Nanok sleeping bags?

[Martyn]

http://www.nanok.no/eng/endurance/endurance-10.htm

Anyone got any experience of thier endurance range? They look pretty good. I believe that Nanok was set up by a 2 ex-members of Ajungilak, so should have a good pedigree, I also read somewhere that they make the Woodlore bags - not sure about that though. I do like the look of thier endurance range.

 

[Adi007]

Everything I've read about them leads me to believe that they are an excellent bit of kit. Never used one but that's more to do with the fact that I've never found a distributor in the UK.

They are a Agungilak spin-off but don't know if they make the Woodlore bags.

 

[Great Pebble]

I've seen 'em in books and they look good, I'm aiming to repace my Snugpak soon. The only qualm I'd have is that they look very bulky.

 

[grumit]

here you go lads uk seller
http://www.survivalschool.co.uk/shop2004.htm

 

[Paul K]

Nanok do make the Woodlore bags. I have all three - the Osprey, the Golden Eagle and the Canada Jay. They are more bulky (in terms of how small you can compress them) than down bags but that is true of all synthetic bags.

They are by far the warmest synthetics I've tried, and the design is very nice too. The top-zip makes them very good for use with bivi bags, particularly those bivis with a top- or diagonal-zip, as it's easier to get in and out or just sit up.

The Osprey will easily fit in the bottom of a Sabre 45. The golden Eagle is more bulky but I've used it at minus 20 deg and therefore would have a bigger rucksac in those conditions anyway. The Canada Jay is more bulky still and I wouldn't normally hike with it. But then if it was cold enough to use it, I wouldn't be carrying it on my back - it'd be on a sled or snow mobile.

 

[sargey]

i quite fancy the zero degree bag, but if it's big enough to go round the outside of the minus ten bag, that seems like a lot of spare material and airspace to me.

cheers, and.

 

[Martyn]

according to the specs and, the zero bag is 5cm longer and 5cm wider than the others. Must be a pretty snug fit around the other bags. I like the double zipper thing, the modular idea and the ability to zip two together to make a double bag.

At 1790g, it's also a lot lighter than the woodlore summer bag, which is 2100g (wahssat, about 20%?). Must be a fair bit less bulky than the woodlore.

It's also a fair bit cheaper. The woodlore Osprey is £125, while the Nanok zero is £69.99

 

[sargey]

i really want a compact lightweight bag, was thinking about a snugpak merlin, but i have reservations about it doing what it says on the tin. i suppose the bigger bag would be easier to wear a fleece in, decisions, decisions...

cheers, and.

 

[Adi007]

i really want a compact lightweight bag, was thinking about a snugpak merlin, but i have reservations about it doing what it says on the tin. i suppose the bigger bag would be easier to wear a fleece in, decisions, decisions...

cheers, and.

I'm always thinking that way too ... I have a lightweight 3 seasons Mountain Equipment bag and a heavier, warmer Vango bag. I've toyed with the idea of getting a cheap Soldier 95 or 2000 bag though ...

Dunno ... too many choices!

 

[sargey]

AHH! buggah!

meant to point out that ikea have fleece blankees on sale for £2:90

could be used to uprate the summer sleeping bag, still not very compact though.

cheers, and.

 

[Martyn]

i really want a compact lightweight bag, was thinking about a snugpak merlin, but i have reservations about it doing what it says on the tin. i suppose the bigger bag would be easier to wear a fleece in, decisions, decisions...

cheers, and.

Same here. I looked at a snugpak today and came within a hair of buying it on the spot. I'm also a little put off about the whole "loosing it's thermal properties" issue. The guy in the shop was doing his best to sell me into a Rab down bag. The thing is, I cant decide whether to go for one of these modular bags - you know, 2 bags makes three. Or get something made for the job. The snugpaks, doubleing up with the zip in baffle thing looks interesting, as do these nanok's. Cant decide. Might even go for a snugpak and a woodlore thingy.

I think the woodlore bags must be hellishly hot in summer though, at 2100g, that's quite a lot of summer bag.

 

[Martyn]

AHH! buggah!

meant to point out that ikea have fleece blankees on sale for £2:90

could be used to uprate the summer sleeping bag, still not very compact though.

cheers, and.

Was looking at the snugpak fleece liners today, they're far from light & compact. In fact, it was bigger and heavier than the sleeping bag itself.

 

[Paul K]

The thing is one sleeping bag will not provide all the answers. If you are intent on really lightweight long-distance hiking, buy a down bag. RAB bags have the best down on the market and one of their 2 season (will do me for 3 under most circumstances) weighs only 1kg. I'd use this for summer walking in the Pyrenees for example.

As for the Woodlore Osprey, while it's the lightest weight in the Woodlore range it's not necessarily just a summer bag. For example, I used mine in Namibia in September when the night-time temperature was below zero and I was toasty warm in just boxer shorts. Others who had taken their 'summer' bags (cos it's Africa isn't it?) were freezing. If you are too warm in a top-zip bag like the Woodlore design, just undo the zip. This is better than being too cold and having to wear all your clothes (which are then moist when you get up in the morning).

The Golden Eagle does me all year round in the UK (I've slept up on Cross Fell in sub-zero temps in February in this bag no problem). I've also used it down below minus 20 in Sweden, albeit wearing a 200g layer of Ulfrotte).

