My very first post is:

The Sleeping Bag Saga:
We're on our third set of sleeping bags and are STILL not 100% happy with them....

The first set were full mummy bags and we both hated them as we suffered badly from leg claustrophobia and they couldn't be zipped together, good thing they were on special when we got them

Then the sleeping bag research began........

After a lot of looking around I got our second set which "looked" good on the website (size & weight wise), they didn't appear to be a lot bigger than what we already had but had straight sides, they're really comfy and toasty warm but they're just waaaay too bulky, so we only used them once....

Our third (and current) pair, which also looked good on the internet are nice and warm and comfy, zip together and we like them a lot, but they're still just too bulky......

Sooooo now I am back researching sleeping bags yet AGAIN

In the "Gear Up" video, someone suggested the Big Agnes down bags (because they pack down so small) and after having had a look at them I'm thinking that the Sentinel 30 looks like it might be the ticket BUT once again I'm going to have to buy it on-line without seeing it and this has me worried. We live in a remote area, so just about everything we buy for camping is on-line.

My questions:
Does anyone have this? Is it any good? Is there something that would meet our needs better? Would a pair of Exped 9LW mats fit into the built in mat sleeve?

Sentinel 30

Thank you

No idea about this particular brand / bag, but if compressibility is your main concern, you want a down-filled bag. Then just compare the weight of down fill to get a comparable idea of what they will pack down to.

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

You should take a look at the Enlightened Equipment quilts. We had the mummy bags and they drove us crazy. Going to give the quilts a try.

Another vote for Enlightened Equipment - We have the Accomplice from Enlightened Equipment and it's amazing!! Used to zip bags together and like you hated the cramped feet - this bag is a treat - expensive for just one bag - but cheaper than 2 quality bags - packs small and truly is comfortable and warm - check it out.

Accomplice | Lightweight Two Person Quilt

and a review I found that helped convince us to buy it

Quilt Review: Enlightened Equipmen'ts Accomplice

good luck!

Michael

Thank you. I'm looking at them now!

I just ordered the Big Agnes Sentinal so I'll let you know how I like it. As amazing as the Enlightened Equipment Quilt looks with all the options I'd like it's too rich for my blood right now. I bookmarked it for a future wishlist purchase.

What'd you decide to go with?


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Those EE quilts look interesting but expensive. I've no issues with the cost as someone has to sew the things together but our "pooratech" approach for our last two North America trips and a couple of Euro ones was via a double bed size goose down duvet that came from freecycle.

People throw this sort of stuff out all the time and after having it cleaned it's been perfect. I'm not sure I'd use it with snow on the ground but we've used it between about 2-3C and 23C night time temps without issues - wrap it round when its cold and kick it off when its hot. Being goosedown it packs really small and we just bundle it into a waterproof stuff sac together with a couple of sheets (Aldi/ Lidl/ Ikea) to cover the mats for transport.

I have to admit it wasn't my idea and was a bit dubious when it was first suggested but it's been great. The half a dozen "real" sleeping bags we have are kept for when it gets seriously cold.

Hi Jozlyn,

We have a double big agnes down bag - can't remember the model but it's a 2 season. No complaints and would probably buy the same thing again. We also got the inflatable mats that go in either side.

Cheers,

Ian.