Light Weight Sleeping Bag

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amott69

Forager
Nov 14, 2005
121
0
54
Kidlington, Oxfordshire
I'm looking for a lightweight sleeping bag rating between +10 to -10 to -20 needs to pack up nice and small and cost no more than about 80 quid.I'm not worried if it is down or man made fibers.
 

gregorach

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 15, 2005
3,723
28
50
Edinburgh
amott69 said:
I'm looking for a lightweight sleeping bag rating between +10 to -10 to -20 needs to pack up nice and small and cost no more than about 80 quid.I'm not worried if it is down or man made fibers.

Aren't we all? ;)

The smallest packing is definitely down, but you won't get a -10 down bag in that price range. My Rab 200 Quantum is rated to 0 degrees (extreme) and cost about £180. You can get a synthetic bag rated to -10, but it won't exactly be small.

From the three desired characteristics of warm, small packing, and fairly cheap, you can only have two at once, I'm afraid.
 
G

gwing

Guest
gregorach said:
Aren't we all? ;)

The smallest packing is definitely down, but you won't get a -10 down bag in that price range. My Rab 200 Quantum is rated to 0 degrees (extreme) and cost about £180. You can get a synthetic bag rated to -10, but it won't exactly be small.

From the three desired characteristics of warm, small packing, and fairly cheap, you can only have two at once, I'm afraid.


Well yes, and no :) This just about qualifies on all three.

Try http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16157&category_id=253 for the Alpkit bags. They make rather nice no nonsense goosedown bags at sensible prices.

The one in the link is just £85 for a 1245g bag (500g of decent down) that is rated at -5 Comfort which would be about -15 extreme I guess. Haven't tried this one myself but their 750 model is just £20 more and too warm for me.
 

Graham O

Tenderfoot
Jan 30, 2006
50
1
64
North Wales
Although you are specific on your temperature range, what is lightweight to you or to anyone else is very relative, as is packs small. I bought a synthetic Marmot Wave IV earlier this year (search for that and you'll find a review) and have been very pleased with it. The temperature rating is correct, (down to -10) but too warm at +10 on a recent mid Wales bothy trip. I am impressed with the way it packs down, and although weight is higher than a down bag, it is a good bag at the price, £80.
Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but the Alpkit bags do seem to be very good prices; perhaps too good? It really depends on how long you want the down to retain its loft for.
 

gregorach

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 15, 2005
3,723
28
50
Edinburgh
gwing said:
Well yes, and no :) This just about qualifies on all three.

Try http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16157&category_id=253 for the Alpkit bags. They make rather nice no nonsense goosedown bags at sensible prices.

The one in the link is just £85 for a 1245g bag (500g of decent down) that is rated at -5 Comfort which would be about -15 extreme I guess. Haven't tried this one myself but their 750 model is just £20 more and too warm for me.

That's a very good price! I guess because they're "only" using 700+ fill power 90% goose down, so it won't pack as small and isn't as light as a really top quality down bag, but still... Looks like it has the potential to be a really good deal.
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
986
14
69
West London
I too am looking for a low temp bag. I will probably on use it about twice a year so cost is a factor. One of the things that has been mentioned is the Army 58 pattern down bag. Any thoughts on this chaps? I have been cold in a synthetic 3 season with a silk linner, bivvi bag and a thermarest under the sleeping bag, while someone has been warm alongside me in an 58 pattern. How does this compare with the army synthetic bag that replaced it?

So your thoughts, any of you guys use them in arctic training, Norway etc?

I am not overly concerned about weight or compression. I am not a kit junkie and get a bit irritated with parting with a lot of cash, one of the joys for me is that bushcraft is not 'kit based' though there are a lot of expensive knives and shirt wearer's around.


Sandsnakes :)
 

amott69

Forager
Nov 14, 2005
121
0
54
Kidlington, Oxfordshire
I've got the 58 pattern sleeping bag and i've never really been cold in it, i used it last weekend in devon in a hammock and i would'nt use it in a hammock again but thats another story.I use my 58 with a old second hand army bivi bag and roll mat there good to about -5.I did use it once with a NBC body bag in snow and had to strip down to my boxers i was so hot.The problem for me is the size and weight, it takes up half of my bergen.
 

quiggers

Tenderfoot
Aug 6, 2004
58
1
East Stratton
as an aside, I've had a look at that alpkit site and a really refreshing approach to outdoor gear (I'm not affiliated). They were voted best outdoor gear 2005 by Outdoorsmagic, which is where I got all my gear reviews before finding this place.

