PHD Minimus Sleeping Bag

Just wanted to share my initial impressions on the PHD I just purchased on the forum as I did notice loads of people asking about ultralight bags whilst I was researching online...

Reg Size

No Zip

MX outer and inner

900 Down

On the scale weight inc stuffsack...380 grams!!! Oh my god this thing is incredible...

No need to even contemplate bags with top half down only, or any of the other compromises out there.

I think the ME xero MM is supposed to be 400 gms...I weighed my friends in stuffsack...it weighed approx 419gms...and it only has down in the top of the bag!

Nice snug fit with room to spare, very easy to get in and out, hood simple and excellent, extremely comfortable, lofts immediately...I could go on and on.

Oh, and MX fabric does seem to be water resistant as my experiments this afternoon resulted in the water beading off.

So for anyone considering one of these...buy it...its true...you do get what you pay for.

Just wanted to share this 

so what you intend to use it for, very ultralite backpacking summer type trips?

Mrs. Nesbit wrote (see)

Does it keep you warm?

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

Ok so its snowing/hail/sleet here today, so I pitched the tent in the garden and got into it starkers and read a book for a while...I boiled!!!

Seriously, when you first take it out of its stuffsack, its scary...theres nothing to it...but get in and you can feel the heat build up immediately.

And have to say...the no zip design is actually great...to test I geared up with my base layer, Aspira sallopettes, berghaus primaloft jacket, montane shell etc...and I was still able to slide in no bother...and its more comfy without all the shoulder and zip baffles etc.

Im going to sleep out in garden tonight to test it...Im going to start off with just boxers and see what happens...thermometer is reading 2 degrees and thats out of the wind...and its getting bloody cold as the temp drops here, so I'll update you tomorrow on how I get on.

I intend to use this bag for basically all my camping for as much as the year as possible...in colder weather I am going to experiment with a clothing system as I do think this is the way to go for versatility...I dont want to own a different sleeping bag for every month of the year...I want simplicity and lighter kit to get me through March - Sep/Oct in my locality.

 Its bloody brilliant...buy one!

I dont have the Minimus but I did have a Vango Venom 225 which with its 550fp great in summer is I think comparable to the insulation of the PHD Minimus 900fp, and the issue is the bordeline March/April type months (and October) the temperature swings can be between the level of insulation being enough and not enough so I moved to the PHD Minim 300, it is 300g heavier than the Minimus but I thought that an acceptable weight penalty to be safer in the spring/autumn seasons. It does though mean a bit overkill for warmer but I just have the bag further down the body and the liner only upper body.

 Using clothing to a boost a summer bag has limited benefit. I tried in a cold March once to wear lots of clothing and throw stuff over the bag and it didn't work, still cold. 

 So basically my experience camping was to migrate away from the Minimus type concept

 The PHD Combi bag, sale ends shortly, is a booster.

do want to pull off thread but I bought the combi bag to get into winter, with a zip, to go over my non-winter no-zip bag. Combi on sale £199+zip+postage.300g down for 3 seasons, adds 450g to winter.

I'm reading all the comments above and feeling a bit puzzled.... aren't you all describing the PHD Minim Ultra bag? Which is a different bag from the PHD Minimus.

Matt C wrote (see)

I'm reading all the comments above and feeling a bit puzzled.... aren't you all describing the PHD Minim Ultra bag? Which is a different bag from the PHD Minimus.

Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours.

~Chief Tecumseh~

Nope its the minimus...I should have stated...upgraded to 900 down and upgraded to Mx inner and outer to get the weight down...if you check PHD website you will see these as available options.

Anyway...slept out last night...pretty exposed (We live up on a hill). Thermometer read 1.5C at 2am and 3C at 9am...I slept with no liner wearing only a pair of Paramo boxers and using a simple Z LITE mat...

Guess what...I was toasty all night. To be fair I was sleeping in a ME Dragonfly 2 which is exceptional at keeping the breeziness out...but all the same...I was genuinely warm all night.

I should also mention that I am not a particularly warm sleeper...sometimes I seem to sleep warm enough but I do feel the cold when its there...Im not the hardy sort.