Sleeping bag on a budget

[rorymax]

Hi,

I bought a Snugpack Navigator at £27.00, it is bulky and heavy and I new that before buying, what disappointed was that at 5c night temp I was not at all comfortable, contrary to the comfort levels claimed for this sleeping bag.

Guess I need to spend more, but budget is limited, I have heard of part synthetic/part down bags but I do not see them advertised.

I would be happy with used\ex army item if a compact bag that would cover Scottish autumnal use (at worst) was available.

It would be used for backpacking so compact is really desirable.

On a budget of £70.00 I am most probably clutching at straws, but I thought it worth asking the advice of the Bushcraft collective.

Thanks,
rorymax

 

[spiritwalker]

i have a snugpack softie merlin 3 and thats cold on 5C too but it packs to 15cm x 15cm so i pack a fleece liner and bivi bag when its a bit chillier...

 

[Toddy]

You'll probably pick up a good second hand bag at that price....though that said, just how too cold was it ? a silk sleeping bag liner (I'm pretty sure Lidl's and Aldi's sold them at just under a tenner) is reckoned to add 5degC to the value of the bag.
Me ? I reckon that buying a better sleeping mat is worth the bother too

cheers,
Toddy

 

[petrochemicals]

Seventy really should get a good compact bag, down eurohike can be picked up very very cheap, and I'm sure there are others.mountain hardware lamina, snugpak of some sort vango superlite can all be had on ebay for that.

I know vango do hybrid bags. One thing struck me though is that you do not use the compressed filling, and compacted compactable synthetic filling is just as bad as down ( obviously) a top bag and a blanket I think

 

[rorymax]

I have a good mat for insulation from the ground, my legs are not normally cold but in this bag I was reaching for my jacket to put over my legs.

Silk liner sounds like a good option.

I will take a look at the suggested bags also.

What does not make things easier is that I sleep restless and I really prefer a rectangular sleeping bag, and that as you know makes for more bulk.

I would ideally like something like spirtwalker's merlin3 for pack size, but in envelope shape.

Thanks guys, all of your comments taken on board.

rorymax

 

[rorymax]

You'll probably pick up a good second hand bag at that price....cheers, Toddy

Hi Toddy,

I am not at all averse to buying second hand, it just seems to be a bit of long shot especially if buying unseen as would be likely with ebay or gumtree, chance of something local coming up are slim, or am I being too cautious?

Anybody here bought a second hand sleeping bag, did it work out OK for you?

rorymax

 

[bilmo-p5]

Despite being a big fan of silk as a base layer, I wouldn't give you tuppence for a silk bag liner. 2 liners I would recommend are the Snugpack Thermalon liner, which is a tube of knitted brushed polyester about 6' long (c.£20) and Argos' own bag liner which is a envelope shaped bag in sleek, warm polyester sheeting, a bit like a synthetic flannelette, (c.£10).

I'm 6'6" and generally need a longer bag. I'd decided some time ago that I wanted a down bag; I had been using a home made Buffalo clone which was snuggy warm but also huge on an epic scale. I had an ongoing search, 'down xl' in sleeping bags on eBay for months and a few weeks ago secured a Macpac Escapade 500XL in excellent condition for £43. I'm now waiting for the weather to cool sufficiently to merit using it, and am hopeful that , with a liner if necessary, it will be good for year round. We'll see ...
The bargains are out there, but in the meantime, until what you get what you want, back up your Navigator (I have one) with a liner or 2 and keep a good lookout for something better.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Army surplus artic bags go for 40-50 quid used and are used by many although very bulky.

 

[rorymax]

The bargains are out there, but in the meantime, until what you get what you want, back up your Navigator (I have one) with a liner or 2 and keep a good lookout for something better.

I like your advice, so that is just what I will do until I find (or maybe someone will direct me to) the bag that fulfills my needs.

Thanks,

rorymax

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

I had the older model of this n used it for years it kept me snug and warm.i bought it for 25 quid in one if their stores and have only just upgraded it.ive not had my hands on this newer version in the flesh but the price n temp ratings meet your criteria.

 

[ged]

Hi,

I bought a Snugpack Navigator at £27.00, it is bulky and heavy and I new that before buying, what disappointed was that at 5c night temp I was not at all comfortable, contrary to the comfort levels claimed for this sleeping bag.

Guess I need to spend more ...

There are lies, damned lies and sales brochures. Sleeping bag ratings are invariably optimistic. Just how optimistic depends on the user, as some people sleep cooler than others and there seems to be quite a wide range. TeePee reckons it depends on what month you were born in. Early this year there were four of us camping in February, and all of us had birthdays within a month of the meet. SWMBO wouldn't dream of camping in February, but she was born in June. In Kenya.

That said it's true that you didn't spend a lot on a sleeping bag, but I don't think you'll need to spend much more at all. A hot water bottle or two can be worth tens of degrees C of outside air temperature. Best to get one of the more recent silicone ones I think, and have it well wrapped with insulation or you'll probably overheat in a sleeping bag. You can just use PET soft drinks bottles, but don't have the water so hot that it will damage the bottle or you might get a dangerous scald if the bottle leaks. Wrap it up very well. When I use a bottle like that I wrap it with some spare clothing and put it in a dry-bag as an extra precaution.

There's a good case for having layered sleeping bags, you can have two rather different bags which are, say 10 togs and 20 togs giving you the options of 10, 20 and 30 togs depending on whether you use one, the other, or both.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tog_(unit)

Then you can start adding liners (I've picked up liners and lightweight sleeping bags in perfect condition at charity shops for a couple of quid), a bivvy cover (which I recommend for anywhere) and of course clothing.

