Decided that I can't really get my pack weight/size down any more without starting to replace some gear, went out last weekend and pretty much every thing I carried was used. The biggest item to replace now is my sleeping bag and I'm looking at the Minim 400. My wife has a PHD bag and I'm really impressed with it so I'm pretty sure thats the one for me. My biggest concern at the moment is condensation, I've read around and some people panic over it, others don't seem too bothered.
I've been out the last 2 weekends using my synthetic bag (ME TDSIII) and a Rab survival zone, each morning the feet is slightly damp but the chest area has a fair amount of moisture on outside (between the bag and the bivvi) - this might be due to me slipping into the bag though and breathing out into the bag instead of out of the opening, going to experiement in a couple of weeks with that.
I know quite a few people like the minim and also the survival zone but I just want clarification on using these two together before I fork out.
Also when I order the Minim and suggestions on materials?
I suspect there's a good chance the dampness was just the dampness a body produces condensing on the sleeping bag because the bivvy didn't let it escape. Were you using the SZ in a tent as a sleeping bag protector, or actually bivvying? For the latter, I'd want something bigger and tougher than an SZ (I moved from the SZ to an ex-army bivvy bag).
You may have found some of my comments in the 'don't seem too bothered' category about down and condensation!
And if you are worried, you can always get the Minim in a drishell fabric.
Using it as a bag protector, either under a tarp or in the Shangri-La outer. Is the drishell worth the extra weight or would it be better to get a more breathable option?
Ah right, I can see why you'd want something then to protect the bag, and the SZ does seem ideal in those circs. The drishell only adds a few grams and does add a certain peace of mind. I think one of my PHD bags isn't drishell, the rest are (unfortunately I don't know which is the 'odd one out'!).
If you're using it in a SZ, you may not want a zip - though that's personal preference - and that's way more than the few grams the drishell weighs.
Can't really comment on breathability of the fabric I'm afraid.
I use my SZ in a single skin tent from force10. Its not as well designed tent as the shangri-la slthough that is unfair to my tent its just a different design of single skin. I have never had a problem myself with condensation in the SZ. I do use a marmot fusion30 which is primaloft outer/down inner sleeping bag. Plus I tend to sleep with the sz on the opposite way round to the sleeping bag, i.e. the longer edge on top. That'll catch more condensation from my breath but at the same time stop wind blown drips of condesation hitting my face on a particularly bad night. Never had problems between the bag and the sz, YET.
i have a phd bag with dri shell---i used it last january for a week in scotland--because of the short daylight hours i was looking for a camp site in the dark each night and the ones i found were less than ideal producing a lot of condensation in my atko---the dri shell seemed to cope ok with this--the week was a mixture of cloud/drizzle/rain/sleet/hail and snow with no opurtunitys to air the bag---in the mornings the bags dri shell fabric would be damp and i would pack it damp---in the evening it would be a bit slow to loft but once me and a sigg hot water bottle got in--- it rose back to normal---hope this helps---regards lr
