Sleeping Bag Advice for Sweden/ Norway

[qsalister]

I will be heading over to Sweden and Norway for 2 months this summer. I'll be leaving around the 1st July to get the best of the weather over there.

I'm just looking at sleeping bags. I've heard the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit, and I'm unsure weather to buy a 2 or 3 season bag. I'll be spending quite a bit of time within the Arctic Circle.

The Nanok Comfort Down 0 Bag looks pretty decent. http://www.nanok.no/engelsk/page14/page11/page11.html
The zips down both sides look useful if it ends up being too hot. I'm unsure whether to go for this or the -5 rated bag. Will this be overkill?

Anyone have any other down bags they can recommend?

 

[Hammock Hamster]

I am currently using a vango venom 400 goose down bag which goes down to -18 at the extreme rating and -2 at the limit rating however i have been hammocking in -4 and found it performed just fine with an inflatable mat and underblanket.
The main reason i went for this particular bag is that it packs down to about half the size of most other sleeping bags but still gives the same, and in some cases better, temp ratings.
Pack size is important to me as i usually have a fair yomp to get into most of my camping areas and i like to try and travel light (at least thats what i keep telling myself).

Great back for the price (about £90 online) and i plan on using it throughout summer unless it gets silly hot.

Cheers, Hamster

 

[susi]

Temperature can vary quite a lot, but doubtful it'll drop below +10°C during July, although night frosts can appear in later August. A good sleeping pad can boost your feeling of warmth.

 

[Harb505]

Alpkit do good bags, the pipedream 400 or skyhigh 600 might work for you. If the're too hot you can just pop the zip down a bit. I have the pipedream 600 and will be testing it this weekend in Wales for the first time probs down to about 3*C will let you know how it goes.

 

[spandit]

Are you carrying it all on your back? If not, no reason to go for down - get a synthetic sleep system (can recommend the Dutch one I bought).

 

[Shewie]

What sort of budget do you have in mind?

 

[qsalister]

Cheers for the replies.

Yes Spandit, I'll be carrying it all the time except for when I'm canoeing. I've got a big enough pack so the pack size isn't an issue as much as weight is. I've been weighing up whether to go for down or synthetic. Down has more advantages when it comes to space and weight, can't really afford to carry a synthetic bag.

The Venom 400 looks pretty decent, seems to be going for about £120 at the moment though. My current bag is a Vango Ultralite 100 which has a comfort temperature of 10 degrees C. Used it in Scotland in early September last year and felt a bit cold in it, so I think I'm going to need a bag rated to 0 degrees comfort.

I have had a look at the Alpkit bags. They look excellent for the money, my only concern is that they might be a bit warm, although like you say, you can just unzip it a bit to cool down. I'll hold out on making a purchase to hear how you get on with it in Wales.

Might be worth mentioning that I'm 6ft 2, and don't like to feel like I'm wearing a straight jacket. Had another look at the Nanok Comfort 0 and noticed it's only 185cm long, so looks like that's out of the question now.

 

[qsalister]

Shewie, I suppose my upper limit is £150. I want to get a sleeping bag and a matt for sub £200.

 

[Shewie]

With that kind of money you can't beat an Alpkit Pipedream 400, compare the specs to all the other bag manufacturers and Alpkit is a no brainer every time.

Like you say you can unzip the bag if it's too warm, even using it as a quilt with the footbox still zipped up. They're not mega warm and I'm slightly sceptical of their rating for this one but it's still my choice of bag after March onwards.

PHD have a sale on at the moment, their Minim 300 at £172 is a great buy

 

[qsalister]

The minim 300 does look like a good bag, but once I add the extra 7.5% for the long version it gets a bit too pricey for me.

Reckon I'm almost certainly going for an Alpkit Pipedream 400 or 600, or maybe the SkyeHigh 600. The fact that you say they aren't mega warm is good as well, it should give me a suitable bag for use between 0-20 degrees without getting too hot at the higher end of the temperature range.

Cheers all for the replies.

