What sleeping bag??

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

MikeTetra

Full Member
Jul 11, 2023
12
3
41
Halifax
Hi all,
I'm looking for a sleeping bag for the summer months, I use a carinthia defence 4 usually, which I really like,.and am happy to carry for the cold months, but it's pack size is a bit on the big size and I'd like to get my pack smaller.
Any recommendations for a nice summer bag??
Cheers Mike
 

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,783
549
Off the beaten track
I suppose you have to decide if you want down, synthetic or synthetic down? Myself, I’m allergic to down (even the hypoallergenic types) so I use a primaloft which I find is a fantastic synthetic down. I wouldn’t say it packs down as small as an equivalent natural down but it’s pretty small, and I don’t have to worry so much if it gets damp.

Also do you have a budget in mind?
 

MikeTetra

Full Member
Jul 11, 2023
12
3
41
Halifax
Ah ok, that's worth a nosey, I saw the snugpak jungle bag, does anyone have any experience with those?
As for budget, I'm not sure, id like not to spend loads of money, but also I'm happy to invest in quality kit, that said I'm not hiking and gram counting so that's not a big deal, really just something decent quality that packs down to a reasonable size.
 

Ozmundo

Full Member
Jan 15, 2023
374
278
47
Sussex
I use an old issue British Army Jungle bag, pretty versatile and the Snugpak thing looks similar. The reviews I've seen suggest it's a little heavier than a poncho liner. The latter I only use in very warm conditions.

Jungle bag rolle loose in a drybag. The compression sack will make us about 2/3 the volume. 2L bottle for scale.

5FDC9F1E-D8BB-440B-9DA8-DAAD45B2404A.jpeg

The lining is soft and not shines. Square foot and single direction chunky zip.

EE07B743-5EA5-4490-B1E3-EAA1C0C40914.jpeg

No idea on weight.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MikeTetra

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,783
549
Off the beaten track
Jungle bags are ok. But really only for a warm summers night over here.

I used to use a mammut bag, which has ajungilak insulation. Another one to have a look at for you, I think they were around £50.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeTetra

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,428
619
Knowhere
Ah ok, that's worth a nosey, I saw the snugpak jungle bag, does anyone have any experience with those?
As for budget, I'm not sure, id like not to spend loads of money, but also I'm happy to invest in quality kit, that said I'm not hiking and gram counting so that's not a big deal, really just something decent quality that packs down to a reasonable size.
They are ok if you have something to supplement them with if it gets a bit chilly, either an old army blanket, or a cheapo supermarket sleeping bag on the inside as there is plenty of room for that. I do like the mosquito net on the jungle bag. They are definately not for the colder seasons though.
 

Kav

Nomad
Mar 28, 2021
452
358
70
California
Varusteleka can’t ship Carinthia to the USA. I inquired and it’s a matter of a US distributor, yet they never answered my inquiry who the hell it is. If you like the 4, check out the two summer bags and you now have a winter option using as an insert.
 

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,783
549
Off the beaten track
They are ok if you have something to supplement them with if it gets a bit chilly, either an old army blanket, or a cheapo supermarket sleeping bag on the inside as there is plenty of room for that. I do like the mosquito net on the jungle bag. They are definately not for the colder seasons though.

Trouble with that is you’re now out of the realm of this being a lighter weight, space saving option.
 

Scottieoutdoors

Settler
Oct 22, 2020
852
608
Devon
For me, given the UK is predominantly chilly and I suffer from buyers guilt, I didn't want to purchase something that cost more than a bunch of squids for the handful of occasions I used it. So we (wife-o and I) both got some cheapo supermarket ones - lidl possibly? Often used in conjunction with jumper/hat/shemagh/layers if it gets chilly... Squishes up into the size of a small melon and weighs next to nothing....
I find the layers and various other warm things can be used whenever during a trip (evening time etc) anyway, so makes it easy for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Broch

gg012

Full Member
Sep 23, 2022
377
214
43
SE
Ah ok, that's worth a nosey, I saw the snugpak jungle bag, does anyone have any experience with those?
As for budget, I'm not sure, id like not to spend loads of money, but also I'm happy to invest in quality kit, that said I'm not hiking and gram counting so that's not a big deal, really just something decent quality that packs down to a reasonable size.
I use a jungle bag all summer, and into spring and autumn if it's not too cold. Really nice and light, roomy and there's a mossie net built in.

