Gear

I'm after a new sleeping bag. I already have one, it's a 4-season thing (couldn't tell you the brand, kozi-something. I bought it quite a few years ago from Argos of all places ) and is very bulky when packed. It is useful when cold, as it really does keep me warm, however, for the summer, I generally melt, and as a result, don't sleep very well.

I went to Winfields the other day (for those that don't know, it's a shop in Lancashire that sells lots of things, but has a large camping section) and found two that caught my eye.

Firstly, theGelert Pioneer 700, which is a 1-season bag, packs very small and is 700g

Secondly, the Vango Voyager 200 which is 2-3 season and 1275g. It's also on offer at Winfields, for £25.

What i'd like to know is would I be better going with the Vango as it will be useable for more of the year, or should I get the smaller, lighter and cheaper one for just summer use and then use my bulky thing for colder nights? If I bought the vango, would I be able to keep warmer by buying a liner for colder months/wearing more to bed?

Hope this makes sense, not sur if I've worded it properly.

Thanks

Hi Joseph Wilkinson,

Do you have a paid for advert on this website? If you don't I think you might want to contact the moderator and talk about terms because you appear to be doing a little back door advertising here...

It really depends on how cold / warm you sleep.

Light synthetic bags (such as the Gelert Pioneer) will only be adequate in genuinely warm conditions and these aren't guaranteed in the UK.

I haven't much experience of synthetic bags but if I were you I would go for the Vango rather than the Gelert.  Yes, it weighs more but Vango is a reputable brand and the kit generally good.

As to whether a liner will improve warmth, opinion is divided.  Most people use silk liners but these cost as much as the bags that you are considering so if you have the budget for it, get a better bag.  Personally, I haven't found that silk liners make a bag any warmer but they do keep it cleaner.  A fleece liner will probably increase warmth but they are pretty heavy and bulky compared to silk.  

Joseph Wilknson wrote (see)

Hi thekickingmole,

 I would just like to let you know that we have this new coleman Xylo sleeping bag currently on offer. This is one of our best sellers and is great for any time camping.

Coleman Xylo Blue Sleeping Bag

 If you have any questions contact me at wilkinson45@hotmail.co.uk

PS. we accept paypal

The Xylo Blue is NOT great for "anytime" camping  - it has a comfort rating of +6 degrees, and to market is as such is totally irresponsible and potentially dangerous.

The sleeping bag is also available through other outlets than the one above - the difference is that they pay for their adverts, which is what pays for this site to be here, not spam advertising on their first post with irresponsible claims!

Mole wrote (see)

Sic im Dave!

Wow, I leave my thread for two hours and come back to find all this going on lol hope that's all sorted out.

Jake Thanks for that, it makes a lot of sense. I'm usually quite warm, I don't get cold very often, and find that when I am in my current sleeping bag, I  have to leave it unzipped most the time. I think I agree with you about Vango's reputation, the weight of it isn't exactly 'heavy' in fairness (i'm sure if I was being a weight-weeny, then this would be highly disputed) so I think that it'll be better off with that one.

As for the liner, I may get one for the sake of cleanliness, providing I can find a cheapish one (I was reading a thread about them the other day, I shall dig it up and have another read through). I hadn't even heard of them until recently.

Thanks