I wouldn't recommend putting one bag inside another unless the system is designed for it. Things get very cramped quite quickly, particularly if you are in a bivi bag aswell. Un-doing and doing-up zips becomes a pain in the a***, particularly with side zips. And it's difficult to get baffles to work properly.

For bushcraft use in the UK, a synthetic bag of 1.5-2.5kg is fine. You are never going to be walking very far anyway (there isn't enough woodland to walk that far in it!).

If you are doing a multi-day walk in the Scottish Highlands, for example, with a lot of ascent and descent, then yes think about the weight. Otherwise I wouldn't bother too much. Synthetic bags are always heavier than down bags anyway. Besides it's the loft which is important, not the bulk of the bag. I used to have a cheap "3 season" synthetic Vango bag when I was a student - it weighed a tonne and it was cr8P. The last straw was when I was cold in late May while camping near Loch Ness. After that I saved up and bought a RAB down bag.

The Woodlore bags are more expensive than some other similar-weight synthetic bags because the top-zip consturction is more expensive to produce than a side-zip. But it's worth considering that all of the Woodlore bags are less expensive than a good 3 or 4 season down bag, where you won't get much change out of £200. From this point of view I see them as very good value from a warmth/pound (sterling) point of view.

Being comfortable at night and getting a good sleep is one of the most important things when you are out and about - it allows you to function properly during the day. A sleeping bag is one of the most important pieces of kit and it's worth spending the time to find one or several that suit you and your varying needs.

Paul

 

[alick]

Hi Paul,
What's your opinion of the top zip design on these bags ?

On a down bag I'd be dubious because the weight of the zip would tend to reduce the loft on the top of the bag. Maybe this isn't significant on a bulkier synthetic bag.

Is it well baffled ?

Cheers, Alick

 

[Martyn]

I must admit Paul, following your obvious praise of the woodlore bags, I'm leaning towards the Osprey. At 2100g, it's about as heavy as I'd be willing to carry, but I would like a good summer bag that could do a passable impersination of a 3 season bag too. I figure if it's too hot at the hight of summer, just sleep on top of it in a silk liner, if it's too cold, sleep in the silk liner inside the bag + bivvy (+clothes if necessary). I generally sleep *very* hot, so it would probably be too warm for me in the middle of summer, but that's not nearly as big a pain as not being warm enough. If it's comfortable in yer boxers down to 0C, it'll probably do fine for me as a 3 season bag.

I've just bought one of these too (Ajungilak Grevling)...
http://www.mammut.ch/ajungilak/katalog.asp?view=detail&did=36&dart=3&tid=1875

Which is supposed to add 2-3degC to the bag. Should be toasty. At 86cm x 220cm, it should fit over the Osprey (82cm x 210cm approx) nicely, with a bit to spare. BTW, has anyone tried the Grevling? I bought it as a sort of "fair weather bivvy cum bag protector" for lowland, 3 season use. The base is waterproof, but the top is a water-resistant, breathable poly-cotton. My rationalle is I also have a waterproof army poncho, which I could throw over the top in a real and unexpected downpoor, but for normal use, this lightweight poly-cotton bivvy, plus hootch would be enough. It might even have an element of spark resistance for bivvying near an open fire. It was £40.

Another reason for getting the above bivvy, was I read the army goretex bivvi's are only rated for 90 days of service, and that many that find thier way into surplus stores have already exceeded this and can no longer be rated waterproof - anyone confirm this?

 

[Paul K]

Alick - yes it's well baffled, both around the zip and at the top.
As I think I said in an earlier post, the general design of the bag is very good in my opinion. It comes into its own when you use a zipped bivi bag. But even without one, it's more comfortable to just sit in than a side-zipped bag, certainly easier to get in and out of. And whether or not you can envisage it woking, the design works fine. I've slept out in the Golden Eagle at under minus 20 deg C and in the Canada Jay at minus 38 deg C, both with a bivi bag (Mountain Range diagonal zip), 3/4 length thermarest, and only a single 200g layer of Ulfrotte thermals.

Martyn, the Osprey is quite a warm bag. I also sleep quite warm and is fine for me for 3-season UK use. Obviously if people sleep colder it might not be but my girlfriend has one too and she's always been fine even though she sleeps colder than me. In the summer, if too warm, you can just open the zip up so there is less bag on top of you. Any bivi bag will add extra warmth to a sleeping bag, just as a windproof shell will add warmth to your insulating clothing layers, even if it's not particularly windy. I would imagine the Grevling will work best in sub-zero conditions, where a lot of moisture is not an issue.

Paul

 

[Martyn]

I would imagine the Grevling will work best in sub-zero conditions, where a lot of moisture is not an issue.

Yeah, I think that was it's intended role. I am just hoping it's suitable for late spring/summer/early autumn here too. I know it wont cut it in a thunderstorm, but I'm not a big fan of being out ewhen the weather is that grim.

 

[ditchfield]

I've got a Mountain Equipment sleepwalker 1 sleeping bag. It's nice and light, compact, cheap and I find it suitable for all year round use. Bare in mind that i'm a very warm sleeper and can cope with little insulation. For summer use a micro fleece bag from trek mates. I can chuck it your way to test in you like sargey when I return your stuff?

 

[Neil1]

I've just ordered a Mountain Equipment Military TDS zero rated bag, 500gms lighter than the equivilent Nanok bag, anyone any experience of these?
Neil1

 

[giancarlo]

this one?




Looks pretty cool to me...