Now before we get into any kind of religious debate about wearing clothing or otherwise in a sleeping bag, I'm a clothing wearer. To quote the label on my favourite bivvy system, which uses the 10-20-30 idea above and is rated to below -40C:

"... designed for temperatures from minus 10 to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit when use with various insulating layers of the extended cold weather clothing system."

(My emphasis.)

http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/sleeping_system_instructions.jpg

With the right preparation you'll be warm as toast in that sleeping bag in almost anything that the UK weather can throw at you.

I love waking up with ice on my bivvy. My brother-in-law said he thinks I'm mad, but then I was sleeping on deck on his yacht in March.

 

[rorymax]

I had the older model of this n used it for years it kept me snug and warm.i bought it for 25 quid in one if their stores and have only just upgraded it.ive not had my hands on this newer version in the flesh but the price n temp ratings meet your criteria.

Hi friend,

I'm not sure what older model you refer to, I am interested, can you elaborate please.

Thanks,

rorymax

 

[GGTBod]

I love my M67 ARMY SLEEPING BAG 3PC (BIVVI BAG + BLANKET + SHEET) COMPACT BEDROLL, £15 for an un-issued version, beats any cheap sleeping bag by a million mile, beats many expensive ones too

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Alreet.i bought one about 5 too 6 years ago and used it loads camping and hiking.this one seems too be a newer version but the temp ratings weight etc are al the same.the pack size isn't in the description but mine when scrunched right down is a decent enough about 350 x 250mm .i know that's not small but it ain't big either compared too issue bags.nowt else too say really mate prices of sleeping bags can get silly silly silly money.i paid 25 quid for mine n it got me were I wanted too go
http://m.sportsdirect.com/mt/www.sp..._v_un_info=&un_jtt_v_un_pers=&un_jtt_redirect

 

[peaks]

The M67 + the Czech bed roll are brill bits of kit, but not ideal for backpacking due to bulk + weight?

 

[GGTBod]

Weighs just over 2 kilo, definitely a little bit bulky but mine is usually just strapped to the underside of my rucksack and compared to what you could buy for the money (£15 inc P+P) there is no contest, if there is and i have missed it please fill me in as i'll have one of them too , it is also 400g lighter than my cold weather Snugpak chrysalis 5 (£85) and easily as warm, best part i like about it though is the mix of traditional and modern materials with the pure wool blanket and linen hygiene sheet buttoned into the bivvy bag, with this and a ground mat and my midge head net i can sleep anywhere

 

[ADz-1983]

Hi,

I bought a Snugpack Navigator at £27.00, it is bulky and heavy and I new that before buying, what disappointed was that at 5c night temp I was not at all comfortable, contrary to the comfort levels claimed for this sleeping bag.

Guess I need to spend more, but budget is limited, I have heard of part synthetic/part down bags but I do not see them advertised.

I would be happy with used\ex army item if a compact bag that would cover Scottish autumnal use (at worst) was available.

It would be used for backpacking so compact is really desirable.

On a budget of £70.00 I am most probably clutching at straws, but I thought it worth asking the advice of the Bushcraft collective.

Thanks,
rorymax

This is why it's best to try and increase budget a bit on things like bags because you will end up wasting money and it costing more in long run if you buy cheap ones that don't last or are not suitable.

For £70ish I would recommend the Snugpak Elite 3. It's synthetic and packs down well and not too heavy for it's rating.

 

[northumbrian]

There are lies, damned lies and sales brochures. Sleeping bag ratings are invariably optimistic. Just how optimistic depends on the user, as some people sleep cooler than others and there seems to be quite a wide range. TeePee reckons it depends on what month you were born in. Early this year there were four of us camping in February, and all of us had birthdays within a month of the meet. SWMBO wouldn't dream of camping in February, but she was born in June. In Kenya.

That said it's true that you didn't spend a lot on a sleeping bag, but I don't think you'll need to spend much more at all. A hot water bottle or two can be worth tens of degrees C of outside air temperature. Best to get one of the more recent silicone ones I think, and have it well wrapped with insulation or you'll probably overheat in a sleeping bag. You can just use PET soft drinks bottles, but don't have the water so hot that it will damage the bottle or you might get a dangerous scald if the bottle leaks. Wrap it up very well. When I use a bottle like that I wrap it with some spare clothing and put it in a dry-bag as an extra precaution.

There's a good case for having layered sleeping bags, you can have two rather different bags which are, say 10 togs and 20 togs giving you the options of 10, 20 and 30 togs depending on whether you use one, the other, or both.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tog_(unit)

Then you can start adding liners (I've picked up liners and lightweight sleeping bags in perfect condition at charity shops for a couple of quid), a bivvy cover (which I recommend for anywhere) and of course clothing.

Now before we get into any kind of religious debate about wearing clothing or otherwise in a sleeping bag, I'm a clothing wearer. To quote the label on my favourite bivvy system, which uses the 10-20-30 idea above and is rated to below -40C:

"... designed for temperatures from minus 10 to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit when use with various insulating layers of the extended cold weather clothing system."

(My emphasis.)

http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/sleeping_system_instructions.jpg

With the right preparation you'll be warm as toast in that sleeping bag in almost anything that the UK weather can throw at you.

I love waking up with ice on my bivvy. My brother-in-law said he thinks I'm mad, but then I was sleeping on deck on his yacht in March.

can I ask which bags you use please ?

 

[rik_uk3]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/search.php?searchid=8590082 have a look at these threads which all discuss sleeping bags.

 

[GGTBod]

dead link Rik