Winter Sleeping Bags - any help much appreciated

[Vonduffer]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for a decent and cost effective winter sleeping bag, something i can use in the UK and can handle cold winters in Scotland for a wild camping so circa -15. I need a bag that is both small and lightweight, budget for the bag around £200 ish, I also need a sleeping mat as well and my sleep system will be used inside my tent.

The makes I am considering are: Alpkit, Summiteer and Outdoor Vitals. These all look decent apart from the OV which I understand is quite a new brand but they do ship to the UK, Alpkit had a great reputation and Summiteer also looks good. I have read the reviews and think I have got my head around all the tech about filling technicalities, types of down etc etc but would really like to hear peoples real life views.

One option I was considering was getting an Alpkit Skyehigh 900 + Hunka XL + Thermarest NeoAir Xtreme + Alpkit Masson sleeping bag liner, would this work? It might seem overkill but I don't want to get cold or wet.

Any helps, views, opinions or experiences very much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Richard

 

[Bushcraftsman]

Lamina Z Flame and thermarest Neoair Xlite mate...3"inflatable matt that packs down to the size of your hand. The lamina is an awesome bit of kit!

 

[greg.g]

I have a Snugpak elite 3 which I really like. Supposedly comfort down to -5 , but they also do an elite 4. You could also consider a surplus artic sleeping bag or similar. Mat wise, it would be hard to beat the Neoair Xlite.

 

[petrochemicals]

I have seen the rab synthetic ones in snow and rock and the year
Look nice and lofty. That would be my choice in a bivvy.

In a tent I would go for down and a sleeping bag gore text cover , lightweight very breathable but not waterproof, helps stop heat loss through wind. As for choice of down bag first decide how much you need it to be lightweight and small,(as a rule of thumb) with down the more you pay the smaller and lighter it gets. For general camping/hiking at -15 less expensive should do, it's when you are climbing or somewhere very very cold you will notice the weight/size difference.

 

[Robson Valley]

Look at the fill rate. One oz fiber should loft into XXX space. For winter, look at 700-fill to 900-fill fiber. eg one oz fiber lofts to 700 cubic inches.
My best bag is barrel-shaped so I have lots of wiggle room in the middle. The bottom half is synthetic (short staple) that won't compress if damp.
The top side of the bag, the hood and the zipper tube are all natural goose down. I think a wind shell is a very good plan, even in a tent.

Get off the ground. Go to great lengths to stay dry.

 

[Tonyuk]

Another vote for the lamina by mountain equipment;

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/mountain-hardwear-lamina-z-torch-sleeping-bag-d2232281?id_colour=108

Personally i'd avoid down for UK winter weather since its likely to get damp if your out for a few nights, especially if you join us up in Scotland. A surplus bag would be fine for -15 also but wont be as compact, but they're only about £20 on ebay.

If you go with the lamina you could also get the alpkit dirtbag sleeping mat;

https://www.alpkit.com/products/dirtbag

For a total of £210 you have a system that would probably go down past -20 with decent clothing + bivvy + shelter. The dirtbag is by far the best mat i've used and thicker than most others out there making it a bit more comfortable as well as feel a bit warmer, a good bivvy bag is also essential imho (even in a tent) and i would reccoemnd the new issue mtp bivvy, they're about £40 ish and are excellent.

Remember to have something warm to eat & drink before you get in the bag, if its properly brass monkeys i like to have a high fat snack such as a few pepperamines and some nuts before i get a sleep, since fats are harder for your body to digest it'll generate a bit more heat through the night. A bottle full of hot water put in the bag before you get in makes a difference too, plus a pee bottle that you can use in the bag. Use wet/dry routine if your clothes haven't dried before you get in the bag.

Tonyuk

 

[IC_Rafe]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for a decent and cost effective winter sleeping bag, something i can use in the UK and can handle cold winters in Scotland for a wild camping so circa -15. I need a bag that is both small and lightweight, budget for the bag around £200 ish, I also need a sleeping mat as well and my sleep system will be used inside my tent.

The makes I am considering are: Alpkit, Summiteer and Outdoor Vitals. These all look decent apart from the OV which I understand is quite a new brand but they do ship to the UK, Alpkit had a great reputation and Summiteer also looks good. I have read the reviews and think I have got my head around all the tech about filling technicalities, types of down etc etc but would really like to hear peoples real life views.

One option I was considering was getting an Alpkit Skyehigh 900 + Hunka XL + Thermarest NeoAir Xtreme + Alpkit Masson sleeping bag liner, would this work? It might seem overkill but I don't want to get cold or wet.

Any helps, views, opinions or experiences very much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Richard

Another one for the standard reply .

