Hello, im looking for a lightweight (sub 1.3 kilo) sleeping bag for bike packing i can spend a maximum of £150 ( might be able to stretch budget) I don’t mind whether it is down or synthetic but it needs to have a comfort limit of around -5. I have looked at the alpkit bags but they are not in stock and by the sounds of it wont be for the next 6 months. also the smaller the pack size the better. what would you recommend? 🙂

Cumulus Quantum 350

Just a bit spendy unless you find a deal

Or wait for Alpkit

OK, thanks a bit beyond my budget but looks good, will keep looking I need something for this spring/summer/autumn so i cant really wait for the alpkit bags to come back in stock. 😕

My spring/summer/autumn bag is a Mountain Hardware Lamina 35. That’ll come in well below your budget. Rated to around 2C but seems to be fine for the Scottish Highlands in those seasons. Otherwise you are into a Lamina 20. Still in budget and weight but not as compact.

OK thanks looks good, pack size looks a bit big though. may be interested in a second hand cumulus or alpkit bag depending on price and condition if anyone is willing to sell one.

Stick a Wanted ad over on http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk

I know a few have switched to quilts so may have 2nd hand bags kicking around

I have an Alpkit SkyHigh 800 mint condition that I would sell if price was right..

Drop me an email

I settled on a Snugpak Softie as the ideal compromise between weight, warmth and size. It may be more bag than you need and it ain’t the lightest out there (nor the heaviest) and I can pack it down to a small football size by kneeling on the compression pack. Oh and well within budget.

Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 here. Just used it in sub-zero conditions and was toasty (with a lightweight down jacket and bivy bag). It packs down pretty small for a synthetic bag. Can be had for under a ton.

I bought a rab ascent 500 a couple of weeks ago. Awesome bit of kit, really warm and just over 1kg, packs smaller than my old one. Used it in the atlas mountains last week which was pretty chilly!

Snow and rock have it on sale for £140
If you can visit a GO outdoors they will price match and take off 10%. I got mine for £126!!

http://m.gooutdoors.co.uk/rab-ascent-500-lz-sleeping-bag-p205142

For spring thru to autumn does it really need to be comfort -5 rated? That’s a quite warm bag ime, but you can usually get something down, -5 rated around 800g for <£150-160 in the sales. The Outdoor Shop is worth a look if Alpkit are out of stock. I find 5-8 deg rated bags OK for normal to frosty spring/autumn conditions if you use a good mat and suitable layer to sleep in.
To add, a thin cheapie down jacket (H+M / Uniqlo type) can work wonders as filler inside a thin bag to extend its range, don’t wear it just use it as a neck/upper body baffle and to fill cold air space.

Krembo sent you an email

Thanks for the responses am also looking at the mountain hardware titan 450 http://www.ellis-brigham.com/products/mountain-equipment/titan-450-sleeping-bag/229123
or cumulus quantum 200 to use with extra layers.

Looking at this

I bought a new bag recently, was all set to buy an alpkit bag but there seem to be production problems. I emailed them and the reply was expect to wait at least 4 to 6 months for stock.
Luckily I found the Rab ascent 500 2012 model for sale in Tiso for £110 it’s 650 fill power weighs 1.1 kg looking forward to trying out properly!

I bought an Alpkit pipedream a few years ago and sent it back for a couple of reasons. It is a very slim fitting bag, and I found it a bit too snug around the hips (I’m a women by the way). Also, it had a side baffle to stop down migration and there was considerably more fill on the top side than the underside of the bag. Fine if you sleep on your back not not so great when you roll (and the snug bag rolls with you) onto your side.

For summer use, I got one from Tesco for about twenty quid 🙂

Second the Snugpak . Not used it in the depth of winter but has been fine at altitude in the Pyrenees in spring/autumn.
In fact other people in the tent were getting up to put on extra layers but I was fine.

Alpkit pipedream .. it had a side baffle to stop down migration and there was considerably more fill on the top side than the underside of the bag. Fine if you sleep on your back not not so great when you roll (and the snug bag rolls with you) onto your side.

I think this is a normal design thing for sleeping bags, not just Alpkit, I have the same issue with all the bags I’ve had or got now. Down on the bottom compresses so not a lot of point adding cost and weight to the underside. 1 reason a quilt may work better for some. I just move inside the bag if I can, or get comfy before passing out for a few hrs in the same position )