i have narrowed my sleeping bag choice down to these 3

im a newb when it comes to sleeping bags so just after a quick sanity check before i splash the cash

£119 1.5g Goose down
http://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/768113

£119 1.5g Synthetic
http://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/sleeping-bags/softie-9-hawk-sleeping-bag

£100 Duck down
http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/robens-caucasus-300-sleeping-bag-D2122090?id_colour=98&channel_code=110&s2m_product_id=66106_98&utm_source=google&_$ja=tsid:45886&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6My4BRD4ssKGvYvB-YsBEiQAJYd77UHwgD7r68DZAk1FrmnuxafPhkclRJwurTLYVkbpqEwaApXh8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

What will it be for? 1.5kg is heavy

Also, what will you be using it for? Down is awesome, but if it gets wet, it loses its insulation.

maybe i dont know can you repeat the question….

those are 3 very different bags imo.

identify end use first.

What will it be for? 1.5kg is heavy

is it ? i was after something lightish and fairly pack-able

Also, what will you be using it for? Down is awesome, but if it gets wet, it loses its insulation.

The main use is for a 9 day camping LEJOG trip in sept, it is supported so i only need to carry it at the start and finish.

max budget is £175

You doing the RAB?

Buy something like a MH Lamina 35. You’ll pick one up for less than half your budget. I’d go synthetic as you won’t get much of a chance to air it each day.

For the UK in September you don’t need a hood or even excess weight.

Although not available here in the UK a quick Internet search over the channel will find you your dream “quilt”
Just 350 grams, packs down tiny. I love mine for spring to autumn use and it’s in your budget.

http://sleepingbags-cumulus.eu/uk/categories/sleeping-systems/quilt-150?gid=53&vid=7

Unless you’re going to be in serious cold weather, I would go for a synthetic bag every time as once a down bag gets wet its next to useless and can be a pita to dry out. The disadvantages to many synth fill bags though is they can be a bit bulkier to pack to the equivalent warmth level down bag and some cheaper synth fills can clump up and not loft as well as down

Alpkit have got some nice cheap and light bags. I’ve got a pipedream 250 which packs to nowt and weighs 650g, if you prefer synthetic then the mountain ghost costs less again at £80 but is slightly heavier and bulkier.

I agree with others on synthetic for a 9 day trip.

Personally I always prefer a lightweight bag with lightweight down/synthetic jacket / vest / gilet. It’s much more versatile for round the camp, cooking, hanging around etc. it’s mostly your core that needs to keep warm.

don’t forget that the sleeping mat is as important, you lose loads of heat thru the floor if you get it wrong, the bag can become almost useless

I’d maybe buy something like this and a lightweight insulated jacket / gilet http://www.joe-brown.com/23174/products/mountain-equipment-starlight-i-sleeping-bag.aspx

Personally I always prefer a lightweight bag with lightweight down/synthetic jacket / vest / gilet. It’s much more versatile for round the camp, cooking, hanging around etc. it’s mostly your core that needs to keep warm.

good point but remember the jackets of more benifit stuffed in your bag rather than being worn though.

September in Scotland can be pretty cold.

i agree brick , i thought that was a very blanket statment aswell …..

if i was hitting the mountains or north coast in that 350gram bag in september(or even in june to be honest) id be nervously checking the weather forecast before doing so……..it has a time and a place i agree but to blanket statement says thats all you need for the uk in september is not good advice.

good point but remember the jackets of more benifit stuffed in your bag rather than being worn though.

Although I know what you’re getting at, I’m not sure i’d agree. One of the key things is not to have any air pockets or as few as possible. If you’re wearing the jacket then you have zero air pockets in that layer. Also I defy anyone to keep a loose jacket on top of them thru the whole night. The trade off of having some insulation compressed underneath you is worthwhile imo. Each to their own tho

You doing the RAB?

Yes

so it seems most are recommending a synthetic season 2, will that really be warm enough ?

That Lamina 35 I recommended is rated to 2C and I use mine on all but the coldest winter nights camping/bivvying.

Temperatures can dip quite significantly overnight at any time of year in Scotland. I’ve woken to frost in June, so you’ll need a minimum three season bag if you want to be comfortable.

Well im non the wiser lol, but i did camp out last night in an army issue bag and it was good, it was warm but not too hot, i did have the zip down a little, im not sure what season it is but its huge!

it seems most are recommending a synthetic season 2

For your stated end use either synthetic or down will work fine. For a given warmth down will be lighter and more packable and synthetic will be cheaper. Unless you are bivvying / have a really crap tent / weak bladder the whole down getting wet thing is a total red herring.

I agree with others on synthetic for a 9 day trip.

I would if I was bivvying, but in a tent/bothy down – stored in a waterproof stuffsac – is fine and has a better warmth to weight ratio. Hydrophobic down, now used by some brands including Rab, gives you a little more insurance against, say, an accidental spill in tent. That said, if you’re not actually the carrying the bag on the bike – which is what you seem to be saying – I’d just get something warm and not worry about the weight and bulk.

Mostly, with sleeping bags, you pay for lightness and packability. If you’re not bothered about those, pretty much any big fat bag will keep you warm.

I’ve now sold all my down bags on Ebay and just use synthetic. The ability to bung them in the wash every so often and not worry about having to use a liner (I’ve got very greasy skin) is a real bonus…

Your army bag is probably from Snugpak

If you want to err on the side of warmth, the Mountain Hardware Lamina 20 would be top of my list.

Should be around £100

I’ve loved my Lamina 35 as a 2 season bag, but have had the odd cold night when it dips down to 4 or 5 degrees at night.
They’re roomier than others and at the time they came out were in a class of their own for packable synthetics.

That’s assuming you’ve got some use for it post lejog.

what they said re pack size and if its a supported ride.

id look for something down to 0 comfort. i rarely use my ajungaluk tundra its a +2 comfort in the scotland now as it more often than not results in a cold night. Perfect on the continent in summer though

I have a snugpack traveler 2 which is good late spring through late autumn for me. how ever i finally went down when a bag that ive been out in down to -9 in comfort packs down to half the size even with a silk liner i had to conceed that it was better for my use. I do how ever double dry bag it ….

i slept out in a Kelty tuck 20 last night and loved it, especially the way you can put comfortably put your feet out of the bottom and the cut is roomy, it also packed a lot smaller than the army bag i tried last night and has a a pocket for my phone, problem is i cant find one in the UK

so its looking like the Alpkit are great value or the recomended Mountain hardware laminia. i have ruled out the SnugPak on the basis that they pack too big