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There are just thousands of them, where do I start?!
I'd like a synthetic bag as frankly, I don't trust that stuff made in the far east is able to truly prove they are using ethically sourced Down.
I would like to use it for summer/autumn bikepacking, so packability is an issue, comfort rating a minimum of around 7 degrees. I'd also like it not to be too sticky/clingy, I sleep badly in those sort of bags.
The benchmark is the Alpkit Ghost 200 at £85, what other comparable bags should I consider? It sounds like the only real guide to synthetic bags is the temp rating, and to look for ones that use a well respected branded insulation such as Primaloft or Climashield, but punch those into google search and I'm seeing bags between £250 and £800!
Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20
+1 Lamina. Whichever suits your desired temperature rating.
Use the code and quidco and get this for under £40. I have it and its fantastic. Ditch the bag it comes in and put it in a waterproof bag and it's under 1kg and packs down small. I have an older better version which is 4 season for the same weight. It's 220 long so fits me well at 6ft3.
No idea if eurohike use ethical down though.
- 3 season
- Comfort rating: 7°C
- Comfort Limit rating: 2°C
- Extreme rating: -13°C
- Length: 220cm
I started looking at the specs of (not fancy) bags and decided the best way was to try a few. Spent about an hour rolling around on the floor of gooutdoors and picked one I could actually get in. Lots of the posh bags are designed for people who only have one leg and have never had a curry.
Mountain Equipment Starlight I is pretty good. Can probably find one for about £70 or so.
I’d like a synthetic bag as frankly, I don’t trust that stuff made in the far east is able to truly prove they are using ethically sourced Down.
The likes of Mountain Equipment have put a huge amount of effort into sourcing ethical down:
You're right, in that it's very hard to ensure that all the down in your supply chain is 100% audited, but my impression is that it's when you get to cheaper, mass brands that it becomes more of an issue. I don't know what else they can do tbh. Essentially they've audited their entire supply chain and check it regularly.
Mountain Hardwear Lamina and Hyper Lamina series bags are about as good as it gets when it comes to synthetics. Maybe a little more than you want to pay, but good for warmth to weight ratio because of the way they're constructed.
Another vote for the Mountain Hardwear Lamina range here - super packable and not 'clingy' .
I have a Lamina 20. It’s very good but it’s a lot more bulky than half decent down. I now use a UK Hammocks down quilt fir everything but deep winter. It’s great.
Have a look at the Oex fathom range from go outdoors. I’ve got the 200 and impressed for the money. Very lightweight and packs really small. They do a 300 and 400 (3 or 4 season) for similar money, all around £40 ish, if you want a bit more warmth and don’t mind a little more weight/bulk.
Thanks, interesting that on the whole the same models are being repeated so that gives me a few options 🙂
Hmmm, find myself looking at Down again! Been reading up on certified Down...it appears RDS don't have mandatory inspections of farms which makes it a bit pointless really, but at least the others have mandatory inspections at the larger farms (if only every three years and with prior warning!) which still leaves room for 'foul' play...
[i]Before these standards were developed, no auditing was done at farm level, so this is a great step forward. The difference between the standards is the depth of audits around parent farms. Parent farms are where birds are raised to produce eggs. This is where the highest risk for live-plucking occurs, as animals live there up to four years.
The RDS is not endorsed by Four Paws because audits of parent farms are only an optional module. Even if companies do not include this module in their certification, they get the same logo.
The TDS and the Down Codex are stricter standards and guarantee that down is not from live-plucked or force-fed animals. Parent farm audits are compulsory for all larger farms. [/i]
Here I am trying to justify £200 on a Down sleeping bag and then my wife lets slip that she is planning on spending £300 on a blimming winter rug/coat for a horse!
Sports pursuit have synthetic mountain hardware sleeping bags on offer £35-£40ish
https://www.sportpursuit.com/search?s=Hotbed
Gone with Badly Wired Dog and ended up buying a Mountain Equipment Classic 300 which is Down Codex, comfort 5 degrees/Limit 5 degrees, and unlike the equivalent synthetics, I should be able to actually get it onto my bike without resorting to taking a rucksac. £150, I didn't see the least insulated 300 until I started searching for prices.
What's snugpak stuff like now?
Glad to have been of some help. I think what's encouraging generally is that whereas ten years or so back, the only major brand that took ethical sourcing and sustainability seriously was Patagonia, these days most major outdoor brands are at least trying to ensure that their down is ethical and some, like ME, have made serious efforts to take things a stage further.
The other point that doesn't get quite as much exposure, is that down fills are generally accepted to be significantly more resilient and durable than synthetic fills, which in turn means a well looked after down sleeping bag can potentially last you far longer than a synthetic.
My old bag is a Snugpac Chrysalis, I remember it being too warm a lot of the time but I foolishly stored it in the compression sack for several years, now it's chilly in the summer (I had to wear my insulated jacket!) and you cannot feel the insulation at all, just seems to be two layers of fabric and nothing else!
Here I am trying to justify £200 on a Down sleeping bag
I've been at that point since the period leading up to our early May bivvy 😉
Now that you've come up with a solution that's somewhat cheaper, I'll have to try yours before finally giving up procrastinating
+1 for Mountain Hardware Lamina. Excellent value and good spec.
If you are going for down have a look at Criterion who are the UK outlet for Cumulus the quilt people.
If you are thinking of a quilt - which you didn't know you were - then Cumulus with the zippered foot box in what ever weight meets your spec.
https://www.criterion-sleepingbags.co.uk/
http://sleepingbags-cumulus.eu/uk/categories/sleeping-systems/quilts-and-comforters