Sent from underground
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,767
Berlin
And there is an elastic draw string around the hood of the jungle bag that degrades in a couple of years and afterwards it doesn't work properly anymore. Of course its sewn in.
If you wash in foreign standard washing machines where you can't control the spin dry speed the thread will pull out the fabric. The temperature recommendation of all sleeping bags assumes that you wear thermal base layers in your sleeping bag, yes, they have to assume that you wear winter underwear in your summer sleeping bag in order to keep the bags comparable under each other. That means, that the jungle bag is indeed meant for real jungle. Or Mediterranean high summer conditions.

The Snugpak Special Forces 1 is made in Britain according to military specifications, fits perfectly with the Snugpak Special Forces bivvy bag and both together into the issued British army summer sleeping bag compression bag or a 8 litres Snugpak drybag or a 7 Litres Ortlieb PS10 dry bag.
I used the combination really often, surely 1000 nights or more, and highly recommend it.
The Snugpak Jungle Bag is a disposable Asian made low budget offer. You have to pay attention where the Snugpak equipment is made. If it's Asian made, it's for entry level recreational use, if it's UK made it's the best of the best you can get, constructed for professional use, and regarding the still pretty low prices the far better deal than their imported stuff.

The Snugpak Special Forces 1 has a central zipper and no moskito net. It's part of the Special Forces Sleep System that stands in competition with the Carinthia offers.

The superior jungle bag is the Carinthia Tropen though, that's issued in the German army. It has an inbuilt mosquito net and the temperature recommendation fits like the Snugpak SF1 to middle European summer temperatures. 5°C in winter underwear means approximately 10°C in shorts and t-shirt, and that's what you surely need for summer hikes in Britain.

Once I did wear in the Snugpak Jungle Bag polycotton shorts, breefs, t-shirt, short sleeved shirt and light fleece jacket with thin socks and had a pretty cold night in Bergerac, next to Bordeaux in the end of July! Unfortunately I hadn't much more with me.

I used the Snugpak SF1 this whet and cold July in Brittany and it was fine like last year over there, where we had much higher temperatures. Without clothing I can use it well in south France during the summer, but also with the clothing of the day apart from waterproofs worn in it, it serves me down to the freezing point, I suggest to be a bit careful in that case and assume rather 5°C as the limit if you aren't used to be outdoors all year round and not very experienced. There are some winter camping tricks to learn if you want.

In your case, because you already own the Defence 4 I rather suggest to have a look at the Tropen and a used German Army bivvy bag, if you don't want to buy a new one from Carinthia. The Dutch M90 bivvy bag or issued British army bivvy bag should work fine as well, but the German one is better constructed than the old Dutch one and more comfortable to enter than the much cheaper but also very good British one.
Youngsters can get the British one, grandpas are better served with the German one due to its central zipper. Such a Goretex bivvy bag has a pretty long life time, by the way. If you are already 40 years old think about the German one!

If it gets really cold you can put the Tropen into the Defence 4 and both into such a large military bivvy bag and you will sleep like in a heated room, also on snow.

It's hard to tell if the Snugpak SF system or Carinthia Tropen + Defence 4 is the better option. They are very similar but have different constructions for a different use in similar temperatures.

Of course you can also combine the Snugpak SF1 with the Defence 4. But I am unsure if the Snugpak SF bivvy bag will fit correctly over the Defence 4 if there is an outgrown man in padded army suit and the Tropen inside.

I think I would stick with the Carinthia system if I would have already the Defence 4. The most important difference is the mosquito net in the Tropen construction. It's up to you to decide if just an additional head net would serve you as well. In my case it does, but we don't have so many midges in most parts of Germany most of the year.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gg012

Watch-keeper

Life Member
Sep 3, 2013
93
50
London
I vote for the Carinthia Defence 1, light compact , well made, water resistant outer and roomy interior. I move a lot during sleep so having a decent amount of room on inside the bag is a bonus for me. Not used the tropen or snugpak so cant comment those but snugpak has a good reputation.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,767
Berlin
Yes, the Defence 1 is another good option.
You can put also that into the Defence 4 if you want to.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE