I need a bag thats suitable for occasional wild camping (walking) spring and summer only (for now) any recommendations for a 6'1" bloke or is bivvy the way to go?
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Lightweight compact sleeping bags?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Cheers Michael - Anything a little more "cough" budget?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Alpkit range is spot on. Im 6' and theres plenty of room - decent price and better than a lot of more expensive ones ive tried.
Posted 2 years ago # -
dicky what have you got and is is it a regular or long? ooeeer missus (sorry but serious question)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Pipedream 600 I think in a regular length. It says max user length (no pun) is 6'1. Ive certainly never felt like there was only an inch left at the bottom of mine!! Highly recommended though. Problem is theyre out of stock at the moment but expecting them in anytime soon. Sign up to their reminder and they send you email as soon as they arrive. Top service from there as well. I'm sure if it was too short they'd swap it for you no problems.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ah yes thats the one i was looking at
ThanksPosted 2 years ago # -
If you want real budget, then Tesco is your man. I've got one of these:
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-7415.aspxI'm 6'3" and it's not quite long enough - I can fully fit in it, but ideally I'd have another couple of spare inches. As it were.
It's certainly warm enough for spring/summer use, and a bargain at under £40. I got mine because it was 25% off.
Posted 2 years ago # -
If I was buying new I'd definitely go Alpkit, however you do see some bargains on Ebay and that's where I picked up the Mountain Equipment one I use. It's under 700g and comfort to -5C. I'm a warm sleeper and have found it fine in temperatures a bit lower than that.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ntreid
Blimey I'd never thought of tescos!
thats incredibly cheap, even if you have to sleep in thermalsPosted 2 years ago # -
I had a look at those Tesco bags and they appear to be total crap, however I do know a couple of people that have them and like them. I'd possibly consider one as a 2nd layer for cold conditions, but not as my main bag. I've got one of the cheaper Vango down bags (225 I think) for summer use and it's much better made than the Tesco one and looked like it'd also be warmer. I've used the Vango down to about freezing, but I'm a warm sleeper.
Posted 2 years ago # -
steve I know I think I may spend a bit more to be sure of a good nights sleep I'm a warm sleeper too however
Posted 2 years ago # -
The new range from RAB is awesome!
Posted 2 years ago # -
IMO the only questions you should be asking are:
1) Which Alpkit bag suits best?
2) Do they have it in stock?Posted 2 years ago # -
steve you may well be right!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Alpkit make great bags, but for spring summer a synthetic bag might be better, especially if you are out for a couple of nights, damp down is heavy and stops insulating, plus the weight/packability difference isn't so great once your bag doesn't need to cope with sub freezing temps.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hmm
I am looking at this currentlyhttp://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16320&category_id=253
Posted 2 years ago # -
I expect that'd do the job - for a warm sleeper -5 comfort should be fine for 3-season use, although I'd be tempted to pay a little more and get the 800 if I had a lightweight summer bag as well.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Neutrino
400 920g
(32.5oz) 3/4 Saffron 2˚C
(36˚F) -4˚C
(25˚F) -20˚C
(-4˚F)Unless you have anti-freeze in your viens, imagine for one moment the difference between "comfort" at + 2 degrees and even -4. Then contemplate minus 20 degrees, in a bag that light.
I think you'd be long gone by then!
Have many of us even been in conditions of -10 or under?
That's what it was on top of Kili before dawn, likewise at the climbing hut below Mt Kenya's 2x summits.Don't get me wrong, I love Rab kit, I have an Atlas 600, but these sorts of figures are just rubbish.
EDIT: Just look at that! -10.6 FFS how stupid and misleading is that! Is that when the crash test dummy shattered? Point anything of a degree is indicative of some stupid figure plucked out of thin air by some 1/2 baked marketing dept.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The Tesco on is comfort of +3.8 but extreme of -10.6 and they're classing it as 2-3 season. It feels about as thick as a couple of layers of toilet paper and using in anywhere close to -10 would be suicide I think.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've used my tesco's one in the summer quite a few times. It was more than warm enough. Esp for 30 quid. That said I'd not be using it below about 5 degrees.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ewan are you the Guildford Ewan? If so there is no meat on you so it must be an OK bag!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Unless you have anti-freeze in your viens, imagine for one moment the difference between "comfort" at + 2 degrees and even -4. Then contemplate minus 20 degrees, in a bag that light.
I think you'd be long gone by then!
Have many of us even been in conditions of -10 or under?
That's what it was on top of Kili before dawn, likewise at the climbing hut below Mt Kenya's 2x summits.Don't get me wrong, I love Rab kit, I have an Atlas 600, but these sorts of figures are just rubbish.
EDIT: Just look at that! -10.6 FFS how stupid and misleading is that! Is that when the crash test dummy shattered? Point anything of a degree is indicative of some stupid figure plucked out of thin air by some 1/2 baked marketing dept.
Where do you get -10.6 from?
All of the new RAB bags are EN tested so I doubt any figures are 'plucked out of the air'. Thats the way the EN rating system works comfort, limit and extreme ie minimum temp before death!
EN ratings certainly arent the be all and end all when choosing a bag,(a really good mat would be a good start as well and knowing how cold you sleep) but at least there is an industry standard now so that people can no longer pluck figures out of the sky!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ti29er - Member
Neutrino
400 920g
(32.5oz) 3/4 Saffron 2˚C
(36˚F) -4˚C
(25˚F) -20˚C
(-4˚F)Unless you have anti-freeze in your viens, imagine for one moment the difference between "comfort" at + 2 degrees and even -4. Then contemplate minus 20 degrees, in a bag that light.
I think the -4c for a 400g down bag is about right for a comfy nights sleep. The -20c is a theoretical survival temp if you were caught out in the shit and wore all your stuff and were properly sheltered (i.e. in a tent). You would not have a very pleasant night
I've tested one of my bags to -27C in an industrial freezer as a promo for sponsors before a trip to Nepal. With the right kit, I was toasty warm. I do know the temps were actually lower on the hill during that trip but I had no way of measuring (thankfully) and again, we were warm enough due to very good kit.
Posted 2 years ago # -
If you're thinking of using a bivvy bag and doing multi-day trips, then I'd definitely avoid down. Once they're both wet, there won't be great deal of weight difference between down and synthetic - they'll both be heavy but down will be useless at keeping you warm.
I've used a Vango Ultralite 200 comfortably in UK summer plenty of times and uncomfortably at -5C (as an experiment - I didn't sleep well, but it wasn't dangerous). They're not that flashy, but they can be had for £35.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've got a Snugpak softie 3, goes down tiny in a drybag and is fine for spring/summer
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've used my tesco's one in the summer quite a few times. It was more than warm enough.
It's probably a decent choice for a cheap, light summer bag. No way it's 2/3 season though.
My Mountain Equipment bag is somewhere between 600-700g and experience indicates that for me at least it's comfort rating of -5C is about right. With clothes on inside the bag I reckon down to -10C would be acceptable and with my down jacket on as well I expect I'd survive lower without too mich trouble. It sacrifices a zip for light weight, which I find ok but others might not like.
My wife has a GoLite down bag she uses in the same conditions to me but it weighs a lot more but is undoubtedly much warmer. She's a cold sleeper though so what she regards as a 3 season bag I'd probably be happy in at the top of Mt. Everest!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thanks for the replys guys a bit more research is needed methinks
Posted 2 years ago # -
If you've got the money, there are bags at around 700gms with approx -3 Deg to -7 Deg rating. Mountain Equipment (ME) Dewline, PHD, Marmot Helium (or newer version). Top spec materials and filled with down feathers only hand plucked from around the ar$ehole of a lapland grey warbling duck. You get what you pay for in the down bag game.
Alpkit are good as a compromise tho, I suppose.
Posted 2 years ago #
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