Gonna bivvy next week in UK so needs to be warm enough

Needs to pack small and be light for bike

Needs to be in stock

Ideas?

Whats your budget?

Small, light, warm. I hope you have the cash.

Down is smallest/lightest but often frowned upon for bivvying as it suffers when damp. If you can get around this, look for a 4-season Rab, Mountain Hardware or Mountain Equipment bag.

I'd like to spend about £100 sale item etc. may go up if I have to but I am northern so prefer to be cold than poor

Alpkit Pipedream

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16415&category_id=253

Dave has beaten me too it. Nothing can get close to Alpkit for the money imo

druidh – Member
Small, light, warm. I hope you have the cash.

Down is smallest/lightest but often frowned upon for bivvying as it suffers when damp. If you can get around this, look for a 4-season Rab, Mountain Hardware or Mountain Equipment bag.

Well he aint gonna get any of those for £100!! 🙂 4 season might be a bit overkill as they'll be rated to -17c to -20c. You should be able to get away with 3 season and a bit of exra kit if temps do drop. 3 season are rated to -9c ish.

With your budget, I'd go for a decent synthetic bag rated to about -10c. Should be £70 – £100. Bigger and heavier than down but you'll need another ~£150 – £200 for that!

You could stay in a B&B for about £25 and spend the rest on beer 🙂

The Pipedream is a good bet.

I have a Mountain Equipment Dewline, which is under 700g. Its zipless though, but for £95 at the time I can live with that!

Difficult to see past the Pipedreams – lost of people on outdoorsmagic seem to rate them. Mountain Equipment and RAB also make excellent light/warm down bags – I have a ME one that packs very small and light but is comfort rated to -5C. It doesn't have a zip though, which not everyone likes. I've bivvied with it and it didn't get wet although I think it has some kind of water resistant outer fabric.

Agree Alpkit looks good value, there's a reason though <sniff> 😉

-3c might be a bit mean for winter though you might get away with it if it's mild next week. You could take a couple of fleeces and a hat etc to make up any shortfall and don't forget your mat.

If you're feeling spendy check out PHD 😯 Now they are proper sleeping bags….

It's projected to be down to -10C again next week (in East Central Scotland anyway).

-9 (-27 extreme)

-5 (-15 extreme)

-7

-6 (extreme -25)

If I were buying, I'd go for the Ajungilak or the Mountain Hardware bag. The Vango's are a bit, errrm, cheap and the Dewline is only 300g fill weight. I wouldn't trust that much below zero (if that)… The Lamina looks light for a synthetic at that rating…

I think it's the Dewline I've got (the -5 line above) – I've been very happy with it, including in sub-zero temperatures.

I've got one of the Vango down bags as well (the 225 I think) which is a decent bag for the cash but more of a 2-season bag.

The idea with lighter bags is you supplement them with a down jacket or similar.

The ME bag is tiny and a featherweight compaired to the Ajungilak- depends how compact you need.

Dewline here

Sorry ES, dint mean to be rude about your bags. It's just -5c for a 300g fill weight bag without additional clothing is usually a bit optimistic…

If the OP buys one of the lighter bags on the basis of suplementing it with a down jacket, he'll need to find another ~£100. 🙁

I've got a Pipedream 600 and I love it, great bag for autumn and winter bivvies. Have a Marmot Helium as well for summer stuff.

I've got a Mountain Hardwear Lamina 0…

Spot on IMHO..

Boblo, agree regarding budget- but I'd rather carry a tiny bag + a down jacket than a monster synthetic bag!

Vango bag is a recommended DoE one- pops up in Trail mag.

Pipedream 600 = Out of stock, Helium = £££'s 🙂

Sorry ES, dint mean to be rude about your bags. It's just -5c for a 300g fill weight bag without additional clothing is usually a bit optimistic…

I didn't believe it was -5 either until I tried it. I'm quite a warm sleeper though. I've even used the Vango at sub-zero temperatures (although with clothes on, which wouldn't have been necessary with the Dewline).

In the same conditions my wife uses a down Go-Lite bag which probably 50% heavier – she's quite a cold sleeper though.

Right I knew about the PD 400 and was maybe looking for alternatives, I think if the 600 was in stock it would be the one to have.

So knowbody know of any proper bargains

Arguably not the best time to be looking for a cheap winter bag 😉

You may have detectd, I'm a bit of a bag bore:

PHD Mimim 300 ~0c
PHD Hispar 500 claimed -15c!
ME Snowline ~-17c
ME Redline Gore-Tex ~-35c

And an ancient synthetic thing for car camping.

You could buy a nice boik with that little lot!!

Might be worth keeping an eye on Ebay. I think I paid something like £45 for my Dewline (it was listed with a buy-it-now byt someone who probably didn't realise what it was worth).

There are a few decent down bags on there at the moment.

okay ebay this look any good?

So if you *must* buy this week and need a compact down bag for ~£100, looks like the PD400 is your only option or cross yer fingers for a fleabay bargain.

Shame, I sold a VGC Mountain Equipment Lightline for your budget a couple of days ago 🙁

That's the sort of thing; something around 500g fill down = ~-5c to ~-9c depending on manufacturers claim.

Not sure about the seconds implication, baffles are quite important in a down bag 🙁

So why not the Alpkit I only hear good things?

Cos you really need the 600 🙁 Go for the PD400 and take some extra stuff if it's forecast below -3c.

DON'T FORGET YOUR MAT 🙂

BTW, where are you going?

Right buying the 400 now…

Will take extra long johns, hat and maybe my tent 😀

DON'T FORGET YOUR MAT

True, makes a difference when it's cold. I use a InsulMat Max Thermo which I got cheap from the US. It's comfier and warmer than most mats but still light.

Got one of these http://www.fieldandtrek.com/karrimor-ultralight-full-sleeping-mat-786052

Seemed cheap enough

Bargaintastik!!

got another couple of options

Marmot – Atom

or

Mountain Equipment Dewline – ME – Dewline

or

ME – Dreamcatcher

Work out whats most important;

Weight/size
Warmth
Cost

I think the Atom and Dewline are 300g fill bags. The Alpkit is 400g and the Dreamcatcher is 500g.

On paper (assuming all use similar quality down/materials etc), the Dreamcatcher should be the warmest. However, ME use 600 fill power down in this whereas Alpkit use 750. Usually the higher the number, the better the down.

Out of your options, the Alpkit is prolly still the best bet.

Also worth noting the ME bag is more weather resistnat than the Alpkit- you need to make sure the Alpkit stays dry- but a dry bag looks after that to some extent