View Full Version : Sleeping Bag Question
I currently own a Marmot Sawtooth Dry (Long) down sleeping bag which is rated as goling down to -9C. However even when packed in a Haglofs Compression bag and squeezed as tight as possible, it still seems to take up half the room in my Berghaus Vulcan main compartment.
At a recent camp I saw someone with a bag which compressed down to not much bigger than a loaf of bread (Think Large Warburtons NOT Milkroll) and it was used in around -6C temperatures. I was going to enquire early in the morning as to what it was but we broke camp early and I missed the chance. This would be ideal as I think that size would fit in the bottom (Zipped) compartment of the Vulcan.
Can anybody recomend a sleeping bag 3-4 season which compresses down to a fairly small size?
Cheers
Dougster
29-01-2008, 22:20
Rab
Mines about the size of a small (childs) football and -9C
Loads of cash though (£250ish).
Got mine at a very good price.
gregorach
30-01-2008, 10:09
Yep, Rab bags are fabulous. Although I do remember somebody posted recently about a Vango down bag that seemed to be in the same sort of league...
Mountain Hardwear can also play with those :)
Prophecy
30-01-2008, 11:51
Yep, Rab bags are fabulous. Although I do remember somebody posted recently about a Vango down bag that seemed to be in the same sort of league...
Maybe it's the Vango Viper 500? It's a tiny size when compressed, and extreme rated to -15 IIRC. Only about £80.
gregorach
30-01-2008, 12:07
That sounds right. :) Although how they make a bag with that spec at that price, I can't (daren't?) imagine...
Thanks for the help, I have just enquired with an independant retailer who says the Viper range are suitable upto 5'10". I am 6'5" so will have to get back to the drawing board. This short length could explain the small pack size.
Prophecy
31-01-2008, 00:07
True. I just bought the Snugpak Kestrel - it's pretty small (19x19cm IIRC) and it's comfort is down to 0c, and extreme rated to -5c.
Have you thought about 2 bags inside the other? I use two lightweight summer bags in the winter, and don't get cold. I reckon the air trapped between the two bags helps. Also helps reduce heat loss at zips etc.size of the two bags together is about a kilo bag of sugar.
John Fenna
31-01-2008, 08:24
My Ajungilak is a twin bag - one zips inside the other for severe cold. Apart you have two bags - a 3 season and a 2 season - but they are still pretty bulky zipped together!
My Nanok is down and just about as warm as the other zipped together but about half the bulk....
I swear by the carinthia defence 4 sleeping bag. A very robust, snug bag. It fits exactly in the bottom of your berghaus vulcan II. takes up 1/3 of 1/4 of the total space. It weighs 1.8 kilo's. it has a zip over the belly and goes to about -15 degrees celcius as a comfort temperature. costs about 180 euro's new. Dutch and German army standard issue since a couple of years. So a lot cheaper in a surplus store.
There is an option to buy the summerbag from carinthia with that and together they will form a bag that goes to about -30 or 40 something. I find the weight/price/temperature ration awesome. I love the bag. They also have a carinthia defense 6 bag. wich has a far bigger temperature reach. Hope this might help you. Questions? just pm :)
http://www.military-sleeping-bags.com/home.htm
http://www.military-sleeping-bags.com/images/schlafsaecke/92450.jpg
Rab down bags are fantastic. I wish I had the cash to have one of them!
Up and Under have them for sale at the moment:
http://www.upandunder.co.uk/eshop/catalogue/bargain2.asp?Activity_ID=27&rd=0
Mike
PS only slight affiliation (I once worked there) with the site :p
Geuf> I also got that bag. It's a really nice piece of kit, extremely rugged, and very functional. The downside is the high weight (200 grammes for my long edition, including it's own stuff sack), and it's extremely big in it's compressed state (i dont like to overcompress my fiber-based bags as they degrade a lot from this)). I think the temperature ratings are a bit optimistic. I wasn't really THAT warm in it, in approx. 0 degrees C, with a cotton liner.
I'm looking forward to test my MHW Phantom in the exact same conditions, as to see which company is more honest when it comes to temp ratings :)
big_swede
31-01-2008, 12:41
For best varmth/bulk ratio there is no competition to down. The cheapest place I've found is roberts (www.roberts.pl). The are very good to deal with. Another cheap down bag supplier is alpkit, never used their bags but I know that some here have and they seem to get good reviews. My roberts bag packs down to the size of a small loaf of bread and is nice in temps down to -7-9 or so. It weighs ridiculously little. I think it's pertex quantum in it, not sure.
If you won the lottery you might wanna check out western mountaineerings bags. Superb but expensive.
ilovemybed
31-01-2008, 14:02
Anyone else used the Vaude range? I've got the Ice Peak basic, and love it. Their extreme cold bags seem to be a good volume, and you can combine their synth and down 3 season bags into one for really low temps.
Only thing is, everything they make is not just orange, it's ORANGE!
For best varmth/bulk ratio there is no competition to down. The cheapest place I've found is roberts (www.roberts.pl). The are very good to deal with. Another cheap down bag supplier is alpkit, never used their bags but I know that some here have and they seem to get good reviews. My roberts bag packs down to the size of a small loaf of bread and is nice in temps down to -7-9 or so. It weighs ridiculously little. I think it's pertex quantum in it, not sure.
I'm looking for a decent but cheap 3 season down sleeping bag (pyrenees etc) and the Roberts do look interesting, but I can't find any prices listed on their website, are they in the same price range as Alpkit (£120 for 1kg, comf -7°C) or much cheaper or more expensive? Is it a good quality bag you have and do you know which one it was? (to see if temp ratings are any good on their website)
Thanks in advance!
Lasse
big_swede
01-02-2008, 14:47
I bought in a group buy on another board, I don't know the model, it's blue :)
The best way to get prices is to email them, they are happy to do any alterations or custom fits, fillings, whatever for almost nothing extra.
irishlostboy
01-02-2008, 18:18
i have the marmot sawtooth bag also, and do not really like it. the down seems well good, but mine has had cold spots from when i got it. i got a mountain hardware "clouds rest" for only 50 euros more, and it is a vastly superior bag.
that said, the marmot bag is -9, like, in real life. unless you are perticularly hard core, ignore the "extreme" rating of bags. they are usually quite ficticious.apart from the dead spots (which i only notice if i lie on my side, the marmot down is quite warm down to about -6. i mean the bag and nothing else. below that i would wear my thermals to bed.