3 season sleeping bag

Shamus

23/04/2012 at 07:12

Can anyone recommend a good 3 season sleeping bag for backpacking and also a good mat

Tom WIlson 2

23/04/2012 at 08:44

what sort of sleeping bag are you after? synthetic, or down? budget is a key factor. Also if you are a particular build it can have an effect on what you should buy. I personally just bought the SnugpakSoftie Harrier 10, for a 3 season synthetic it packs small and light at CA 1600g but a down equivalent will weigh less, pack smaller but cost more. I find the one i bought is very comfy, almost feels like a down bag, its also very roomy and being 6ft4 (191cm) the extra size is great for me as i can properly bury myself in it. I also bought a snugpack travel light self inflating sleeping mat, its weighs in at 500g and packs down small but is only about 1" thick and not so good for rocky ground, but i bought it to use in a hammock.... when i was looking and checking things out on the forum i heard lots of good things about the Alpkit mats so i'd check them out. or you could go with the old faithful foam roll mat. There are quite a few threads and discussions on this site about the pros and cons of the different mats and types of bag so id advise taking the time to read these.

Cattytown

29/04/2012 at 10:03

Tom asks some good questions. Being small can be as challenging as large for getting gear to fit. Unfortunately I have the problem of being large. I am not desperately tall but am rather heavier than I would like. I tried a couple of mummy style bags, and they were very snug. I then found the size of the mountain hardwear long laminas, and tried one. There was just enough room to be comfortable.

A little info on priorities would help - what is your main priority - comfort? weight? pack size? Price? You are unlikely to get a comfortable bag that is light and packs small at a budget price!

The same priorities apply to mats. Being larger, I struggle with most mats, but then discovered the exped synmat. For me they are the perfect compromise between the various demands on a mat.

Now, if I could just fing the perfect pillow...

Shamus

29/04/2012 at 10:21

I'm probably going to have a down bag trying to keep the weight down but I've been trying to get info on what the nighttime temperatures will be like particularly higher up the mountains so I can gauge which bag to take
We are using local Berbers with mules to carry most of our gear we have a total of 15 kg load we can carry

Bedouin

29/04/2012 at 10:27

Cattytown wrote (see)

Unfortunately I have the problem of being large. I am not desperately tall but am rather heavier than I would like.

Don't want to dwell on this but I'm 6' 4/5" and have a 2nd row (England!) rugby player build yet haven't/didn't really have that much problem finding a suitable sized bag. I'm thinking that your expecting a more roomy bag when bags just aren't meant to be roomy i.e. more air spaces means more heat loss.

Cattytown wrote (see)

I then found the size of the mountain hardwear long laminas, and tried one. There was just enough room to be comfortable.

Both of my most recent bag purchases have been Mountain Hardwear.... I'm not sure if the synth Lamina's are different but I've found both the Down filled Ghost and Banshee to be supremely comfortable both from a warmth and size perspective.

I have no meaningful experience with synth bags but was thinking that you might be better off buying a super warm synthetic bag and using it as a quilt to get around the roominess problem. I do this with the Ghost and it works a treat*. The down filled Ghost come to think of it even the Banshee is pretty large so not sure how realistic it would be with a synth bag.

* warmer than around -10

Edited: 29/04/2012 at 10:32

Cattytown

29/04/2012 at 12:28

I know they are meant to be snug, but I was having difficulty zipping them up. The extra space in the MH is just enough for me to fasten it and get comfortable.

Paul.

Tom WIlson 2

29/04/2012 at 18:25

Yes its a good thing to check the environmental conditions youll be using the bag in, and you can boost warmth by the use of liners, they also help keep the bag cleaner inside. When i was looking at down bags the Alpkit ones caught my eye, and i would have bought one had it been instock but im an impatient sod, now i need a massive rucksack just for my sleeping bag....

huskyman

29/04/2012 at 19:44

A good mat is the Exped Synmat UL, comes in 3 sizes. Size m is 185x51cm, 469g, packed size 24x9.5cm.

It's dear new, £70ish, but might get a used one, or cheaper off fleabay.

My pillow is the Exped pillow pump, blows up my UL mat, but great as a pillow on it's own.

kevin Troy

29/04/2012 at 20:38

my 3 season bag is a snugpack softie 9 80 quid n good for temps down to -5 poss more depends on how you sleep/what you have on at only 1400gramms its not too bad lighter bags out there tho n standard military self inflate roll mat does perfect for me cheap too...if you no a few quartermasters...

Bedouin

29/04/2012 at 21:30

>snugpack softie 9

>80 quid

>-5

>1400gramms

Not bad that from a spec's POV.

huskyman

29/04/2012 at 21:44

I too have a Softie 9

Great bag for a Syn. though of course doesn't pack as small as a down bag and the more it's used the worse it will get, no matter how carefull you are.

Syn. always loses a bit of loft each time it's used/packed. Lasts maybe 1/2 as long as a down bag at most.

StoneHuggingHippy

29/04/2012 at 21:47

Surprised no ones mantioned the alpkit skyehigh 600 yet, i know they can be a pain to get hold of but it's a great 3 season bag imo, and i've stretched mine into winter use with clothing.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Bedouin

29/04/2012 at 21:48

You could buy 8 Softie 9's for the cost of a long Banshee and the spec is similar! Then again if its more bulky than the Banshee when packed down then its gonna be a bit of a monster!

Edited: 29/04/2012 at 21:48

huskyman

29/04/2012 at 21:57

Apart from the Alpkit an other place to look at is Ishka Sports, the sell bags made in China and the like.

Don't let that put you off, I've got one, (KingKamp -10c), and as close to any 'named brand' bag I've used as makes no differance.

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