Sleeping bags

8vjohn

Hi all,

Sorry if this has been asked before.
I'm getting back into the camping scene and it's been years since I bought a sleeping bag. I plan on going to Canada at the end of the year or very early next year so I want to get something that will suit hiking/camping in Ireland for the rest of the year and then bring it with me to Canada.

What are my options and what can people recommend?

Thanks
John

Donny5

A few details might help. Do you camp in a tent, bivvy, hammock? Will you be in the wild or campsites? Do you plan on camping in the relatively warm Canadian South or Northern Tundra? What's more important to you, weight/size or cost? How much can you afford to spend?

8vjohn

Donny5 wrote: »

A few details might help. Do you camp in a tent, bivvy, hammock? Will you be in the wild or campsites? Do you plan on camping in the relatively warm Canadian South or Northern Tundra? What's more important to you, weight/size or cost? How much can you afford to spend?

A few details would help alright, sorry.
Well while we're in Ireland we'll be camping in a tent from the car. 4 man tent, two people and a hyperactive golden retriever!

We're not definite on the plan for Canada yet. Initially we'll b e buying a jeep/camper of some description so we can spend the first 2/3 months travelling the country.

Weight isn't hugely important to me as I'm a big lad, size could be a factor as I will be backpacking with it at some stage.

I would spend up to €150 or €200 at a push if I knew it was a worthwhile investment

irishlostboy

how long is a piece of string?
first consideration. synthetic or down? there are endless debates over them, simple info.
down = natural feather material that is very warm, packs small. it is useless when wet, and a pain to clean. costly.
synthetic = no clue what it is made of. slightly more bulky than down. maintains a bit of warmth when wet (probably better not camping in wet sleeping bags tbh) can be easier to clean and can be a bit cheaper.
temp ratings? = rubbish. ignore all temp ratings on all bags. they are totally fiction. the best rule of thumb to sleeping bag temp ratings is to treat the "comfort rating" as the lowest possible temp you will survive in.
season rating? 2, 3 or 4? the bigger the number, the more likely you will be warm. I would not use less than a 4 season bag any time of year in Ireland.
brands = there are some good brands that give good price / performance and enjoy a good reputation among the people who actually have a clue, not just the label-freaks of the outdoor world. here are some I have personal experience with and would recommend.
snugpak. great synthetic bags. http://www.snugpak.com/index.php
alpkit. good down bags, especially for the price. http://www.alpkit.com/
mountain hardware. top kit. big prices. http://www.mountainhardwear.eu/
rab. supreme kit. nuts prices. http://www.rab.uk.com/
there are a ton of other good (and bad) companies. read plenty of reviews. talk to other people when you are out camping about their gear. I personally love down. I have a marmot sawtooth which I would NOT recommend. terrible quality build in the case of my bag, and terrible after-sales care. I am sure plenty of people are happy with their stuff, and that you will find good and bad stories about every company listed here. lots of the old buyer beware bit.

waterboy15

ill second snugpack a friend and myself have snugpack elite 5 comfort to -15 had it out at 0_2 degrees was too warm for about €120 on amazon.

OS119

8vjohn wrote: »

...We're not definite on the plan for Canada yet. Initially we'll b e buying a jeep/camper of some description so we can spend the first 2/3 months travelling the country...

sorry, but the sleeping bag that will keep you pleasantly warm in a metal box in the depths of a Canadian winter, and yet will be acceptably comfortable on an Irish beach in July, has not yet been invented.

bags have ratings: extreme temps - in which the bag will keep you alive, though you may not be be very comfortable - and comfort temperature guides, which tell you (roughly) where you'll neither shiver, nor sweat like a pig. i don't know about the US bags, but the ratings for UK sold bags comply with BS4745, and an explanation of the ratings determination and compliance can be found both on the Alpkit and Leeds university websites. in short, they are scientifically tested, they are not made up...

for your canadian adventure you'll want - imv - a reasonable quality, 4 - 5 season down bag with an comfort rating around the -10c to -18c mark. the cheapest, and again imv, best option would be an Alpkit PipeDream 800 selling for £190. Rab, MH, TNF etc.. all do similar quality bags for (much) more money.

there are options - you could use a fleece liner to make a cooler bag warmer, this has the advantage of giving you more flexibilty temerature wise, as well as meaning that you can wash the liner as often as you like in a washing machine, not something you can do with a down sleeping bag. it is however bulky - a liner + cooler bag will pack up much bigger and heavier than a warmer bag on its own.

for a summer - or, more correctly, not 'its fcuking freezing' sleeping bag - i'd go for a decent synthetic bag with a comfort range in the +2 to +10 area, quality and pack size will determine price, Snugpak being pretty good - my Softie 9 Hawk has survived 20 years of abuse, and been used in everything from the Afghan Desert in winter (-15c quite regularly) to summer camping holidays in southern europe.

total spend would be about £280 on the two bags - you are not going to get one bag that will do both jobs, so don't let any smooth-talking salesman flogging a £300+ bag convince you otherwise.

when you find a bag that you think will do the jobs you want it to do, pop over to some of the climbing/mountaineering websites to ask them what they think - UKclimbing.com is about the best. two peices of advice: buy in haste and repent at lesiure, and buy cheap, buy twice.