Ultra small packing 3 season sleeping bag - Does it exist without bankrupting me ?
 

Hey there amigos !

I'm going insane looking for a very compact sleeping bag.

I've downsized to a smaller dirt bike and none of my gear fits on it now.

I bought a Vango 2 season sleeping bag which is FREEZING even in June and packs much bigger than its advertised size :censored:. USELESS !!!!!!!!


So, can anyone help me out here with an awesome recommendation ??

I want something packing about as small as my Thermarest if possible.


Thanks in advance, Ted

If you have the opportunity then check out the snugpak sleeping bags. I have not received mine yet, but they are supposed to the offer a pretty good packing size compared to the warmth.

Might be worth a try, if you find something better then please do post! :innocent:

I don't know what kind, therefore how small, your thermarest packs....but if you're really looking for "ultra" in combination with "won't bankrupt me," you should be shopping used, not new.

You're probably aware that you also need to decide about down vs. synthetic fill; finding a down bag which compresses to tiny dimensions isn't really that difficult, although a good one is expensive if purchased new. Synthetics which pack well (never quite as well as down, unfortunately) tend, in my experience, to lose their loft rather quickly under severe use. A down bag which is left stuffed for a period until you need to use it--even if it was slightly damp when you packed it--can be revitalized with a bit of effort. The cutting-edge synthetics can't (again, in my experience).

I'm currently carrying a 3 season mummy bag which served me very well for a couple of months of hard use. Then the loft collapsed, and the bag lost 20 degrees F/10 degrees C of utility. It was never as compact as a down bag anyway, but it does have the advantage of being indestructible. Plus, I don't care much if it's lost or stolen. If I'd paid US$500 for a nice down bag, I'd have far more to worry about.

Anyway, I think you should be buying used, probably through whatever your local climbers and winter sports enthusiasts use to sell their gear. Buying used means you don't get to choose brands freely--you just wait for something more or less suitable to come along and buy it. IMHO it should cost a maximum of half the cost of new--less if obviously worn.

Hope that helps.

Mark

A decent down bag (with liner) plus Thermarest will be fine for most situations. And a cheap inflatable pillow on top of a folded up bike jacket worked well for me.

I stupidly bought a synthetic bag for my Americas trip which was huge in comparison to the down bag when compressed.

£300 :eek3:


I've found something I like in the Cumulus Ultralight 200 but its still too expensive for my liking at £115 lol.

Cumulus Ultralight 200

I'll look second hand but I really don't like the idea of sleeping in someone elses sweat, fart and ejaculate !! LOL :innocent:

Ever slept in a hotel? Just wash it.

If 115 quid is beyond your means, and you really want a down bag of any sort of quality, you're definitely looking at used.

FWIW, synthetic bags are great if they might get wet. Mine always seem to get wet, sooner or later, so I've stopped buying down. Mileages vary, often greatly.

Mark

Just won a £200 Moutain Equipment bag AND Thermarest for £38 on Ebay..

Holey moley..... Good thinking Markhalf

Does it come with any free dubious stains??

I hope so or it's going straight back !!! :rolleyes2:

Good job you didn't follow Bertrand's suggestion, Ted. I've got one of the Rab bags and if you're lucky you'd pack it down to about the size of four Thermarests. Very warm though!

Hope the M.E. bag works out. Which one is it?

A layering principle works as well asleep as it does during the day!
A 2 season bag, plus fleece liner (extra seasons warmth) plus cotton liner (for washability) plus tracksuit or (ahem) pyjamas gives a good deal of comfort over a variety of temperatures. Even socks, a hat and a t shirt that you'll be carrying anyway make a big difference.

Not exactly sure to be honest.
http://my.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...:ME:LNLK:MEWNX

For the price, I can't really complain. Its rated to 0 which is what I wanted.

I guess ill find out when it's delivered.

Temperature rating it a load of bulls. in IMHO.
Don't underestimate the importance of the mat. I'm now using the exped mats and find them sleeping heaps warmer than the thermarest which I'll never use again. Overpriced crap compared to the knockoffs. Dunno what their money gets spent on. The glue on mine separated halfway on my trip.

The exped mats are insulated better, you're off the ground more and you dip into them a bit so you're insulated slightly along the sides as well.

You might even find that you're bag still works with that.

Also, the Sea to Summit Thermolite® Reactor Liner really does add warmth. Makes the difference to feeling the cold and sleeping straight through it without even knowing. Except when you wake up well rested. Buy budget bags on the volume and lofting value of the down filling. The rest (detail on the shell/baffles) is extra and is where more of the money gets spent.

Sea To Summit - Adventure, Outdoor, Camping, Hiking, Gear and Accessories, Perth, Australia

Better save the congratulations until you see what you've really got....but congratulations.

I just sold most of my wall-o-sleeping-bags: kept three, once of which is really just for travel, sold six or seven. I can tell you that the people who bought from me got much better deals than I got when I bought them all new: roughly a quarter to a third of original prices, depending.

Sold a whole bunch of thermarests, going back to the originals with the impossible, freeze-prone metal valves. Plus backpacks, ancient MSR stoves, water filters, a kayak. Made me wonder why I bother buying stuff in the first place.

enjoy,

Mark

+1 for snugpak

they start at a summer bag that packs to the size of a coconut and go up from there, and they can tailor some measurements for you. good value kit.