Alpkit SkyeHigh 400 - Tested

Alpkit SkyeHigh 400 - Tested

The Skye High replaces Alpkit's original Alpine Dream down sleeping bag and is an all-round sleeping bag designed for everything from travelling through backpacking to post-party dossing. And the neat bit is that the price tag of just £65 means it's a viable alternative to a synthetic bag.

Like all Alpkit's gear, you're getting great value because the company only sells direct from its web site and designs and sources its own products. The SkyeHigh 400 is the lightest in the range specced for a comfort rating of +3C, so think summer bag and you won't go far wrong.

Down sleeping bags are mostly about down - the SkyHigh uses Chinese 90/10 650+ fill power goose down which is pretty high spec, though the 10 per-cent feather content means it doesn't feel quite as soft as, say 95/5 down would.

The construction is box wall, which means the down is housed in rectangular cross section channels which eliminates the cold spots you get with simple, stitch-through contruction.

Finally Alpkit has gone a bit more sophisticated on the design front with a sculptured foot box shaped to fit your feet better and a contoured zip which starts low then curves up around the shoulder area to reduce compression of the down.

Most importantly, new side baffles give shape to the bag giving you a square tube to sleep in, which is more efficient. They also create smaller main down channels which minimises the risk of cold spots forming.

If you've seen one of the original Alpine Dream bags, you'll appreciate immediately just how much neater the cut and design of the SkyeHigh range is. Whereas with the original, Alpkit specced the best down they could, with the SkyHigh, they've paid more attention to the shell and basic design.

That really pays off with a bag that not only looks neater, but subjectively performs better too. You really notice the extra room at the foot of the bag and the much neater hood, which simply fits and performs better.

The down has a nice, easy lofting feel too and Alpkit helps keep it that way by storing the bags uncompressed in their warehouse. The bag is reckoned to be comfortable down to around +3C and we reckon that's about right, or even a tad pessimistic, particularly if you're prepared to add a hat maybe and a light fleece top for extra warmth. In warmer conditions, the double-ended zip means you can vent your feet and legs if you want.

At any rate, it seems about right for summer use and with a packed weight of just over a kilo, while it's not in the same class as the company's £110 PipeDream 400, it's certainly light enough and - packed down - compact enough for most summer backpacks.

Fabrics aren't the lightest out there, but they're comfy against the skin and the outer shell has a DWR treatment to ward off the odd condensation drip. Obviously you need to keep the bag dry to maintain lofting performance, but with a little care, that shouldn't be an issue.

Sure it's not as light as some of the ultra-lightweight kit out there, but for your money you're getting very decent quality down and just importantly, a well-designed bag to maximise its performance.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 400 as a great entry level summer bag and an excellent alternative to a synthetic and we're confident that it's burlier, warmer brothers will be just as effective. Good kit at a great price.

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