Down sleeping bags

Infinite

27/04/2012 at 11:17

Hi I been looking at the vango viper 750 as its about the price which I can afford at the moment, however I have read in some reviews that it hada tendency to leak feathers.
The other alternative I've read about is the skyehigh 800 and 1000 however I haven't been able to find them at a cheaper price.
I'm looking at around £120 not too much over just for uk all year round.
thanks for any tips

Guy Hurst

27/04/2012 at 12:41

You won't find a new Skyehigh bag any cheaper because they're only available from Alpkit. Might be worth advertising for a second hand one on OM though. BTW the 1000 would be very warm indeed for year-round use in the UK. I don't remember one night this winter when I wouldn't have been too hot in one of them.
From what I've seen they are significantly better bags than the Vipers.

Infinite

27/04/2012 at 12:54

Are there any alternatives for the price?

Guy Hurst

27/04/2012 at 14:09

There might be, but Alpkit and Vango are the budget down bag makers I know best. Another one I've seen a few times that might be worth a look is Robens.

Edited: 27/04/2012 at 14:16

huskyman

27/04/2012 at 20:38

You could think about the Alpkit Skyehigh 600.

Around £125, -5c ish rated, you could always wear warmer layers for extra heat.

Infinite

27/04/2012 at 21:39

The thing that's prompted me to get a new bag is that previously I've always used a cheaply Coleman season one synsetic bag, and that seemed to work just fine for me for many years now. But for some reason the last time I went to dartmoor a few weeks ago I was quite cold. So hence I feel it's time for a new one. Just don't want to fork out loads just yet

GOF

27/04/2012 at 21:58

Ah. How old is your existing bag - you do realise that synthetic bags have a finite life so if its more that a few years old it may just have worn out.

In addition - from personal experience - as you get older you feel the cold more anyway - just thinking going from an old knackered single season to a quality down bag is quite a jump.

Come to that - givent the current weather - not surprised you were cold on Dartmoor some weeks ago

Infinite

27/04/2012 at 22:24

Yea I'm thinking that even the budget vango/skyehigh may feel like top spec to me anyway

StoneHuggingHippy

27/04/2012 at 22:44

I've used my Skyehigh 600 down to -10, but fully clothed, i wasn't warm but neither was i freezing, that was on a neoair short, if i'd took the exped down mat i think i'd have been easily warm enough.

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

huskyman

27/04/2012 at 23:30

Unless you are a weirdo like me,

I can sleep comfortably in a +5 down bag, using an Exped SYN UL, in just t-shirt, shorts and socks to -7ish c, -10cish if I wear heavier clothes.

Normally if I expect it to get to -10ish, I'll bring a better bag, just in case. I'd rather be too warm than cold.

Apart from Stephen, who's been out with me before, I think the others on Irish Wild Bimble, where surprised at the bag I brought, (+5c down), and that I stayed warm.

It got to -4c inside my tent at one point! I'd filled a Trekmates 'water basein' and left in porch. In the morning had 1/2" of soild ice on top in morning!!

Infinite

28/04/2012 at 02:02

Yikes I thought I slept warm I'm not sure how cold it's ever been but I've been out when the grass looks like its got icicles on there tips and would sleeping on the bag with near nothing on but might last trip, I carried on like normal and half way through the night I just got Sooo cold, that I put my layers back on and got back up to temp then too hot again!
Maybe as someone mentioned....it's age creeping on me!

Infinite

28/04/2012 at 02:44

well looks like vango it is as the alpkit is sold out and i need it by friday lol guess i'll do a review on it after my trip to scotland, for the sake of others

petro chemicals

28/04/2012 at 22:03

I have a robens downlite from cotswold , very warm , but does leak feathers (Don't they all ?) Don't spend too much as feathers are a natural rottable material, i had a robens before too and the feathers by the head and in the footbag degraded until you could see the difference with the rest of the bag (condensation trapped at the feet and from my breath),so a cheaper (?!?!) one you can chuck and renew. If i could I'd opt for synthetic everytime , for reasons your well aware of. The temprature thing is ruled by humidity i.e. rain , and wind , just like your cooker , it can feel 10 to 20 degrees cooler , even if its above freezing, so plan for the worst, probably minus 25 at the outer limits !

spoony

01/04/2013 at 18:25

How did your vango fair then,

spoony

02/04/2013 at 10:05

Or the down lite

rob dixon 2

03/04/2013 at 13:09

Well, I'd opt for a decent down bag every time! I just don't want the bulk and weight of synthetic. Obviously you need to look after down more, but it'll look after you and will last very many years.

Ah - just seen this is rather an old thread...

Andy Andy Andy

03/04/2013 at 14:01

Rob - I think Spoony was asking for an update from Infinite.

Spoony - The Alpkit Skyehigh series seems to be in stock now so it might be worth a look too, Infinite discounted them from his choices because the we're OOS and he wanted a bag quickly.

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