent Fusion X Vario

At Millets £24.99

 

[Paul_B]

With ratings you really doneed to wathc the wording as there are different ways to say which rating level is being described. If its low and the bag is cheap consider it an extreme rating like ChrisJ said. It will keep you alive at the temp if you are well fed but you will probaboly not sleep too well if at all. It is likely that bag is realistically only a 3 season and that temp is highly misleading. Even the CE testing and marking regs havn't stopped retailers and manufacturers misleading punters.

I bought a marmot fusion bag once. It has down inside and primaloft outer insulation so both materials are where they are most useful. Think they have stopped selling them over here now. A good bag IMHO and it shed the condensation in my single skin tent very well without the need for a bivvy bag. So the choice isn't down or synthetic necessarily.

My advice is to check out Outdoor Warehouse in Windermere. Also online. TYhey sell off both MArmot and golite stuff and if you're lucky you can get a -7C quilt for £100 that weighs 600g. That is comfort rating. With a quilt you can wear as much as you like underneat without compressing the down unlike a sleeping bag where extra layers can compress the down and reduce loft making it colder than if you wore nothing undernesth the down. If you're slimm the golite quilt really wraps you nice and snug plus. I got the XL verson and the straps are done up as tight as poss and I sleep on the mat with the quilt wrapped right around me. Seriously warm. I used it at about4C and spent the whole night wearing just some boxers and sweating. Until I realised you could vent by lifting the edge of the quilt up to let some hot air out. I do rate quilts for ground dwelling activities.

You are unlikely to get thos quilts now for less than £280 so you can see how muchj of a bargain it was.

Another optioon is to wait for a while to get a special bag from PHD (pete hutchison designs) the guy who made ME the company it is or was. If there is someone out there who knows more about down filled stuff than PH then I am in the wrong plane of exisitence. His bags are seriously good especially light and use the best materials. HAving said that in their occasional sales (sign up for their newsletters to hear about them ro chek the site out a lot) often do bags that are between two specs but make better all year bags. For example off the peg Minim bags go from 200 400 600, etc. their Minim300 bag is a perfect 3 season or even 3+ if you sleep warm. Aslo about 600g. At £150 earlier this year it was a steal.if you want it at any other time you have to go down their excellent design your own and it costs closer to £300.

Always worth saving for the big three of shelter, sleeping bag and rucksack. That way you get a good one and often cansave weight too. BTW my quilt is an XL oine but packs up as small as a RAB survival zone bivvy bag. Weighs a little bit more but is seriously good. Was the old model hence the sale but has the same features and wieght as the new version just different styling ASAIK.

 

[Paul_B]

One moer thing. Get a good mat for winter. Or two. Cold seeps up through your compressed down bag if without a good mat. That is why the quilt works well as it leaves the compressed down behind saving wieght but not affecting warmtyh.

For summer there is the outwell camp mat for about £3ish that weighs a mere 130g!!!! you could carry 2 of them at full length and it woudl be warmer and lighter than a neo mat from TAR. Of course being CCF you would cut it down to a more suitable size for you. Assuming you are a gram granny too.