millets cheap sleeping bag....advice please!

[thistler]

 Our neighbours are having a big clear-out and putting loads of useful stuff in a skip directly behind our back gate. They were going to chuck in a Millets Eurohike Adventurer 200 sleeping bag, brand new in a compression sack thing, and said I could have it.  It is the same as the red one here but is all gray:

http://www.millets.c...uct/090800.html

Now I know it's not one of the recommended ones for touring, but it was free and I have a very limited budget. I have some fleece I could make into a liner - I guess my question is, would this be suitable at all for spring/summer touring or will I just freeze to death? I am still hoping to get a decent Exped mat.... 

I did mention to the neighbours if they were getting rid of any other camping stuff I would love it, but so far there are no Trangia stoves or Ortleib panniers....   The sleeping bag will be useful even if not for me - my daughter attends Girl Guides sleepovers and has outgrown her jr sleeping bag. I'm quite chuffed at getting it really. 

 

[willem]

Another good find. It should be fine for what you describe. Volume is the tricky part. If it is so bulky that you need front panniers as well, you are cheaper off getting a more expensive down bag. My hunch is you will not regret it, maybe for yourself at first, and for your daughter afterwards. This is the way forward on a small budget: use what you have, what you can borrow, or what you can get for free. Buy what you cannot obtain in this way. If you buy, get something good and light without indulging yourself in the ultralight and ultra fragile.
Willem

 

[thistler]

Thanks Willem, it packs down quite small, not bulky at all but I'm sure the trade off is lack of warmth!  I will eventually get a down bag for trips on my own, but will start off with this one and keep saving up.

The neighbours have started clearing out their garage now.....keeping my fingers crossed....

 

[Jerry Atrik]

I used one in september on my first camping tour and it was fine . Fitted in to my ortlieb no problem but have since got a down bag that compresses to half the size .

 

[thistler]

Thanks Jerry!

I was just given a Millets thin foam mat the neighbours had bought with the sleeping bag. I unrolled it and lay down on top, it's doesn't seem  very comfortable.   Still very happy about the free sleeping bag though. 

I suppose in theory the only thing I need now to go on a trip is a trangia, or I could make a penny stove but still don't have any suitable pans. I'm going to keep a look out at boot sales etc. over the winter.

 

[andym]

It will be plenty warm enough for spring/summer. The problem is that in summer it might be too warm. It depends a lot on where you're planning to go tour - if you're likely to be encountering temperatures say in single figure then it should keep you warm, but if temperatures are likely to be warmer than that (ie if you're travelling in say between June and mid-September) then it could be too warm. Millets say it's comfortable at 0 degrees C and 30 degrees C - unfortunately they can't both be true! the first seems credible, but I'm very sceptical about the second (although it's also very unlikely you'll ever encounter night time temperatures of 30 degrees C).

Definitely don't look a gift horse in the mouth, and take this on your early-season trips/practice runs but you might be better off with a bag rated at 5 or 10 degrees which would be between 300 and 500 grams lighter. And you could get a decent one for less than £30.

 

[thistler]

Thank you Andy - it says "Two season" on the cover, I was worried more about being cold than hot! 

I also got a two-man tent, brand new. It's a single skin and not fantastic quality, but in perfect condition.  I set it up in the front room for fun. A decent tent is the one thing I do have, but my daughter will be thrilled with this one for her Guides campouts and any family camping trips we can manage to go on.

I am astonished at the things people throw away... I claimed a large Coleman cooler, a huge area rug, some playstation games, books, a slow cooker, an antique looking very cool oak stool....maybe because we as a family are so skint, we really appreciate what we do have and try to look after it. I have pulled some other stuff out that I can't use but I'm sure a charity shop would be very glad of.  Unfortunately it looks like a lot of things that could be given a new home elsewhere are destined for a landfill. I'm going to see what else I can rescue when it gets light again tomorrow. 

 

[Dayvo]

You should be comfortable enough, Thistler, with the sleeping bag if you use the Exped mat with it.

If in doubt, possibly you could take a silk inner sheet (http://www.catch22products.co.uk/Sleeping-Sheets.htm) to use inside the bag for extra warmth, although you'll be unlucky to freeze in the summer months, depending on where you go, of course!

If, on the other hand, the weather is hot, then it should be sufficient to use just the sleeping sheet with the mat.

 

[thistler]

Thanks Dayvo! Millets carry that brand and I still have my £20 voucher from the tent purchase so will have a look for the silk liners.

 

[willem]

Silk is nice, but should not be your priority if you are on a tight budget. Get an exped synmat basic mattress instead. It will give you warmth and far more comfort than the thin foam mattress (keep the latter for the daughter - I managed with a foam mattress until I was about fourty).
Willem

 

[andym]

Silk liners (or cotton if you prefer): it depends a bit on how long you are going for - to my mind their major value is probably that you can wash the liner and easily dry it, while washing the bag (or rather, getting it dry) would take a lot longer. For a tour of say two weeks or less you could perfectly well get by without one; more than two weeks? - well it's not the end of the world if your sleeping bag starts to smell a bit.

It's worth keeping an eye on the sales and Lidl/Aldi - I picked up a perfectly respectable trangia copy from Lidl. And Decathlon own brand offers really excellent value for money eg their most minimalist self-inflating bag comes in at just under £20 - a bit of a step up from the wafer-thin foam mat - although if you can I'd save your pennies for an Exped Synmat Basic. (Decathlon are a huge sports goods retailer with branches all over Europe - so they have huge buying power).

You might also try posting a 'wanted' list on this forum (unfortunately there's no classifieds section). There are lots of people who buy kit then buy something better/lighter and have the old one kicking around.

 

[thistler]

Thanks again everyone. The exped synmat basic mattress is the one I hoping to eventually get ....I have Willem's advice about the importance of having a good mat under the sleeping bag to stay warm firmly ingrained in my mind. We don't have a Decathalon any where near us, but that mat does look far better than the foam one I now own. 

I have old cotton sheets and also fleece so can easily sew my own liners to begin with.... I got carried away with visions of silk!  I should probably spend my voucher on a travel towel, as this is something I can't make myself.....

I am signed up for the Lidl emails, though they probably won't be doing any more camping stuff till the spring I'd think...

I hope the actual trips are as fun as the planning!!!  

 

[HelenD123]

I have old cotton sheets and also fleece so can easily sew my own liners to begin with.... I got carried away with visions of silk! I should probably spend my voucher on a travel towel, as this is something I can't make myself.....

I left my travel towel at home to save space and haven't missed it in 5 months. I use a lightweight cotton dress instead to dry myself and it actually dries quicker than my travel towel. A sarong would work in the same way. It's good to have things that have multiple uses. Maybe you have a similar item of clothing you could use already.

 

[thistler]

That's brilliant!!!!   Thanks for the idea Helen!

 

[andym]

We don't have a Decathalon any where near us, but that mat does look far better than the foam one I now own.

They now do mail order, but I'd hang in there for an exped synmat.