thinking of converting to the hole sleeping bag route , and was woundering what your thoughts were on the gelert sleeping pods , if any of your have them which no doubt you will ,can you give me your views please
Morning Nathan ,Mixed thoughts on these, first of all they look good for people like me who dont like the restriction of the normal sleeping bags .
But, how warm are they going to be , as I am led to believe the close fitting mummy bags are meant to be the warmest design , trapping the air next to your body, less gaps more warmth .
These say two season 300gm2 , not the warmest of bags , but will they be even less efficient than a regular style bag of the same spec ? Or will you lose heat because of the extra space around you .
My husband has one but he's not used it yet camping so can't comment on the warmth issue, however, it's a great size for him (being of an extra large nature himself), we have the XL one and it's not got loads of room lengthways but plenty widthways.
I'm going to get him a sleeping bag liner to use inside it incase it's not that warm.
I see lots written about the mummy type bags being a warmer design etc but i think its more important to look at the filling and season rating etc.Most carp fishing sleeping bags are of a big design and extremely warm too.Many are shower proof so you can just sleep under a brolley all night and not worry about the morning dew.
My fishing bag is huge and considering i use an open fronted bivvy ive never felt cold in it even in late autumn sessions.
Its worth taking a look at some of the fishing gear including the bag covers.Sure you can buy a liner but you lose space in the bag,get a cover to go over it and you wont lose your space inside it.
A 4 season bag like this will definately keep you warm and give you space to move without breaking the bank.
Ive dont see why a sleeping pod design shouldnt be warm enough if the filling is good and its at least 3 season.
I think a lot of it comes down to how warm your house is and how much time you spend outside getting acclimatised too.Those who spend a lot of time outside probably dont feel as cold as those who dont get outside as much.
i agree with your last statement lockie , i work and have worked on the repair and maintainance woter contracts ,which is 24hrs a day 365 days ayear any weather repairing burst water mains in west and north yorkshire ,so i don't feel cold ,my oldest takes after me its a running battle with her to keep her from stripping off lol ,its my OH and youngest that will be the problem ,saying that my youngest daughter who isn't 2 yet is as tuff as nails so she isn't bothered
just returned my two sleeping pods ( a the stitching was faulty on the zips) but we did use them for one night at home. and whilst we were ok (not to hot nor not too cold) i don't think they would be much use on a cold night in a tent. but great room to move around in have swapped them for colemen camper lux bags trying them out tonight.
------------- TTFN
Vonnie
______________________________
KARSTEN CAMPERS DO IT WITH INFLATABLES (OO ER!)
Hi used mine last weekend i found them very good loads of room and i had to get up and turn the heater off during what was a cold and windy night top marks from me i would also like to add that i bought the shorter version as im only 5' 1" and it was about ten pounds cheaper than the longer version
I fancy trying them for cooler camping, we currently have a double sleeping bag so don`t get the trapped air effect, and we`ve never been cold in that.
We used ours a few weeks ago, it was 2 deg at night and they were lovely and warm. Really, really comfortable as well. We did go for the "Beyond" range, which is 3 season, so probably warmer than the 2 season one. The best thing is they pack down smaller than some of our normal bags,
Google "Gelert Beyond XL sleeping pod" and you will find them.
I have one, I have used it once and love it. I am only 5'2" so the length is not an issue, but I am a big girl and I found it lovely not to feel like I was hemmed in. It packs down small and the sack is attached to the bottom of the bag so you can't lose it! I would and have recommeded it to friends.
We bought the junior 1 for my daughter a couple of weeks ago. We also went for the Beyond range because they are 3 season. Having spent a wonderful but very cold (at night) long weekend in Snowdonia in a non SIG tent with no EHU I (well my daughter!) can vouch for their warmth. I would check on her before going to bed myself as I was worried about the temperature and she was snug as a bug, with rosy red cheeks. She loved the shape and found it really comfortable. She was adament (spelling?) she didn't want a Mummy style bag but wanted a hood. The bag it comes in stays attached to the bottom of the pod and they are incredibly easy to pack away, small pack size and very light.
We are very pleased with it.