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Sleeping bag, not freezer bag. Sleeping bag, not freezer bag.
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  #1  
Old 20 Mar 2009
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Question Sleeping bag, not freezer bag.
Having just spent gone for a spot of camping, here, in Estonia and hainvb spent the night in a tent pitched on snow, with only a dog for company, I can say that I froze my proverbials off!!!

I have a Mountain Equipment Firewalker II that was is said to have a 15 to -7 comfort rating (on one label), or 15 to 0 on another label. Either way, when sharing the tent with my better half, we slept comfortably at about -2 to-3. This time it was about the same and it was NOT nice!!!

So, looking for WARM sleeping bags (4 season) for use in places like Estonia etc, all year round.

Preferences:
  1. Have right and left zip options for zipping bags together
  2. Preferably synthetic in case it gets wet on the bike.
  3. A decent "-" temp comfort rating
  4. Pack relatively small for biking around (relative to other similar bags, not to a 2 season!)
  5. Decent price: I cannot afford to shell out £100s of notes. Range between £150 and 200 (€160-220)
Suggestions?
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Last edited by Warthog; 21 Mar 2009 at 00:39.
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  #2  
Old 20 Mar 2009
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I guess you won't find synthetic bag with these requirements. If there are any these will be big and heavy when packed.
I have The North Face Mammoth, that is rated -7 but I have no wish to go out camping in winter in it. Around here it is good in summer, though. I have used it in near 0C and that is as low as I want to push it (it was cold).
Manufacturers comfort ratings are wishful thinking, IMO.
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  #3  
Old 20 Mar 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebaseonu View Post
I guess you won't find synthetic bag with these requirements. If there are any these will be big and heavy when packed.
I have The North Face Mammoth, that is rated -7 but I have no wish to go out camping in winter in it. Around here it is good in summer, though. I have used it in near 0C and that is as low as I want to push it (it was cold).
Manufacturers comfort ratings are wishful thinking, IMO.

I tried mine out this Monday just gone, in the Nature Reserve, just North of Aegvidu, off the No 13 road: cold!!
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Old 20 Mar 2009
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You ARE using a pad underneath, right?

I've been using a down bag for the past 3 years - haven't had problems with wet weather yet (a good tent with proper ground cloth is key - a cheap tent, well, they let water in). You can always bail on the camping and find a room if you do get wet - that's easy to do when you've got wheels.

A 2nd, lighter bag that zips open - or even a good down quilt - to throw over the top to use when you are doing it in really cold weather may be a better way to go then getting a limited-use 4-season bag - usually only a functional bag when it is really cold. Great if you are a mountaineer or winter camper - but sort of an oxymoron with motorcycles.

That's my suggestion.
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Old 20 Mar 2009
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My answer for having a warm winter bag is simply to double up the bag with another. Both are cheapie sacs and I find that to around -5° to -8° its fine. I also wear long u/wear in the sl/bag. And I use a quill type air mattress which is also a cheapie, but actually the smallest , lightest and most effective IMO.
I have a down sac but I now prefer synthetic stuff. When backpacking in winter I used to use my rucsac over my feet and legs ( i.e.over the sl/bag) to boost insulation. You could do this with your bike stuffsac. You can gain a useful few degrees like this.

As an extra, I use a hot water bottle to get me warm when I enter the sac. The bottle is just any old bottle, plastic or glass, which I find lying around, or in a roadside bin. Looks bad if anyone sees you of course. So no need to carry anything extra.

Warmth aside, the long winter nights are the most annoying thing about winter camping; 12-13 hrs in the tent in a Scottish winter were really too much.

I agree about M/facturers ratings - nothing short of lies!
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Old 20 Mar 2009
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I have a Therma rest mat, and I also laid some of my bike kit under it too. In the case of Monday night putting my Argentine poncho in the bag over me, rather than over the bg as previously was what made the difference between a tolerable night and a very unpleasant one!

Second bag is an option too, I have a lighter summer bag I could use, but then you are loosing space, possibly more than by just carrying a 4 season.
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Old 23 Mar 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warthog View Post

Preferences:
  1. Have right and left zip options for zipping bags together
  2. Preferably synthetic in case it gets wet on the bike.
  3. A decent "-" temp comfort rating
  4. Pack relatively small for biking around (relative to other similar bags, not to a 2 season!)
  5. Decent price: I cannot afford to shell out £100s of notes. Range between £150 and 200 (€160-220)
Suggestions?
1. We use (since 1991) a pair of down bags that aren't full mummy, but partial or barrel. They zip at the side as usual when used alone, but when opened out, instead of zipping side by side, one goes on top and the other on the bottom. To make it very slick, one is really warm and thick, the other is much lighter - so depending on temperature, thin up or thick up! Works a treat!

2. Down not synthetic, as noted by several others.

3. Temp rating is VERY relative - we're a good example - I sleep very cold, Susan very warm. At home I'll have a sheet and a fleece blanket and a down quilt, and Susan will have the fleece and sheet, but not use the down quilt at all! Better too warm than cold, but you can always use a fleece liner if you know it's going to be a cold weather trip. We always use a silk double liner to keep the bags clean so they need much less washing.

4. Down is SO much smaller for the same warmth - also down has a wider "temperature range" than synthetic - in other words, still comfortable warmer and cooler than synthetic.

5. You get what you pay for, and a down bag will outlast several synthetic bags. Get really high quality, high loft down, minimum fill power of 600 and it's amazing stuff.
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Old 23 Mar 2009
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Grant makes good points regarding down. I've always had synth but that's because down is too expensive for the temp ranges I need. The Helsport I mention earlier in this thread is rather compact for being a high-spec synth sleeping bag, though. I've used it for winter camping in Norway with zero complaints. It cost me something in the area of 200-230 euros, but that's in Norway. I'm sure it'll be half the price in the UK or elsewhere.
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Old 27 May 2009
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Hello Warthog,

I am still trying to get my head around the dog / better half - warmth comments, I'm not 100% sure... but I'm going with the better half not being the doggie right?

Isolating the insulation is the solution, and there are two way that you can improve your current circumstances without resorting to a new sleeping bag.

1> Decent (raised) ground insulation Thermarests, inflatable mattresses etc
2> A Goretex bivi bag, that your sleeping bag goes inside all inside the tent.

Other ways include a waterproof ground sheet with a blanket on top of the ground sheet, underneath the tent base make sure that your flysheet overlaps the ground sheet.
If youre still battling, a blanket draped over the inner tent, underneath the flysheet, easier on A frame type tents

Oh and as for combining sleeping bags with double zippers this doesnt help to keep warm, the "hot thing" inside the sleeping bag with you helps to keep warm.

However I cant help feeling that both your better half and doggie may not like you as much if you continue in your current manner.

Cheers G
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