But, my point, is that they link to a really interesting study on sleeping bag ratings done by ajungilak..quite interesting as this debate re: ratings comes up all the time.

http://www.mammut.ch/mammut/uploadedFiles/Sleep Well_Pt1_E.pdf

Q.
 
amott69 said:
I'm looking for a lightweight sleeping bag rating between +10 to -10 to -20 needs to pack up nice and small and cost no more than about 80 quid.I'm not worried if it is down or man made fibers.

Hi,

I've been looking for a new bag for a while and I started a thread on the 19th of November called "Help with Sleeping Bag Selection please"

I have been given some good advice and thought that you might like to read some of the posts.

I was after pretty much what you were looking for and decided to go for a bag system from Nanok that I purchased from www.outdoorcode.co.uk - a great buying experience (thanks Andrew) and there was a promotion running that also secured me 2 FREE silk Nanok sleeping bag liners! :D

In my mind I was happy to trade some weight and size for a bag that will "do the business", take some wear and tear, get wet and still be warm, can be chucked in the washing machine, etc. But most of all I believe that these bags will cope with the temperatures that they state they can cope with.

The quality of manufacture looks to be superb. The compressions sacks are a little on the small side - would have been nice not to have to put so much effort and thought into being able to pack the sleeping bag away. The compression sack also have a quite flimsy plastic locking devise - I managed to break one with little effort, but it was supplied with a spare - makes me wonder if this was slightly under-engineered and the manufactures expected to be an issue, but this are the only slight faults I can find.

The 0 Endurance is a truly luxury sized bag, it is designed to take the -10 Endurance bag as an insert - which is does adequately. This make the 0 Endurance slightly larger which I find very comfortable - I finally found a bag that I can get into with my arms inside where I can still move around! Even with the -10 inserted, so you get into the -10 inside the 0, there is still plenty of room.

I have not yet slept out in this sleeping system - looks like its first run out will be at the Christmas Moot. Once I have used it in the field I will give it a better appraisal.

Hope this helps anybody else that is selecting a new bag.

Perhaps I should have posted this to my own thread first :lmao:

Cheers,

Phil.
 
G

gwing

Guest
quiggers said:
as an aside, I've had a look at that alpkit site and a really refreshing approach to outdoor gear (I'm not affiliated). They were voted best outdoor gear 2005 by Outdoorsmagic, which is where I got all my gear reviews before finding this place.

But, my point, is that they link to a really interesting study on sleeping bag ratings done by ajungilak..quite interesting as this debate re: ratings comes up all the time.

http://www.mammut.ch/mammut/uploadedFiles/Sleep Well_Pt1_E.pdf

Q.

Indeed. The simple question to ask of any sleeping bag is what its EN1537 rating is which gives a direct and reliable comparison between brands. Any other sort of rating really leaves you at the mercy of the advertising men.
 
G

gwing

Guest
gregorach said:
That's a very good price! I guess because they're "only" using 700+ fill power 90% goose down, so it won't pack as small and isn't as light as a really top quality down bag, but still... Looks like it has the potential to be a really good deal.

They are a *really* good deal.

I have a top quality Mountain Equipment 900+ fill bag which is lighter, smaller, more waterproof and has a more sophisticated hood than my partners Alpkit bag. However hers was a lot cheaper but is still a lot warmer :)
 

PJMCBear

Settler
May 4, 2006
622
2
55
Hyde, Cheshire
58 Pattern v Combat 90/95 pattern. :bluThinki

Used both in temp down to -10. I'd say, in dry cold conditions the 58 wins the warmth contest, but if it gets damp you'll really suffer.

New one v light compared to 58.
New one compresses a bit smaller

Just my opinion, but I still use an old 58 pattern in the colder months. I did have the newer one, but sold it on. Tells a story really. :approve:
 

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