What sleeping bag for touring?

[ontheroadtofrance]

I'm going touring in france in august can anyone suggest a lightweight sleeping bag that is warm. I'm 170 cm's tall

 

[vernon]

I'm going touring in france in august can anyone suggest a lightweight sleeping bag that is warm. I'm 170 cm's tall

Most lightweight sleeping bags will be warm in warm weather

FWIW

I use a relatively Coleman one bought from Blacks and it's rated down to around 2 degrees celcius. It's served me well in the UK and France.

Have a look at www.alpkit.com and choose from their value for money kit.

 

[andym]

Decathlon are good if you have a branch near you.

 

[tapan]

I'm going touring in france in august can anyone suggest a lightweight sleeping bag that is warm. I'm 170 cm's tall

Having toured for years using a 3 season mummy type sleeping bag I decided last year to try something different.
I bought a Selk bag last year and used it successfully on a very wet ( but not too cold) tour round France

Have a look here www.lippiselkbag.co.uk

I have always disliked the mummy bags and even more so as i have got older.
The Selk bag comes in 3 different grades and different sizes and has arms and legs -- which basically means that it is easy to get up in the middle of the night to have a pee! ( That's another thing about being 70+ !).

I was certaainly never cold on my tour, I also used it before Easter last year in South Wales were I had yet another very wet, cold and snowy week. One of the things I liked about it too was the ability to pull my arms out of the "sleeves" and into the main body of the bag which was even warmer.
I have always been a restless sleeper and the Selk bag was terrific in that I no longer got tangled up in my mummy bag!. It also has zipped runs in the legs for increased ventilation which I found good as well.

 

[dragon72]

I swear by my Softie Merlin made by Snugpak. It packs down to the size of a small loaf of bread, weighs nothing and has kept me warm down to about 5 degrees C. IMHO it's the bag for touring. Not cheap though. I think I spent £65 on mine.

 

[jay clock]

I have a Blacks down one. I woould personally go for down, as they are warm, and pack very small. Pretty much anything should be ok for France in August unless you plan high mountain stuff. I also have a silk liner that is great.

Agreed re Decathlon - great stuff. I got a really good superlight inflatable pillow there too

 

[aqaleigh]

Condition:Brand NewColour:OliveSize:215cm x 70cm x 30cmQuantity:1RRP:£0.00Our Price£9.99

The imperial 400 is a tropical season sleeping bag, ideal for summer / good weather use.

Also great for use in caravans or indoors for unexpected guests sleeping over.

*Outer Fabric - 100% Soft Touch Nylon - 210T *Filling - 75gsm

*Dimensions - 215cm x 70cm x 30cm * Dimensions when packed - 20cm x 12cm *Weight - 690g

Includes it's own matching stuff sack

I have used this in france and spain with a liner
sleeping bag on cool nights and on warmer nights I use the liner and the bag as extra cushioning for the bed

on ebay it is £9.99 bargain - great quality for the price

 

[ontheroadtofrance]

thanks all for your comments will have a look in depth when i get time to

 

[PpPete]

This is about the lightest & smallest pack size you will see.... but as you can see it is not a cheapie.

I can heartily recommend PHD. I have a Minim 300 that I got in their sale last year, but that would be too warm for summer in France.

 

[andrew_s]

I can heartily recommend PHD. I have a Minim 300 that I got in their sale last year, but that would be too warm for summer in France.

Likewise, though I got one with a zip.
However I'm not so sure about too warm - it depends where you go. I've had ice all over the tent and 32° at 2am on the same trip, at Val d'Isere and Menton respectively. What I do is take a silk liner, and sleep in just that if it's hot. I have the bag unzipped to one side, so I can just drag it over me if/when it cools during the night.

 

[JackE]

The Alpkit Pipedream 400 is a top notch down bag at a great price. One of my best ever buys.

 

[Tasker]

Having toured for years using a 3 season mummy type sleeping bag I decided last year to try something different.
I bought a Selk bag last year and used it successfully on a very wet ( but not too cold) tour round France

Have a look here www.lippiselkbag.co.uk

I have always disliked the mummy bags and even more so as i have got older.
The Selk bag comes in 3 different grades and different sizes and has arms and legs -- which basically means that it is easy to get up in the middle of the night to have a pee! ( That's another thing about being 70+ !).

I was certaainly never cold on my tour, I also used it before Easter last year in South Wales were I had yet another very wet, cold and snowy week. One of the things I liked about it too was the ability to pull my arms out of the "sleeves" and into the main body of the bag which was even warmer.
I have always been a restless sleeper and the Selk bag was terrific in that I no longer got tangled up in my mummy bag!. It also has zipped runs in the legs for increased ventilation which I found good as well.

Hi, thanks for your post of your experience with a Selk Bag. I've been considering one of these as I'm a Hammock camper and a sleeping bag just isn't suitable for a Hammock - just try getting in and out, it's a nightmare.

What I'd like to know is how small do they pack down to and what's the weight? The website says nothing about this.

 

[andrew_s]

What I'd like to know is how small do they pack down to and what's the weight? The website says nothing about this.

Lippi Selk'Bag1 Characteristics:
Total Weight: 1950 g.
Filling: Micro Fibre 2X120g/sqm, (2 layers)
Comfort Temp: +12.1 Degrees Celcius*
Extreme Temp: 0 Degrees Celcius*

Lippi Selk'Bag2 Characteristics:
Total Weight: 1750 g.
Filling: Polyester Mico Fibre, 2X100g/sqm, Soft Preformed padding, extreme even and soft, high performance, extreme warm-keeping
Comfort Temp: +8.8 Degrees Celsius*
Lower Limit Temp: +4.4 Degrees Celsius*
Extreme Temp: -9.8 Degrees Celsius*

Lippi Selk'Bag3 Characteristics:
Total Weight: 1250 GSM.
Filling: White duck down, 90% down / 10% feather, 650g/pc
Comfort Temp: +9.6 Degrees Celsius*
Lower Limit Temp: +5.4 Degrees Celsius*
Extreme Temp: -8.5 Degrees Celsius*

I'd suggest guessing pack sizes from sleeping bags of the same weight

If you want something warmer, there's always this option:
http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=27_69&products_id=52

 

[Tasker]

Andrew, Thanks for the info. Sorry but I've only just spotted your reply.

I'd suggest guessing pack sizes from sleeping bags of the same weight

If you want something warmer, there's always this option:
http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=27_69&products_id=52[/quote]

 

[jay clock]

Andrew's reply about the Lippi Selk bags is unfortunately wrong in one fundamental way. He quotes 1950g and 1750g and 1250g. On the website those are the figures but they are GSM - ie grammes per square metre which is VERY different from actual weight. I have emailed them for the info.....will post if I get a reply