Considering Sleeping bags

[PhotoGirl]

I have been looking for a sleeping bag for a while, one that I know is going to be very warm possibly even in snow weather and such.

I had done a little search on the forum for the Phantom 250 Here And was wondering if anyone has actually used these and how have you found it? It claims to be graded to -15, how comfortable is this and what situations have you used it in yourself?

I'm assuming for that price I won't get anything much better (lighter weight is preferable.) Anyone any thoughts?

 

[para106]

Hi there, have a look at these:

http://www.mountainwarehouse.com/Sleeping_Bags/3_4_Season_Sleeping_Bags/sc1416.aspx

Personally, I'd go lighter - there's a couple shown at 1.4kg. I use a 3 season with either a silk liner or, if it's mega Baltic, a mico fleece liner & that's plenty warm enough. Depends if you're having to carry the bugger!!

 

[drewdunnrespect]

phot girl if you hadnt said lightweight is peferable i would have said get the snugpack antarctica RE cos it goes down to minus 50 but is huge and ways 2.9kg i think so not the lighest thing in the world of sleeping bags

 

[PhotoGirl]

Well, as light as i can get within a budget, which will mean i won't be able to go some of the places I want to just yet (I'd rather not go at all than go with the wrong equipment.) My bad. I'm having a look through those others now.

One thing I think I didn't get my point across was how "comfortable" would a bag like that take me to with a thermal fleece lining and bivvi bag or tent?

phot girl if you hadnt said lightweight is peferable i would have said get the snugpack antarctica RE cos it goes down to minus 50 but is huge and ways 2.9kg i think so not the lighest thing in the world of sleeping bags

Those Snugpacks do look brilliant but a bit out of my price range for now.

Personally, I'd go lighter - there's a couple shown at 1.4kg. I use a 3 season with either a silk liner or, if it's mega Baltic, a mico fleece liner & that's plenty warm enough. Depends if you're having to carry the bugger!!

Thanks muchly

 

[para106]

Well, as light as i can get within a budget, which will mean i won't be able to go some of the places I want to just yet (I'd rather not go at all than go with the wrong equipment.) My bad. I'm having a look through those others now.

One thing I think I didn't get my point across was how "comfortable" would a bag like that take me to with a thermal fleece lining and bivvi bag or tent?



Those Snugpacks do look brilliant but a bit out of my price range for now.



Thanks muchly

A micro fleece lining with any decent sleeping bag will add at least another'season' to it irrespective if you're using a bivvy or tent. I like them as they're cheap & hardly weigh anything, you can use them on their own in Summer too. Snugpacs are great bags - if you've got a Sherpa!!!

 

[listenclear]

I like my fleece liner, it may not be as light as silk but IMHO it's alot warmer.
Check out these sleeping bags, worth every penny http://www.alpkit.com/pipedream/
No connection etc

 

[Shewie]

+1 for the Alpkit bags

Apparently there's some new clever technologies on the horizon so it might be worth holding out for a while and seeing what develops.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

Aztec do a good range, temp ratings are some times hit 'n' miss, I get very warm when i sleep so normally have a light bag but I also carry a flees liner and a bivi bag so triple layer with minimal weight gain. If im car camping then its the Nanok -10 as i can unzip it on both sides from the bottom up for ventilation

http://www.aztecoutdoor.com/sleepingbags/index.html

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1468.html

 

[Fizzy]

Well, as light as i can get within a budget

One thing I think I didn't get my point across was how "comfortable" would a bag like that take me to with a thermal fleece lining and bivvi bag or tent?

What is your budget?
Will you be carrying it and if so far (car camping with small walk/hike or hiking from place to place with it)?
Where will it be going, what sort of temperatures are you liklely to be sleeping in?
Do you know if you sleep warm or cold?
Will you be taking any form of insulated mat and if so do you know what?

 

[Minotaur]

If weight is important I would have a look at the lightweight hiking sites.

They do a lot of make you own stuff, and layering.

I would be tempted to go best bivi bag, home made liner, and high street sleeping bag.

If money important: -

1. buy high street so you can take it back
2. Also you can touch them, and feel them.
3. Find reviews, a lot of the claims made are just plain wrong, or marketing. That said watch the ray or apple effect. Sometimes people just like stuff for its popularity, and not its effectiveness.

Liners, I prefer to make my own(Thanks Mum), because you can make them have flaps and things so they stay put. They are also a lot cheaper, and you do not get stuck with white. Plus you can have a couple, what we do with our camping bag is change them when we go home, so the sleeping kit is set up for next time.

 

[Chrisj]

Just a word of caution PhotoGirl. Looking at the link that you attached the -15 is the extreme rating not the comfort rating. The extreme rating is normally the temperature that it should prevent hypothermia not keep you warm and toasty. The lower end of the comfort rating is a better guide to use. So for this bag that is quoted as -10. That still sounds quite good though but if you are planning a lot of winter camping I would tend towards a slightly thicker bag that is quoted as 4 season rather than 3-4 as this bag is (mind you I tend to sleep cold though). Don't forget a really thick warm 4 season bag will be less comfortable in hot weather so if you won't be doing much winter camping then a thinner 3 season or 3-4 season bag will be a better allrounder.

 

[Adrian]

Bear in mind, that MOST (but not all) temp ratings are based on a fit 24-year old man; the general recommendation is to subtract 5 degrees if you're a woman (or old like me). So if this bag has a comfort rating of -10, for you it may well be only -5. As well - as people have mentioned, there is the question of whether you personally sleep hot or cold. My wife for example, sleeps very cold indeed!

