Sleeping bag advice

noby

Hi all.
I know this is the impossible question, asked a million times, but looking for advice on a sleeping bag for myself.

I currently have a couple of generic 2-season bags that I share with the kids for scouts.
I also have a British army arctic bag that I use for winter.

I'm looking for something a little more portable, that's more suited for hiking. I don't want anything ultra light at the moment - just a good all-rounder 3 season, I guess.
We plan on doing a lot more bivvy/tarp/hammock camping this season.

I see Snugpaks on Amazon go for a decent price. Are they any good? Is there any other brands I should look out for? I'm a little out of the loop.

tphase

for hiking, weight is important.
I'd be going with a down bag, ideally 1kg or less. For me a 2-season bag is warm enough for Irish summer conditions. If it's chilly, I use extra layers or a silk liner and combine two bags for winter camping.
Snugpak are a good make, also check out Rab, Golite, (I have one of each) Marmot, Alpkit (friends have these).
Down bags aren't cheap so look out for discounts - http://outdoorfair.de/ and http://bike24.com/ are 2 sites I'd keep an eye on

I'd suggest a goretex bivvy bag is a must for sleeping under a tarp eg I have an Alpkit Hunka - good piece of kit which I bring on all my trips.
They have cosmetic seconds on sale at the minute
https://www.alpkit.com/products/hunka-cosmetic-seconds

The best sleeping bag in the world is near useless without some decent insulation under you however if you're on a budget, you can survive on a cheap Karrimat for a season or two and save up for a Thermarest or Exped air mattress. A Karrimat is arguably better for a hammock

noby

Thanks for that.

While down is the ultimate, I'm looking at a decent synthetic for this year, I reckon.
If I can prove to myself I can get out often enough, and hike far enough to justify the weight saving I can treat myself then.

The bivvy is a good suggestion; I'll check them out. And the liner too.
I have a self-inflating mat, so I'll see how it goes with that.
Thanks.

tphase

noby wrote: »

Thanks for that.

While down is the ultimate, I'm looking at a decent synthetic for this year, I reckon.
If I can prove to myself I can get out often enough, and hike far enough to justify the weight saving I can treat myself then.

The bivvy is a good suggestion; I'll check them out. And the liner too.
I have a self-inflating mat, so I'll see how it goes with that.
Thanks.

At the time I got my first down bag, bulk rather than weight was more an issue for me and down bags were hugely superior - easily 20-25% of the packed volume of a similarly spec'd synthetic. Once I went down, there was never any going back:)

I think synthetic bags have come on a lot since then so if you get a decent new bag, expect it to last a good few years ie you'll find it hard to justify replacing it until it's damaged/worn out. Nothing wrong with that if you're happy with it and it does what you need but, unless you have someone you can pass it on to, it's not the kind of kit that's necessarily easy to sell 2nd hand so you can offset the cost of your snazzy ultralight down bag



I'd suggest start with the bivvy - it will possibly add enough warmth to your existing bags that you don't need to replace them right away. I use my bivvy bag much more than I use my liner and I'm likely to just wear thermals if it's cold - the liner is my backstop for when it's unexpectedly cold.


I suspect you have a pretty good idea of what you like/need and you understand the difference between cheap and good value - trust your instincts....

Planet X

Highly rated synthetic bag,

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/sleeping-bags-c21/sleeping-bags-c88/hyperlamina-flame-synthetic-sleeping-bag-p9673

noby

Planet X wrote: »

Highly rated synthetic bag,

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/sleeping-bags-c21/sleeping-bags-c88/hyperlamina-flame-synthetic-sleeping-bag-p9673

Looks great, but I can't justify that price off the bat.
I think for this season it's going to be a compromise of price weight and bulk.

unless you have someone you can pass it on to, it's not the kind of kit that's necessarily easy to sell 2nd hand

A few young scouts in the house, so any bag won't go to waste.