[Closed] Recommend me a sleeping bag

Summer or winter? Where in UK?

I rate my Alpkit down one (Pipedream I think) in colder weathers. It's reasonably light, packs reasonably small, costs a reasonable amount and, most importantly, they do a long version!

My only complaint is that I like sleeping on my left side and the long version only comes with a left side zip.

Meh, I can live with that.

Really happy with my ME Firelite but it's out of budget range so whatever by ME you can afford 🙂

@wbo Southern UK for the majority

I’m leaning towards alpkit offerings but have also been pointed at

PLEASE don't buy down stuff from a company that also sells vape machines etc. the chances of any kind of welfare for the birdies is slim.

I'd go synthetic over down until I went 4 season. Its great stuff but synthetic bags can pack down plenty small and are better when its damp (and cheaper)

my current favourite bag is a decathlon one, its not even that spendy and it has a double zip, one on each side whihc invariably gets unlipped and cast open in anythign other than spring/autumn frosts

I really like my Vango Venom bags. I have a 400 and a 600. They're discontinued now, looks like the replacement is the Cobra.

I've got Vango ultralite bag. Few years old now but 3 season, packs small, not too heavy, and if my youngest can cope in his in near zero temps then it's OK in colder temps! Admittedly I have spent on sleep mats.

You'll not get one answer. It depends. For the budget, I personally would look at a small 2, maybe 3 season down bag depending on usage. For bikepacking in particular, a small bag is advantageous, and sleeping bags naturally aren't very small, so it's a compromise. Very much a personal thing though, and some people are warm sleepers, others cold. The same bag doesn't work for everyone. A down jacket can definitely help if you're packing ligh, and a good insulated mat.

I’ve got Vango ultralite bag. Few years old now but 3 season, packs small, not too heavy, and if my youngest can cope in his in near zero temps then it’s OK in colder temps! Admittedly I have spent on sleep mats.

That.
Without spending silly money, Vango bags just work well. Ultralite is a good balance of performance and price for synthetic. Quite svelte in cut.
Mrs_oab has a Mountain Hardware Lamina women's - the first bag she's never felt cold in. Tad bulky.
I've just bought a Sierra Designs Zissou down bag. Being, ahem, a sturdy lad, it's been great to have more room and feel like it's a quilt, not a skinny sleeping bag. Mine was £130 in the sale, -2*c rated and about 900g...

Sierra Designs Zissou

I shall have to check this out as tbh the vango is a bit ahem 'trim' for me... 😳

I was always an advocate of down until I got my Lamina.

@fazzini - I do actually want to test a proper quilt...

@matt_outandabout - I've looked at quilts previously, but the price and, tbf, the lack of use it would have and will get doesn't justify it. Deffo would be preferable for me as I struggle with sleeping bags full stop. I just move way too much in my sleep and don't like he restricted 🤣 normally end up on the floor - even at home.

Very much depends on what time of year your are planning to camp, whether you sleep hot or cold and whether you think there's a chance your bag will get wet (either in your back pack or under tent/tarp/bivvie/stars)

If you don't sleep particularly cold, and you're planning your trips between June and September (you've already said you'll be in the south) then you can save yourself a ton of money as you won't need a bulky bag, especially if you have a half decent mat (you lose a ton of heat through the floor!!). But then, if you are summer hiking, why do you have a down jacket?

Take a look at snugpak.
Also I would recommend a liner as well, silk if you can afford one.

@fazzini

the vango is a bit ahem ‘trim’ for me… 😳

At 6ft3 and 16 stone standard bags don't fit me. Well worth the extra shelling out on a PHD bag to get a perfect fit. They come in various sizes. The current sale bags are in 3 lengths and 3 widths. I have two PHD long/wide bags which are a perfect fit. PHD seem to have recognised that some people don't like bags that taper too much with their new semi rectangle range.

Pricey but good.

https://www.phdesigns.co.uk/greenlandic-300-down-sleeping-bag-spring-sale-22

But then, if you are summer hiking, why do you have a down jacket?

Having woken up to frost in July in the Highlands, a light down jacket is rather good.
All depends where you are in UK.

I went with a Aegismax envelope bag (I have two a one and two/three season that can be combined for winter), they're their envelope style as I don't like mummy type hooded bags and prefer a hat. If you unzip the envelope it's a quilt. Available in two lengths/widths. Quite versatile. From AliExpress and China pending your ethics.

I'd go synthetic.
For your camping it won't be cold enough to need a big down bag so a 2 season synthetic would do you ok, not cost too much, won't be big/heavy and you won't need to worry about it getting wet as much.

