Trakker sleeping Bag

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DPK71

Guest
Hi guys and gals,

I am new to the Forum and this is my first post so apologies if it's in the wrong place!

Do any of you lovely people have any experience with these sleeping bags?

http://www.trakkerproducts.co.uk/cgi-bin/english-productslong.pl?RecordNumber=104

I'm after a decent winter bag and am not a fan of Mummy bags due to the lack of space.

These ones look interesting being Square and roomy but It would be good to get some feedback from someone that has used one.

Regards

Darren.
 

redandshane

Native
Oct 20, 2007
1,581
0
Batheaston
That is one expensive bag mate
I dont know anything about that specfic bag so these are just my thoughts s please take them as such
Where ?when? and how ?do you plan to use your bag
I am fairly certain you could buy some equally good kit for a lot less dependent on answers to the above questions
Most people have more than one bag for different uses
A bivvy bag or liner or both can make a fairly standard high street 2/3 season bag multifunctional in UK
a standard army jungle bag is fine in Uk summer and its nice and light to carry; again a liner or bivvy bag ups the rating
If its a really warm bag you want the issue British army bag is a real treat but heavy on the back(light on the wallet though)
Alpkit and Snugpak make good bags as well
all depends what you want really
But my advice is dont rush out and spend a load of dosh on highly specialist gear unless you are absolutely certain thats what you want and its what you need
Hope thats useful
 
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DPK71

Guest
Thanks for the reply, my first one!

I have been looking at the Army issue bags on ebay.
But I just stumbled across this one and though it looked interesting.

I was camping in my new Bison Vildmark Lavvu at Xmas and used an old Coleman bag rated to -17! it was only -5 and I froze my n**ts off!

My ME Down jacket saved me! so I wanted to make sure I got some sleep next time by getting a decent bag.
 

redandshane

Native
Oct 20, 2007
1,581
0
Batheaston
Have a wee look at these then
Item number: 290288133209
I have one of these very warm and also very roomy I am 6'1 and have hammock camped last November in one of these and was very warm
Check the size though as I think there are some that are smaller

or this which is a modular system similar to the one you were looking at but half the price
looks like you would have a lot of options with this Pity about the camo bivvy bag though

Item number: 220342050488
maybe another member has used this system?

Mind you it has been rather chilly recently so the fact you were cold in just a standard sleeping bag doesn't really surprise me
 
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DPK71

Guest
I do Like the Idea of a central zip and I have been researching the US sleep system on here and SOTP.

There seems to be mixed reviews of it but it is pretty cheap for what you get.

I'm not to worried about spending money on a quality bit of kit but it's a bit of a gamble when it's an unknown quantity.

I probably will go for one of the British army bags as you can't really go wrong at the price!

The french ones look quite interesting too specially the square one with the waterproof base that can be opened out like quilt in warmer weather.

Thanks again for your help.

Darren.
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
I've a '90 issue bag (it is not an Arctic bag despite what the fleabay listing says) and an US sleep system. The brit bag is warm- over warm in summer but just open the zip! The US system is SIDE zip only but it more versatile in that you can separate the bags. You WILL need both bags in winter. The ratings quoted are for a soldier sleeping in full kit. The US bags are narrower that the brit bag. The brit bag is my choice in winter and summer the US one(s).

That US bag listing is a VERY good price.
 

wasteoid

Forager
Jan 6, 2006
166
0
51
uxbridge
Hi guys and gals,

I am new to the Forum and this is my first post so apologies if it's in the wrong place!

Do any of you lovely people have any experience with these sleeping bags?

http://www.trakkerproducts.co.uk/cgi-bin/english-productslong.pl?RecordNumber=104

I'm after a decent winter bag and am not a fan of Mummy bags due to the lack of space.

These ones look interesting being Square and roomy but It would be good to get some feedback from someone that has used one.

Regards

Darren.

You won't be sorry. Trakker are carp fishing gear specialist. I have a bag I bought from Gardner (very similar), and I can honestly say that it is the best sleeping bag i have owned. I also have a snugpak antarctica re, a couple of mountain equipment bags and my carp duvet knocks spots off them, in terms of size, comfort and warmth.

You can get it cheaper than the list price, by looking through a carp fishing mag, you will probabley be able to find it and others very like it.

They build them warm, as most carp anglers sleep out in all weathers in pursuit "of the largest".

Give it a go and report back.

Chris
 
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DPK71

Guest
Thanks Chris,

I was about to buy a Mountain equipment Military TDS3
But not too sure now!

i'll have another look at the Trakker system.

Darren.
 
