I need to upgrade to a warmer bag to keep wild camping over the next few months. My proper 4 season bag is about 30 years old now and lots all it's warmth and my usual bag ain't warm enough.
Basically I'm trying to work out how warm I need it. The ones I'm looking at are in the range of of Comfort Temp -5C to -10C.
From memory it doesn't really get below -5C very often does it? So I'm thinking -10C for English hillwalking backpacking is overkill.
I'd go for the lowest comfort temp you can get. Most of the temperature guides are a bit out.
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Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag
My winter bags is -3. I then wear insulated clothes inside. Thermals up to down boots, trousers & smock depending on how cold I'm expecting. The combo is lighter than a much warmer bag.
Hello Nozza .
This has been my favourite subject as Ive looked at Winter bags for years . Down sleeping bags cost a Lorra lorra dosh . As I found out .
I just bought a Criterium Quantum 450 Down bag recently
Quoted at -10C . Weighs 900grams . It cost me an Arm a leg a Heart ,Soul of money.
So advise you to look at Alpkit range of bags , Dear though around £150 .
Pipedream 400 Quoted at 2/3Seasons 790grams -4C .
Or heavier bag .
Skyhigh 700 , 3/4 Seasons 1.5Kg weight -8C .
I have used a Pipedream 600 Bag which was -10C on loan which was very good and was about the same price . Zizag
I just bought a Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 (good reviews) for £75 in the Blacks sale.
Take a look online as there are several sleeping bags, tents etc all reduced.
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It is a fool who has to say something.
I think go outdoor would price match this and give an extra 10% too !!
I paid good money for an Exped downmat lw to help insulate underneath me and it helps boost the bags warmth,
I think you need to consider if you are a cold sleeper and weather you would wear thermals in the bag too.
I find cold feet to be biggest dislike and to get around this I have some down socks that really help.
If it's really cold I use a sea to summit reactor bag liner that really boosts the temp.
Are the Aplkit ones any good? I'm on the look out for a light bag with a temperature rating around 0 to -5 degrees that's not too expensive.
I'm looking at the Alpkit 400 or the Robens Caucasus 300 or 600. The Alpkit one is about the same temperature but quite a bit lighter.
The main difference between the bags is the Alpkit one is stitch through whereas the Robens ones have box baffles. Does the Pipedream 400 suffer from cold spots due to it's stitch through construction?
By the way, if you want to look at videos of the Pipedream 400, don't scroll down the youtube search results for "Pipedream 400" too far!
I'm currently using a Mountain Warehouse "Microlite 1400", allegedly good down to -5C, weight 1900grams and just £40. Compresses really well for a synthetic bag to the point putting it sideways into a 35Litre pack is not impossible.
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An old thread, but why duplicate them....
I know they're not the lightest or the most compact (can certainly be pulled down with a compression sack though), but I use army surplus bags, specifically a British army Arctic 90, synthetic and very comfortable sub zero. Tonight, I am going to try out a Dutch army 90 bag in my lavvu....similar, just with a few tweaks making it easier to use.....
We'll see how warm (using my lavvu), but with surplus bags, how they have been washed and how frequently may contribute or not to their efficacy now.
Either of these bags can be obtained for between £25 and £40 at time of writing...…….
Have now used it on a frosty night. I used nothing else save a polyprop tarp as a groundsheet and a closed cell mechanics mat as a sleeping pad, within a lavvu. Clothing was a sweatshirt and lightweight go outdoors trousers. No hat.
Not a shiver all night, and my snoring failed to disturb a Muntjac 4 feet away (caught on a camera trap)!!
Just treating myself to a new synthetic bag.....
Was going to be a Snugpak Tactical 4, but Snugpak advise for my height, the Softie 15 extra long; so that's what I've ordered, 3 weeks for delivery.
Quote: Originally posted by Caligula on 07/3/2020
Just treating myself to a new synthetic bag.....
Was going to be a Snugpak Tactical 4, but Snugpak advise for my height, the Softie 15 extra long; so that's what I've ordered, 3 weeks for delivery.