£200 is also too high, however £200 would get you a nice insulated mat as well as your sleeping bag. Exped Synmat is a good one to look at.

I’m leaning towards alpkit offerings but have also been pointed at

I'd simply go for Alpkit tbh. They're good value and work well. Stuff from the likes of ME, Rab and MHW will maybe work a little better, but cost more. Have a think about the temperatures you're anticipating sleeping in and whether you sleep warm or cold and pick a bag with a comfort rating - not 'limit of comfort' that's in that zone.

'Limit' is usually the lowest temperature when an average person will be comfortable, comfort is roughly where you should be in temp terms, 'Extreme' is just about surviving in a horrible, shivering mess sort of way. All measured by lab tests.

Down or synthetic comes down to a couple of things. Down will be lighter and more compact, but cost more. Generally if you're tent sleeping and prepared to be careful with packing - use a drybag - and not spill tea / soup / water over it in use, down will be fine. If it gets wet, it's less fine. Synthetic is more knockabout and tends to cope better with damp bivvies. For the same temperature rating, down will be lighter and more compact usually, but more expensive. It'll also last longer if you look after it.

Sleeping with a down jacket on is fine in theory, but relies on there being enough space in your bag for it to expand / fit. I wouldn't do it regularly if you can avoid, though it's fine for one-off stuff.

Weight and pack size tend to be closely linked btw. Bags that are light pack small, those that aren't, don't. PHD and similar top-end brands - Western Mountaineering etc - are great, but very expensive because ultra-lightweight fabrics and, particularly, high fill power goose down, cost lots.

Having woken up to frost in July in the Highlands, a light down jacket is rather good.
All depends where you are in UK.

majestic

Full Member

@wbo Southern UK for the majority

I'd go and have a look at the down 3 season bags that Alpkit offer. Also have a look at the synthetic, and compare the packed sizes. 3 season gives you a bit of comfort 'slack' for spring and autumn - you're planning ten plus trips, if you go two season and realise after trip 2 you're freezing cold you'll regret it (says the owner of a 2 season bag, plus others)

The Alpkit stuff is pretty decent and ethically some of the better stuff.

Just be aware that the bags are quite short - if you are within 10cm of their described length then go for the longer one. I also found their temperature ratings to be a bit optimistic, but I am quite a cold sleeper.

I bit the bullet on an alpkit Skyehigh 500 last year as I needed a bag for cycle touring. Too’d and fro’d over many bags including their lighter Pipedream bag but after seeing a review of the skyehigh 700 I decided to go with the Skyehigh 500 .

Only used it a couple Of times but I love it. Can pack it down quite well in the stuff sack and i found it very very comfortable . It’s only the second bag I’ve had so I’m no expert on these things. No regrets though.

I'd echo more or less everything BWD says except for the Alpkit recommendation - if their synthetic offering is still the Mountain Ghost then it's far too restrictive for me. I've a Vango Ultralite 800 which would do perfectly for the OP's specified use, maybe a touch warm but you can always unzip. You should be able to find one for £80 or so, leaving plenty out of the budget for a good mat and a couple of bottles of decent malt. There's no point in down unless you're bothered about pack size or weight and the OP isn't. Ten Tors is more likely to be wet than really cold so that's another reason to go synthetic.

for me, getting something that's the right size for me is important - i wriggle and like a bit more space. Alpkit skyehigh 500 has been a nice roomy fit, and even though it's a 3 season bag, ive not roasted in it in the summer. I do also have a pretty old snugpak softie bag that is incredibly well made and got used to death in my twenties, it's now a little too snug..... but if you're slim to normal id recommend - softie 3 is still UK made too.

There’s no point in down unless you’re bothered about pack size or weight

Down bags seem to last a lot longer. I've a couple of Mountain equipment bags from the late 90's/early 00's that are still as warm as they were when new. A early 00's ME synthetic bag which was originally 3+ season is now 2 ish. None had been stored compressed but even down quilts seem to last longer than their synthetic equivalent.

Totally blown away by the depth and range of advice!

I opted for the Alpkit Skyehigh 500 combined with a silk liner, cloud base mat and Hunka Bivi bag plus the down jacket I already own. Hopefully this should be a winning combination.

I am aware i need to consider this:

use a drybag – and not spill tea / soup / water over it in use, down will be fine. If it gets wet, it’s less fine.

@johnners appreciate the ten tors being wet observation - so may well need a backup solution for this going forwards.