Feb 5, 2008
336
0
Datchet
That trakker sleeping bag certainly looks like it will do the job very nicely but man thats a lot of Money.

I have had the Arctic version of the army bag. Careful when buying though there are several that look the same but are diferent spec. (arctice/not arctic) Personally, I didnt get on with artic bag it was too warm ( was used in U.K in January) by the morning I felt like a pack of boil in the bag food and was very dehydrated. My friends said it was the 6 cans of stella I had before bed but I blame the sleeping bag.;)

Anyway I sold it on quickly but a lot of people really get on with the army issue bags.
 

scallywag

Need to contact Admin...
Oct 22, 2008
48
0
41
Europe
anyone have any experience with the Snugpak 'softie' sleeping bags? http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shopscr3442.html

(on that particular website its £100, but I have seen it for 80 elsewhere)

it packs in at 26cm by 26cm, compared to my army issue sleeping bag, that is tiny and looks/sounds very warm indeed.

You have my recommmendation on snugpak. I've been using Elite 3 and Sleeper lite for some time now. You get what you pay for!
 

verloc

Settler
Jun 2, 2008
676
4
East Lothian, Scotland
I've been using the snugpak special forces combo for the last year. The summer bag (which is based on a softie 3 i think) is very compact when stowed away and does the trick fine for about 1/2yr for me (i like to be toasty when asleep), the second bag which i cant remember what model is based on but I have never ever been cold in this bag but it is big and bulky. You can combine then together to make an uber bag - although I never had the need too.

In my opionion they dont feel great quality but to dissprove how wrong impressions can be I have never had a problem with any of the bags (and I don't treat my gear gently), my only niggle would be that I find the zip is a bit small and can snag easily but that seems to be the standard whine a bout snugpak bags - which in the grand scheme of things is not too bad.

just my tuppence worth.

ps - that trakker bag looks very comfy and toasty. bet it weighs a ton tho :)
 

Wink

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 4, 2004
129
0
Norfolk
I would think very carefully before buying the Trakker if I were you! It weighs 5.2 kg!!! That's FIVE kilos.

I can understand you wanting to upgrade warmthwise, but you need to have regard to what you are doing. If you are only camping from a car, then you could take a couple of quilts from home and be warm without spending £150. The Trakker seems to be intended for Carp fishermen, sleeping on a riverbank near the carpark!

Sleeping bag ratings vary a great deal, with some manufacturers quoting ridiculously optimistic figures. I have had Coleman bags before, and mine was not up to properly cold weather. I also have a ME TDSIII, and have to say that you will struggle to be cold in it. I have stopped using mine much as I am always too warm. It is now used by the missus, on the VERY rare occasion she can be persuaded to sleep in the tent. This woman takes a hot water bottle to bed in June, in the house... She has never complained about being cold in the TDSIII. It weighs about 1.8kg, so you could take three of them along instead of the Trakker.

My advice is to work out first what you will use the bag for, and whether it needs to go in a rucksack. Then choose a bag that will meet your needs without overkill. As a general rule, if you lay the bag out and let it loft (fluff up), the warmest bag will be the one that is thickest. Have a look in a camping shop and try with a reputable make. Price is no guarantee of warmth, neither is weight. Warmth with light weight IS possible, but costs money!

Also mummy bags may feel more restrictive, but they are definitely warmer, and if you don't use the baffles and drawcords properly, you need to add another 5-10 degrees to the rating, as all the heat escapes out of the top of the bag!

In my experience, people usually follow the following sequence:-
1) Cheap bag claiming arctic ability! COLD
2) More expensive bag claiming arctic ability from better manufacturer. Too warm, and huge pack size/weight
3) A lower rated bag from the same quality of maker. Warm enough and smaller.
4) Finally, a very expensive bag of the same rating, but a lot lighter/smaller.

It's an expensive learning curve!
 
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DPK71

Guest
The Trakker bag is a heavy and expensive one but there are a lot of other brands of similar bags that are lighter and cheaper and the Fishermen seem to rave about them!

They are designed for car camping and thats exactly what I had in mind as my tipi weighs 15KG anyway!

Warmth is more important than weight in the winter for me.
The bags are quite interesting as they are a totally different design to camping bags, they are designed to be roomy and warm and to allow the Fisherman to burst out quickly when they get a strike.

They are seriously big too most of them are getting on for a metre wide!
good for the bigger lads and also us not so big ones that like a bit of room to move.

I will probably get a cheaper one just for curiosity's sake and if it doesn't work out I can get an ME TDS for less than £60 online.

Thanks again for all your advice people.
Darren.
 

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