Sleeping bags - What does £60 buy?

[Buster80]

So it see that I'm being a tad ambitious with £60 for a bag that does it all.

Couple of things.

Just purchased the highlander so don't really want to fork out more for another pack and I do have a 65ltr if I really have to carry lots but I'm trying to experiment with going lighter.

I think the old adage of buy once buy right (something like that?) seems to apply to sleeping bags.

So new plan

Keep saving, up to the £100 ish mark for a really decent bag that will do for as many seasons as poss.

I just found my old army warm weather sleeping bag (same as the jungle bag?) , it was stuffed into a rucksack which I don't use, so I'm thinking of using this just now and through summer.

Can still be a bit chilly in the night/morning just now is there any easy way to boost the warmth when using this bag??

My first thought was again to pack a wool blanket as well as the warm weather bag.

Second thought was more about was under the ground, under my body in a hammock,so a sleeping pad of some type,I have heard good things about the British army roll mat (I do like army gear!) but this is a bulky option and maybe not keeping with lightening the load nor fit the 33ltr.

Thanks as always.

Buster

 

[mountainm]

I couldn't do an overnighter (comfortably) with a 33l bag unless there was food and water supplied, and absolute confidence on the weather. Factor in a tarp/bivvy bag, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, cooking gear, spare warm clothes/rain gear. 1 - 2 litres of water, food, first aid kit, fire lighting gear and that bag is overflowing.

Personally I'd rather underfill a much bigger bag than be playing Tetris on the morning I'm leaving camp with a tiny bag. Especially in the rain.

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[bilmo-p5]

You can boost a Summer bag by adding a liner (or 2). Some folk like the silk ones but they leave me cold. Argos do a nice polyester one for about a tenner which works well for me. Snugpak have what they call a Thermalon liner, which is a 6' long tube of brushed, knitted polyester. A bit short for me but a very good liner IMO. None of them take up much space.

 

[nic a char]

compression sack

 

[nic a char]

mine's very light

 

[Buster80]

I meant to add I often carry a S10 respirator bag as well as the day sack,food/water/cooker goes in S10 and everything else in goes in day sack.

I will have a look at those liners,cheers.

Buster

 

[Barney Rubble]

Good idea about increasing your budget. Will open up a load of new options for you.

You should have no worries getting your gear into a 33l pack. I know this because I've done an overnighter in February using the smaller forces 25 pack. I was warm, comfortable and ate very well indeed. I did a trip report and kit write up on here to show how I did it (check my previous threads). The only difference between you and I is that I'm a southerner from Kent and can get away with using a 3 season bag all year round. Scotland will be a different story in winter but if I was you I'd hold on to the arctic bag for winter camping and get a new bag that will be used for the rest of the year.

 

[mountainm]

Good idea about increasing your budget. Will open up a load of new options for you.

You should have no worries getting your gear into a 33l pack. I know this because I've done an overnighter in February using the smaller forces 25 pack. I was warm, comfortable and ate very well indeed. I did a trip report and kit write up on here to show how I did it (check my previous threads). The only difference between you and I is that I'm a southerner from Kent and can get away with using a 3 season bag all year round. Scotland will be a different story in winter but if I was you I'd hold on to the arctic bag for winter camping and get a new bag that will be used for the rest of the year.

Did it all go in the bag. Or did you strap stuff to it?

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[Buster80]

I just found you report,glad I'm not the only one to do an overnight with a day pack!

That ridge rest looks interesting,has anyone tried it compared to the British army roll mat??

Buster

 

[Buster80]

I just found you report,glad I'm not the only one to do an overnight with a day pack!

That ridge rest looks interesting,has anyone tried it compared to the British army roll mat??

Buster

 

[Barney Rubble]

Yep all the gear went in the bag with just one exception - my foam roll mat which i strapped to the Base. The ridgerest is great, it's bulky but very light, it'll never let you down and also great at keeping you warm. Works well in a hammock too (albeit not as good as an underblanket imho). Obviously not as comfy as an inflatable mat but that's where you use a bit of bushcrafty knowledge to create a leaf litter mattress (or whatever material you have available).

 

[Old Bones]

The warm weather bag sounds a great option for summer. You can make it a bit warmer by a decent self inflating mat - Alpkit does the Aero 180 for £45, and is well thought of, but something like a Multimat, Vango, ME, etc would all be fine - the more you pay the lighter/wamer/more comfortable it becomes. Army rollmats are not especially comfortable, and there is no way I'd go back to one if I could help it.You can boost it a little by putting a barrier between the ground and the mat - radiator backing sheet is popular and cheap.

And if its been compressed for a long time, the bag might be lofted up a bit by just washing it.

 

[Buster80]

Hi

Some I'm hopeless at adding pics here so I thought I'd add my thoughts on a blog

http://manyroadswandered.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

This is my current setup until I receive the funds to but new gear.

Buster

 

[Laurence Milton]

£60???? 6 Czech bedrolls!

Or a selection of military surplus M90, M95, (European variations) possibly Carinthia 4 surplus for a little more...............

I use both a Czech bedroll and a ex British Army M90 pattern bag. The latter cost £20, but I've added a compression sack, liner and bivvy....total £50 The Czech bedroll £9.99,
although finding good ones is now hard. Extra fitted blankets are or were available for £5 (All obtained from MilitaryMart)

Taking this further...day pack £13..LK 35 sack...bigger? £40, ALICE, med or large.
Self inflating pad...£10 Trail from Thisisit Stores also online..............