You should never skimp on the bag - it's better to save for a better bag if you are planning to go somewhere cold, and always shop around - you can get some good deals on end of season bags as suppliers clear stock for the following year's line. Often the only difference between this year's bag and next year's model is the colour!

You should also - where possible, go to an outdoors shop and actually try the bag - ie get into it and see how it feels - any good shop will be happy for you to do this. Try the sleeping mat as well in the shop - even if you plan to buy over the net. If this is your first bag, it really pays to take your time and do it as right as possible - especially if you are on a tight budget. Microfleece and silk bag liners do make a real difference and can add up to a season to your bag - the silk (a good one) is light and packs away to very little. A fleece liner will be heavier and bulkier but cheaper, and often can be used as a hot-weather bag on it's own. Have a look at Lakeland's site, and Nordic Outdoor - at last year's wilderness gathering, nordic were doing Nanok bags at a decent discount to clear for the next year's line.

 

[big_swede]

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.

 

[Old Bones]

Alpkit may have wait you want - check out their snowhole adventure on the website - also have a look at Outdoormagic - there's a very long thread about bags, and metric kate has some very good advice about choosing one, especially if your a woman (you apparently sleep colder)

 

[johnboy]

I have been looking for a sleeping bag for a while, one that I know is going to be very warm possibly even in snow weather and such.

I had done a little search on the forum for the Phantom 250 Here And was wondering if anyone has actually used these and how have you found it? It claims to be graded to -15, how comfortable is this and what situations have you used it in yourself?

I'm assuming for that price I won't get anything much better (lighter weight is preferable.) Anyone any thoughts?

Hi PhotoGirl welcome to the forum.

I havent used this sleeping bag nor seen one. So feel free to take my advice with a pinch of salt.

34 GBP is not a lot of money to spend on a sleeping bag and TBH I dont think I'd want to be heading anywhere really cold with it.

A sleeping bag is a really important bit of kit and like a lot of folk starting out in the outdoors I've bought some really bad ones when I was starting out ( anyone remember the Argos 'Moon bag' one with Millium silver heat reflecting lining).

Sleeping bag choice as you probably know comes down to either Synthetic or Down both can be very warm Down tends to compress smaller and weigh less for a given insulation value than synthetic but costs a lot more.

Also as I've spent more time outdoors I've learnt that 1 sleeping bag cannot do everything. A really toasty winter bag is hot in summer and you're carrying around a lot of weight you dont need for example. Likewise a summer bag is cold in winter..

Being honest with yourself is important also. I've got asperations to one day get to Everest and I'll need the correct kit when I go but most of my outdoor time is not spent on Himalayan mountains and the kit I use reflects that. I'm not sure what your intentions are but if you're not going out in UK winter conditions then you might consider a bag that will cope with the conditions you will go out in. Then upgrade to something warmer if you need to.
One final bit of advice is I'd always buy a sleeping bag from a well respected brand that is well known for it's sleeping bags.

Hope this has been of some help and good luck in getting waht you want.

Cheers

John

 

[Minotaur]

A sleeping bag is a really important bit of kit and like a lot of folk starting out in the outdoors I've bought some really bad ones when I was starting out ( anyone remember the Argos 'Moon bag' one with Millium silver heat reflecting lining).

was just typing about this. Coldest night ever spent outside, and this was billed as a 3 season NASA bag, so I really agree about the rating system making no sense. Also the blurb was a load of rubbish, so be careful. I think you have to ignore the rating system, and look for the tog rating(I think), but not sure how it works for hiking bags. This system works, it rocks in fact, if you do not have to carry them.

Like a lot of things you have to make trade offs as well. I love air beds, best nights sleep I ever get, but I would not carry one. The camping sleeping bag I have is fantastic, but it is simply to big to hike with.

The big trick is to start off as clothed as possible in your mummy bag, and slowly undress as you warm up. You want to sleep in as little as possible, but you are the heater for your bag so it makes sense not to start cold.

The best bag I have ever been in was an English army down mummy bag(Seventies, or Sixties), never slept with the zip done up. The problem is it was heavy, and apprently a nightmare if wet.

If money is the issue, I would be tempted to walk in to Millets(it always a good idea, to keep an eye out at the camping stores - argos have had some mad deals recently), and see what they have on offer. Have a feel, see what strikes your fancy. Nothing, go back again next week. Keep an eye out. If you find one you like, but the price is wrong, hit the net.

The point is to get out there and be a little cold for a few nights. Listen to the advice, and work out what you did wrong. I still use a Pro-Action sleeping bag(Bought in a hurry years ago to replace the 'Moon Bag'), have done for years, I am thinking of replacing it, and to be honest, will end up with a Coleman.

 

[PhotoGirl]

Sorry for the late reply I have been busy. After some consideration I'm going to save up for a better winter bag (like i say but cheap buy twice) and just delay any ventures for now.

Would £40 be acceptable for a summer bag? Noticed the other day mine is missing, plus its quite old now.

 

[Fizzy]

The Tesco Down Mummy bag isn't too bad for the price:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58484&p=721705#post721705

 

[rik_uk3]

Gals tend to sleep colder than guys so get the best you can afford. Go for a down filled bag and use with a bivvy bag to add an extra season to the bags rating and of course keep it dry.

 

[big_swede]

Gals tend to sleep colder than guys so get the best you can afford. Go for a down filled bag and use with a bivvy bag to add an extra season to the bags rating and of course keep it dry.

Bivvy bags IMHO usually gets my bags moist in the long run. If you have possibilities to dry or air the bag in the morning the are ok though. I have yet to find a bivvy bag with such a magical breathing spec to vent out all moist.