Which sleeping bag?

[stumpy66]

I use a Vango down bag, less than a kilo, small pack size 2
+1 for silk liner, get them cheaper on eBay

 

[willem]

Sleeping kit is where it is easiest to save volume and weight. If you succeed, you will not need front panniers and a front rack, saving 2-2.5 kg and at least 100 pounds. So use that money saved to get a better bag and mattress.
If you are cold, a warm mattress is the first thing. The Exped down mat is the warmest, but may be overkill. The Exped Synmat basic is still warm enough a bit below freezing, and much cheaper and lighter. The lightest and most compact mattress for someone who sleeps cold is the Thermarest Neoair AllSeason at 540 grams. It packs very small.
As for sleeping bags I think the choice is in ascending order of quality and price: Alpkit Skyehigh, Alpkit Pidedream and PHD. Each with the down weight that matches the temperature range that you need. Normally PHD bags are very expensive, but their sale prices are much better (there is a sale coming up soon). They are also pretty narrow, so beware if you are larger.
This is all for solo use. For two people I think topbags for two are the way to go.
Willem

 

[Hicky]

Sara, post which snugpack bag you have at home!!

I've got two Snugpack harrier tens one for me and one for the wife, mine is used extensively(I'm in the TA) in all sorts of crappy conditions and for 7 years has done me proud and is undamaged.
I've often slept in it with boots on and havent damaged it once.....excellent kit.
Also got a snugpack pertex pile smock....very abused(I love the thing!)

I'd buy another harrier ten in a shot and some aldi/lidl(other makes are available) merino or fleece thermals for sleeping in.
However if you spot a decent bag in a sale then go for that!

I'd ignore the ratings to a degree to be honest as they're a load of tosh and things like this are very dependant on the person and thier physical state at the time.

 

[scotty110788]

I'd ignore the ratings to a degree to be honest as they're a load of tosh and things like this are very dependant on the person and thier physical state at the time.

+1

 

[Brains]

Ok. sleeping bags, buy this or buy that.
I spent over 6 months looking reading , looking again and reading more and i mean every day.
I had to save like hell and only had once chance of buying a bag for my tour.

I all ready have a ME bag which would be to hot for my tour to France/Spain

so I look for a down bag, small weight and pack, and the best i could get for the money.

I got a​

Cumulus Quantum 200 ,​

512g and down to 0c and supersmall pack and i paid £215.​

​

is this the bag for you, probley not but the best site that i came across is this one.

http://www.downbags.co.uk/?gclid=CM3P3Kjela4CFWIntAodizYEJA
It looks at all the down bags so you can get a good idea of what you may be after.
I looked at lots of sites and shopped around for the bag i was after.
But once and buy right. Get the best bag you can for the money that you have.
Good look

I spend a number of weeks camping every year, I have 6 sleeping bags to choose from.
Over the last two years I have alternated between the RAB Quantum 600 down bag (bigger/heavier) but OK in the snow of the Peak District last week.
Or the Cumulus Quantum (smaller/lighter) was fine high in the Alps last summer

 

[jjb]

One interesting tip I read the other day - apologies if it was on this thread! - is that you can maximise the warmth of the bag by keeping it as uncompressed as possible during the day. If you have a pannier half empty for whatever reason, let the bag fill the space, maintaining its loft.

 

[willem]

For a down bag I would avoid compression bags, but otherwise a decent sleeping bag should loft pretty soon after arrival. Anyway, you do not want to use more panniers than you need or panniers that are unnecessarily large. Of themselves most of them are so horribly heavy.
Willem

 

[rich p]

For a down bag I would avoid compression bags, but otherwise a decent sleeping bag should loft pretty soon after arrival. Anyway, you do not want to use more panniers than you need or panniers that are unnecessarily large. Of themselves most of them are so horribly heavy.
Willem

Is weight an issue when touring then?

 

[Butterfly]

I am really nesh. I also camp in January. I use an Exped downmat and a Rab summit 900 (I think) sleeping bag. I recommend watching ebay for bags that have been used for one mountain expedition. What most men think is a winter bag, I would use indoors in summer - my summer bag is a 4 season rab (quantum 600) and I would rather like an 1100 for the recent temperatures - it saves carrying blankets. When I was single I used to carry both 600 and 900 and use one inside the other.

 

[Brains]

One interesting tip I read the other day - apologies if it was on this thread! - is that you can maximise the warmth of the bag by keeping it as uncompressed as possible during the day. If you have a pannier half empty for whatever reason, let the bag fill the space, maintaining its loft.

Sleeping bags of all types should be kept out of compression sacks except during transit.
I always unpack my Sleeping bag as soon as possible, and if say doing a mixed B&B/Camping trip will unpack the sleeping bag at the end of every day even in the B&B.
I often do not take the compression sack on a trip, just 'compress' the sleepingbag at the bottom of the pannier/rucksack and pile all the other stuff on top

A sleeping bag left in a compression sack for too long ( a month or two ?) will loose it's loft, hence always check the shop storage when you buy a new one.
You need a shop that has the space to store them unpacked, or has a high turnover.

 

[willem]

Yes I think panniers are horribly heavy compared to other gear. Ortlieb Classic front and rear panniers plus a front rack are a total of some 4 kg, or some 15-20% of your luggage weight. Compare that to your tent. It is therefore that I try to keep my luggage volume down to where I only need rear panniers. With an expensive compact sleep system like a 200 pound (in the sale) PHD Minimus 300 and a compact mattres like the Neoair All Season you do not need the heavy and expensive front panniers plus rack (2-2.5 kg at some 125 pounds). At just over 1 kg the sleep system in itself is at least another kilogram lighter than many other cheaper sleep systems. So for roughly the same budget as a more traditional outfit you loose 3 kg, which is a difference that you will notice. If the budget is tighter, an Alpit Pidedream 400 and an Exped Synmat Basic will still do the same trick.
Willem

 

[jay clock]

Agreed re storing the down bags. My PHD ones come with a compression bag for travel and a large mesh bag for storage

 

[psmiffy]

Personally I would not pay another £100 to lose less weight than i can achieve by drinking the contents of one of my water bottles (as i by default tour with 4 panniers - space is not too much of a problem -although i have considered adding a trailer) - i have a relatively cheap north face down bag - my priorities with a sleeping bag are

1. is it going to be warm enough or too warm for that matter (one shortish july tour in france where i knew it was going to be warm i just took a £5 bag i bought in Tescos)
2. has it got a good quality zip of sufficient length that when it is warmer i can have good ventilation
3. is it big enough that i can sleep in it comfortably - ie get all of me in when it cold
4. is it made of a relatively durable material that feels nice to sleep in and will withstand being packed at least a 100 times and a few trips through a washing machine

 

[Pikey]

I've got an ex military bivvy bag, pretty light and folds down small. Put any sleeping bag in it (think i use some crappy aldi one) and you are toasty for the night. Might be a bit overkill inside a tent, and it isn't as pretty as the outdoor emporium stock, but for 12 quid you can't go wrong.

 

[andrew_s]

If the budget is tighter, an Alpit Pidedream 400 and an Exped Synmat Basic will still do the same trick.

Pipedream 400 currently in stock. If you want one, act soon. I would expect them to have run out within a month.