snugpak bag - do they do what they say on the tin?

[treadlightly]

I've just bought a snugpak micro sleeping bag for light backpacking through spring-autumn.

Beef number 1.

Snugpak said it was 800g yet when I weighed it on my kitchen scales without its suffsack it weighed 1kg.

Beef number 2.

I tried it out for the first time last night. Its comfort temperature rating is 5C and the temp in my tent wqas 11C so I thought there would be no problem especially as I had decent insulation underneath and was wearing a merino jumper, thermal longjohns and socks. Wrong. Although I normally sleep warm, I woke pretty cold in the small hours and needed to don my down jacket.
I'm a bit disappopinted but will try it again tonight this time with a silk liner and see how it goes.

I wondered if others have had similar experiences with snugpak and if there is any comeback we can use if manufacturers make claims for their products which are clearly misleading.

 

[EdS]

never had a problem with mine.

 

[Graham_S]

I thought the weight rating was the weight of the filling only?
And Snugpack have a rep for having "generous" temp ratings.

 

[Mastino]

Same here, I've got the Merlin and with some 10 degrees I felt cold (in a tent, thermarest underneath). I use the bag as a liner these days...

 

[Doc]

I have found snugpak bags to be well made and warm for the weight and tiny pack size. However;
1) The temp ratings are, IMHO, optimistic.
2) People differ so much that you cannot rely too much on other folks recommendations. You really have to try it and see.

I have a Softie 6. I've used it in a tent and it is just about tolerable down to zero, and pretty comfortable down to plus 5. It is very small: http://www.awe-outdoors.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=28

I think that is fairly good for a 1.5kg bag that packs down so small. I'm very pleased with it. The makers claim comfort at zero, extreme to -5. Well, if its minus five I'll be sleeping in something else, thanks very much.

This is not a new problem. The legendary outdoorsman Cal Rutstrum spent half his life in the wilderness. One of his friends was boasting about a sleeping bag that was manufacturer-rated to outdoor temperatures of minus 40 F. Rutstrums response was 'You mean if used in a moderately heated tent?' His scepticism proved to be entirely justified.

 

[nickg]

I have recently bought a SF Combo in preparation for a norway trip in january the SF1 is supposed to be comfort +7 but my feet got a bit cold at the bushmoot, although i had no decent undeblanket. last weekend i tried out the SF2 and i was toastie. both of these in a henessy. I think the rating are a little optimistic but i really havent found a bag that wasnt.
I do love the centre zip for a hammock though, especially when you wake uo in the middle of the night with a calf muscle cramp (Good Game)

Cheers
Nick

 

[Zammo]

I think it's widely regarded that Snugpak sleeping bags are very over optimistic with regards temp ratings, however there size is a real bonus. The main alternative seems to be the Nanok Endurance range that has very good temp ratings but they are very big even when fully compressed.

 

[Atomic Bimbler]

I have found that if you give them a good shake when you unpack them they seem warmer. You need to get air back in the stuffing.

 

[Squidders]

There are lies, there are damn lies and there are snugpak sleeping bag temperature ratings

 

[Arth]

Bags are like tents when they say 2 berth go for 3 berth. the same as bags always go for one spec higher.

 

[commandocal]

I know the Snugpack temp ratings are highly exagedrated. I have the original sleeka Snugpack jacket and its bloody freezing at anything lower than 5C only time ive been warm in it is in the bloody summer!

 

[Squidders]

Bags are like tents when they say 2 berth go for 3 berth. the same as bags always go for one spec higher.

not true for buffalo bags... or brit army ones at that

 

[EdS]

I know the Snugpack temp ratings are highly exagedrated. I have the original sleeka Snugpack jacket and its bloody freezing at anything lower than 5C only time ive been warm in it is in the bloody summer!

don't even get my Black on Black (now Sasquach) out until below freezing

 

[stevec]

I have a softie 6 in tasteful OG, that i have just decided to retire, the filling does go with age, the loft isn't anywhere as good as it used to be. 10 years ago it was a great bag, and suited me fine, but i do sleep warm, i went camping in may/june and the campsite was in a hollow and i woke up bl**$y freezing, time for a new bag. go outdoors have some ME bags on offer (firewalkers 1-3 and classic 600 down bag) i went for a down bag this time.

on the subject of snugpac i seem to recall that there was a large debate about them on equipped.com, and that chris kavanah(member here too) used a wiggy's bag.

all in all i aggree with previous posts. a little optimistic, but nothing i couldn't live with till recently.

steve

 

[Jedadiah]

I know the Snugpack temp ratings are highly exagedrated. I have the original sleeka Snugpack jacket and its bloody freezing at anything lower than 5C only time ive been warm in it is in the bloody summer!

Never had a problem with any of my Snugpak Sleeka Jackets. Been on Op's in some VERY cold places and they have served me well.

My Softie 6 sleeping bag never gave me cause for concern with regards to warmth but i never kept it in it's stuff sack unless it was being used in my bergan. When it was not in use, i kept it in a forces issue net laundry bag. It keeps it secure in one place but not compacted so the filling was not compressed and therefore did not stay compressed when opened. One tip i picked up was to get the bag out and give it a good shake, then leave it open and out for a week before use. This allows the loft to open.

The only problem i had with it was that i found it a little too constrictive size wise. It was too tight around my torso and upper body. Then i got an expanda panel and found it was too loose around the upper body but still tight around my lower legs and ankles. It's probably just my wierd dimensions!

 

[Spacemonkey]

The Snugpak Antarctica 18s that i sell regularily on eBay are VERY warm... My Softie Elite 3 I got from a member on here has served me very well too- much warmer than I thoght it would be..