Budget Down Sleeping Bag

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Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
Does anyone have links or recommendations on where I could source a reasonably priced 2 season down sleeping bag please?
 

tournut

Active Member
Location
altrincham
Does anyone have links or recommendations on where I could source a reasonably priced 2 season down sleeping bag please?
No but i hope you get more replys, as i av looked all over and thay cost the earth, am after 3 season one. Plus thay pack down better then most sinthetic bags.
 
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Ootini

Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
It's really the compression attributes I'm after. My synthetic bag is OK, and does fit in the panniers etc, but I'm thinking a down bag would be lighter and give me more room in the pannier to play with.
 
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Ootini

Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
Or even if someone knows of a very good compression sack to help compress the s**t out of the synthetic bag, that would be great. It's currently in a standard M size Vango compression sack. The weight isn't really an issue, the bag comes in at 1350g ish, it's the size that I need to sort out.
 
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Ootini

Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
With down bags you get what you pay for, buy cheap and you will regret it, 15 years ago I paid £130 and it's still as good as new today, it's made by Mountain Equipment
I'm thinking 2013/2014 clearance stock, as opposed to a cheaply made bag.
 

andym

Über Member
Can I make an alternative suggestion? (I'm assuming that money is an issue from your thread title).

These pack down pretty small and weigh 700g, and for less than £30 are outstanding value for money. (Decathlon are like the IKEA of sports goods and have huge buying power).

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/15-light-hiking-sleeping-bag-left-blue-id_8242015.html

Get a silk liner

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/mummy-silk-liner-for-sleeping-bag-white-id_8242798.html

and you have a very flexible sleeping system for camping in late-Spring/Summer/early-Autumn.

The combination of bag and liner should be good for nighttime temperatures of a say 8-10 decrees centigrade. If it gets colder than that then wear your thermals (and a hat) in bed.

IME sleeping bags are a bit of a compromise - one that's going to be warm on very cold nights may be too hot in summer - so make your decisions based on the temperature rating.

When you get some more money, invest in the best down sleeping bag (or quilt) you can afford - it should last you a very long time with a bit of care.

Decathlon do mail order.
 
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Ootini

Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
Can I make an alternative suggestion? (I'm assuming that money is an issue from your thread title).

These pack down pretty small and weigh 700g, and for less than £30 are outstanding value for money. (Decathlon are like the IKEA of sports goods and have huge buying power).

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/15-light-hiking-sleeping-bag-left-blue-id_8242015.html

Get a silk liner

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/mummy-silk-liner-for-sleeping-bag-white-id_8242798.html

and you have a very flexible sleeping system for camping in late-Spring/Summer/early-Autumn.

The combination of bag and liner should be good for nighttime temperatures of a say 8-10 decrees centigrade. If it gets colder than that then wear your thermals (and a hat) in bed.

IME sleeping bags are a bit of a compromise - one that's going to be warm on very cold nights may be too hot in summer - so make your decisions based on the temperature rating.

When you get some more money, invest in the best down sleeping bag (or quilt) you can afford - it should last you a very long time with a bit of care.

Decathlon do mail order.

I hadn't seen that, thanks.

The only thing that concerns me there is the thermal rating of 15*c + I've actually got a really cheap and nasty Tesco Micro-lite sleeping bag which is rated at 12*c+ which did keep me alive on a camping trip in March a couple of years ago, but it was cold and not very comfortable at all. I think this trip will be planned for May / June time. I've no idea what the average night time temps are, but I'd imagine it will be lower than 15*c

This: http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-micro-lite-mummy-sleeping-bag/204-2384.prd
 
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tournut

Active Member
Location
altrincham
I hadn't seen that, thanks.

The only thing that concerns me there is the thermal rating of 15*c + I've actually got a really cheap and nasty Tesco Micro-lite sleeping bag which is rated at 12*c+ which did keep me alive on a camping trip in March a couple of years ago, but it was cold and not very comfortable at all. I think this trip will be planned for May / June time. I've no idea what the average night time temps are, but I'd imagine it will be lower than 15*c

This: http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-micro-lite-mummy-sleeping-bag/204-2384.prd
I know this may sound daft to some, but i have just phoned a dry cleaner near me. And thay have spare duck down quilts wot people have not gone bk for . £15. Not bad. So am going to take out old synthetic filling from sleep bag and fill with down, if your any good with a needle try it. Got nowt to lose.
 

andym

Über Member
Hi Ootini

The silk liner adds 5 degrees. As I said late-Spring/Summer/early-Autumn: which I thought is what you were looking for when you said that you wanted a two-season bag.

If you want to camp in March then you'd need a 'three-season' or even a 'four-season' bag (March is still winter in my book). If you're looking for something warmer Decathlon have other models at 10 and 5 degrees. But the extra warmth adds bulk and weight - whether you go for down or synthetic. and a sleeping bag that's nice and warm in March could well be too hot in July. So it's horses for courses; if you're touring in summer get a bag with a higher temperature rating and less bulk. If you're touring in March then get one that's warmer but accept the extra bulk. At the prices Decathlon are asking you could get one summer one and one for touring in March.

EDIT: IME the temperatures that Decathlon quote are a pretty honest indication. I've no experience of Tesco sleeping bags.
 
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Sara_H

Guru
Alpkit have startedstocking down bags again. Its a new model, I have Pipedream 400 in it's previous carnation and its fab!
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
I would think so, just look at glove liners, and how good a job they do. I think silk or any liner is a good idea with a sleeping bag. Easier to wash a liner than a sleeping bag, and it extends the life of your investment in a sleeping bag. Takes up no more room as well. I've always used old retired bedlinens, but I could see the improved qualities silk would impart.
 
Does a liner really add 5*c ?
Not sure about 5C but they do as some warm and you can get thermal liners as well.

My best advice is if you think you are likely to continue to camp, save up and invest in a decent one, even if it is 2nd hand. Mountaineering forums or calling forums, backpackers light forum are a good place start looking. I find a 400 weight bag good for end of spring, summer and even sometimes early autumn but I like to be warm when I sleep and my oh would still be using his 200 weight down bag when I'm using my 400 weight bag. Most of our bags are RAB bags but one is marmot which had also been good if not a little to wide for me.
 
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Ootini

Ootini

Senior Member
Location
North Wales
Not sure about 5C but they do as some warm and you can get thermal liners as well.

My best advice is if you think you are likely to continue to camp, save up and invest in a decent one, even if it is 2nd hand. Mountaineering forums or calling forums, backpackers light forum are a good place start looking. I find a 400 weight bag good for end of spring, summer and even sometimes early autumn but I like to be warm when I sleep and my oh would still be using his 200 weight down bag when I'm using my 400 weight bag. Most of our bags are RAB bags but one is marmot which had also been good if not a little to wide for me.

Totally agree re: buying a decent down bag, but I'm holding off just in case cycle camping isn't my thing. Same reason I'm using cheapo SJS panniers for now. If I find I really like I'll be throwing some cash at Ortlieb etc
But for now, budget is king.
 
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