Cost, Quality, Bulk. Choose 2. If you ever find something high quality, lightweight and cheap, you'll have revolutionized the modern world .

What i can suggest, is the Carinthia Defence 4. It's pretty cheap, well made, but a bit bulky and heavy (2kg on my scales for the medium if i remember correctly). It's also in your price range, and is big enough to take another sleeping bag inside (meant to be used with the Tropen when the temperatures dip further). However i don't know how warm you sleep so can't know if that'll work for you. It works for me, but i sleep warm.

Sleeping mat i use the Vaude Norrsken (or however it's written), and i'd suggest it. Good R value, insulated, light, not too big (there's smaller/lighter and/or more insulated, but you'll pay a lot more. See the choose 2 comment i made above).

If you're using a tent, why would you use the hunka XL. That's just pure overkill. I'd say: try to carry all that, and your clothes, and your food, fuel, basically everything you'll take on a trip, add in water, and go for a walk . You'll quickly notice why people pay a bit more for lighter gear . Trust your tent to keep you dry, use a waterproof pack liner (if need be, a trash bag, cheap and works well) to keep your insulation dry.

 

[srod]

Personally i'd avoid down for UK winter weather since its likely to get damp if your out for a few nights, especially if you join us up in Scotland.

That is advice I am inclined to agree with and intend to test later this year.

I did a 4 night trip in March (in Scotland), 3-season 1300g down bag and bivvy bag. It was dry the whole time, night time temps were around 0C. First night was great but by the 3rd night I was effing freezing due to amount of condensation and dew that had collected inside the bag(s), no opportunities to dry anything out. Luckily I scored a bothy on the 4th night (which was empty woohoo)!

I've been looking at the Snugpak Softie 9 or 12, but those Lamina bags look pretty good too. Yet to buy and try though.

 

[IC_Rafe]

That is advice I am inclined to agree with and intend to test later this year.

I did a 4 night trip in March (in Scotland), 3-season 1300g down bag and bivvy bag. It was dry the whole time, night time temps were around 0C. First night was great but by the 3rd night I was effing freezing due to amount of condensation and dew that had collected inside the bag(s), no opportunities to dry anything out. Luckily I scored a bothy on the 4th night (which was empty woohoo)!

I've been looking at the Snugpak Softie 9 or 12, but those Lamina bags look pretty good too. Yet to buy and try though.

Could you include the rating of your bag, the breathability of your bivy, how warm you were (were you sweating a bit into your bag) and all those things? People in worse conditions manage to keep their down dry. There is also treated down, which is effected less by moist conditions. With a synthetic bag you also don't want to get it wet, i'd think you'd have had the same problems. Hell, it can be something as simple as some extra wind making you a bit colder, or a meal which digested easier keeping you a bit less warm.

 

[srod]

Could you include the rating of your bag, the breathability of your bivy, how warm you were (were you sweating a bit into your bag) and all those things? People in worse conditions manage to keep their down dry. There is also treated down, which is effected less by moist conditions. With a synthetic bag you also don't want to get it wet, i'd think you'd have had the same problems. Hell, it can be something as simple as some extra wind making you a bit colder, or a meal which digested easier keeping you a bit less warm.

I can't remember the rating, hence just quoting the weight which is all I have to go on when comparing to other bags when looking for something better. It was used in a goretex bivvy bag. Certainly wasn't sweating inside, although I was having to tuck right in to escape the early morning dew, so plenty of moisture from breath. You are correct, there are many other factors to take into account, lots of calories burned during the day. Given that the general advice I have read is along the lines of synthetic being better when wet, and that the bag will be used mostly on sea-kayak trips, in Scotland, I'd decided to go down this route (also a lot cheaper, pack weight and volume less of an issue).

 

[andywragg]

Take a look at the British army modular sleep system, in particular the Medium weight bag, which is basically a clone of the Corinthia Defence 4. Its a great bag. Not light or small but very warm and designed to take a beating. Prices are £30 - £50 depending on weather you buy used or new/unissued.

 

[petrochemicals]

Could you include the rating of your bag, the breathability of your bivy, how warm you were (were you sweating a bit into your bag) and all those things? People in worse conditions manage to keep their down dry. There is also treated down, which is effected less by moist conditions. With a synthetic bag you also don't want to get it wet, i'd think you'd have had the same problems. Hell, it can be something as simple as some extra wind making you a bit colder, or a meal which digested easier keeping you a bit less warm.

I've been in a standard down bag in snowdonia in January,, in a waterproof tent not in a bivvy with no condensation dripping and still the bag lost loft. damp iso pernicious and penetrating everything gets affected by it. In a bivvy it's even worse.