 

[Harb505]

Cheers for the replies.
I have had a look at the Alpkit bags. They look excellent for the money, my only concern is that they might be a bit warm, although like you say, you can just unzip it a bit to cool down. I'll hold out on making a purchase to hear how you get on with it in Wales.

Might be worth mentioning that I'm 6ft 2, and don't like to feel like I'm wearing a straight jacket. Had another look at the Nanok Comfort 0 and noticed it's only 185cm long, so looks like that's out of the question now.

I must admit I'm 6ft 1 and the PD 600 is a snug fit at that, you might be able to squeeze another inch in it but maybe a skyhigh would be a better option as you can order them in a larger size.

 

[Mastino]

Hi qsalister, whatever you do: do not forget the mosquito netting....

 

[qsalister]

Yeah I've heard the mozies are pretty bad over there. I've been looking at something like This to use with my tarp.

 

[spandit]

The Carinthia Tropen has a built in mozzie net. You'd need a liner to increase the rating, I think, but for a synthetic bag it's light & compact

 

[ateallthepies]

I have just got back from a camping trip in Wales and used my new Alpkit PD 400.

Not sure of the temperatures but Saturday night I was just in my boxers and was a little cold at times but I did keep rolling off my sleep mat and ending up laying straight on the cold ground sheet.

Sunday night I wore a set of thermal long Johns a top, socks and a woolly hat. This time I was as warm as toast and there was a thick frost in the early hours.

Last night I wore the same clothes and just used the sleeping bag as a quilt and laid just on the Alpkit Aero mat and was fine.

I think the Pipedream 400 will be fine for lower single digit temperatures and for spring and summer use as a quilt if need be but around zero degrees C and lower the 600 or 800 may be a better bet or maybe I just need to quit breakdancing off the mat in the night?

Steve.

 

[forestwalker]

The Carinthia Tropen has a built in mozzie net. You'd need a liner to increase the rating, I think, but for a synthetic bag it's light & compact

The problem with a built in net is that if it is warm you will have the choice between being eaten and drowning in your own sweat.

Last summer I used a hammock with mosquite netting (Hennesy), and inside it I could unzip the bag as much as I wanted, even sleeping naked on top of it a few very warm nights. For an alternative I would suggst (assuming that you are not in a tent with good netting) a poly-cotton bivy with mossie net, or one of the netting "boxes" that can be bought for a couple of tenners (make sure it is mozzie proof, the "tropical" ones are not!). I also made a big bag of mossie netting (about 150 cm square), with an elastic drawcord and some loops of cord for rigging the net.

Of course, for many years I just tossed a shemagh over the opening of my sleeping bag and was happy with that, so it is possible to just mainly ignore the problem.

 

[qsalister]

Cheers for all the advice.

Just to let everyone know that I ordered an Alpkit PipeDream 400 which arrived yesterday. It looks like a very decent bag for the money, I'll be putting it to the test next week.

 

[Harb505]

Just got back from Wales, Pipe dream 600 was very good, warm and comfortable but it picked up a little moisture from some where last night, still not sure where as the inside of the bivi bag was dry. maybe just moisture in the air as my tarp was in a fairly exposed location and the wind was driving the rain/ drizzle in several directions in addition I went to the toilet about 4 in the morning so my clothing maybe picked up more rain than I though either way it killed the loft in my bag and I was a little cold towards the morning. But the bag seems well made is like I said very warm if kept dry. Once you have got it into its stuff sack and pulled down the compression sack I found it very very useful to then put it into a large dry bag to ensure it stays dry while its in your pack.
Enjoy your purchase!

 

[Wayland]

Mozi net and a blindfold will be your main requirements.

Beyond that a blanket was all I needed on the nights I was out on Lofoten in the summer.

 

[qsalister]

Thanks for the review Harb.

Waylander, I still need to sort myself out with a blindfold. Thanks for reminding me. I expect to spend a week or two in the Lofoten Islands depending on how my trip progresses, looks like an incredible place.