Hey Guys, So I bought a supposive -7 sleeping bag and a single foam mat from rays outdoors (Australia) and the sleeping mat may as well be the grass or rock underneath it. The sleeping bag I was shivering in, in the desert at -1 degrees celcius.. So I was after some suggestions on new ones? Taking into consideration of packed size etc.. for rides.. Also anyone got a suggestion on a small tent (rather than a swag) which fits well, that would be awesome too! Cheers, SR
I use a an Exped 9 down filled air mat and a big Agnes bag that has a pocket for the mat. There are some fiber filed alternatives for the mat that pack smaller, but the down filled is great insuation. Comfortable in the 30's, survivable in the low teens. On the big 12GS, easy to carry, don't know if you can get that equip down under.
I would suggest a Klymit Static V sleeping pad which weighs only 560 gr and packed really small. If you're backpacking, this would also be an ideal pad cause it small and light.
The rating on a lot of bags is the rating where it will keep you from freezing to death, not necessarily a comfort rating . I can never remember the official rating system , but REI has some good info on their page...
I sleep cold, so I typically look for a bag that is rated at least 20degrees colder then the coldest weather I expect to be in. I like down, it lasts a long time its light weight it packs small and my bag has held its rating for years. For pads I like the thermarest ridgerest under a thermarest self inflator, mine is a very old deluxe 3/4 length bought when I was in my 20s and I didn't mind my feet being on my back pack. These days I am in my 40s and I'm not crazy about sleeping like that but I am too cheap to get a new one that's longer. I was glad I spent the extra money for extra thickness.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_13537 Here is the new rating system,have seen it slowly appearing on USA sold bags over the past year. I second the Exped pads/Big Agnes Bags. Not sure if Big Agnes ships to Australia or has an importer,check their website BA bags are designed more for back sleepers. They are in a lot of cases cut roomier,so side sleepers,or toss n turners can get comfy too. JR356
Exped sleeper here as well, but a synmat version. As for the sleeping bag, I'm still using a quite old synthetic bag from nomad I bought somewhere in the nineties. I am going to replace it with either a "mountain equipment" bag, or one from "Alpkit" once they got round to finishing the redesign. My record in staying comfort with this setup is around -15 C with a slight draft. As for keeping warm, there are several tricks of the trade; if you have a down bag, ruffle it up if it was stored in a stuffsack; layers work wonderfully sleeping bag liners, bivvy bag, place your jacket over you, thermo underwear or just some clothing. The biggest problem with down bags is that if the get wet, you are thoroughly screwed. This is not why I have a synthetic bag however, by budget at the time prevented me from getting one...
I have a dandy self-inflating thingy that looks great all rolled up and it's on a shelf next to my tent, but I apparently seem to stay in motels most of the time as I have not tried either yet. I used my old-school closed cell roll up pad yesterday while working under a bike and I felt like laying down... probably the exhaust fumes. I hear good things about Therma-rest, and I would like to try one of those compact roll up cots that Aerostich sells. The price is high enough they could offer a lease program at least, trade it in on a new color every two years maybe.
I just upgraded my pads from thermarest self inflating to exped synmat ul7. These things are amazing. I absolutely love them. I am a big guy and get really sore. The exped is awesome. I want to try a two person quilt as well, but it will have to be really good, because our sleeping bags are awesome. MEC nomad bags. Zip together, really roomy and warm. Synthetic insulation so never a worry with moisture. They are too bulky though.
I use a Mountain Equipment down sleeping bag that I've had for well over a decade. Warm, comfortable, durable and packs small. I also carry a sleeping bag liner (Egyptian cotton) and that adds tremendously to the flexibility and warmth of my sleeping solutions, not to mention making it easier to keep the bag cleaner for longer. Sleeping pad wise, almost anything will do as you're looking to insulate yourself from the ground so a £10 pad'll do but they're bulky. Pay for more comfort and a smaller size but, IMO, you'll be no warmer and they're less durable. My golden rule when packing my bike is to not make it wider than my handlebars so as long as the pad doesn't do that, then all's tickeyboo with me.
have an exped synmat 7LW and a mammut ajungilak winter. didnt get cold to about -10° celsius ... havent used it below that. big downside of that combo is that as soon as it gets warmer then 10-15° its really to warm, i have a summer sleeping bag for those temps...
Super warm and super compact! I have a Marmot Plasma sleeping bag with the following rating: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o>Comfort: 41.5°F / 5.3°C | Lower Limit: 32.5°F / 0.3°C | Extreme: 5.9°F / -14.5°C</o> <o></o> <o>I also have a Nemo Cosmo air pad, 3 inches thick, R20 rating and integrated foot pump!</o> <o></o> <o>Both are the size of 1 litre water bottles when compressed and packed.</o> <o>Both are also available in regular size and large!</o> <o></o> <o>Pricey, but considering 1/3 of your travel time is spent sleeping so you can enjoy the other 2/3, I feel it makes sense to buy quality to stay warm! </o>
It depends! Temperature range play a big part in what I'll take. For low temps of (in Celsius): >18: Puffy jacket and a thermarest neoair pad. If it's hotter than 18C at night, I'll just wear the jacket; no need for a bag when it's this warm. 18 to -2 : Feathered Friends Viero and a thermarest neoair pad. Viero is a 1/2-3/4 bag (comes up to your chest/shoulders) and is to be used with a jacket. Since I almost always bring a puffy and a hat along for nights around camp, it saves on weight and space to not double up that portion with the sleeping bag. Neoair is stupid light and packs very small, and provides so much more comfort than a foam pad. -2 to -23 : Feather Friends Snowbunting and an exped downmat 7 UL. The snowbunting is warm, REALLY warm. I've only been in a few situations where I had to wear my puffy inside this bag; but I was in Iceland in March in the middle of an icefield (it still kept me warm). The downmat 7 UL also packs to a reasonable size, is very comfortable, and insulates much better than a foam pad. Make sure to pack a few squares of Tenatious Tape for repairs if needed. My exped developed a leak 4 days into an expedition. It would have been a very cold two weeks if sleeping on ropes had I not had some TT to patch the leak (it's worked great since). As you can tell, I'm a fan of Feathered Friends gear. They're handmade right down the street from where I live, and have been outfitting climbing expeditions into the world's most extreme places for decades. If you go to any high altitude expedition in the Himalaya, you'll see many FF down suits and coats on many climbers from the world over. Most companies inflate their temperature ratings, or explain that the rating is the temperature that you won't freeze to death. FF bags have always been very conservatively rated. My -4C rated bag is comfortable way beyond -4C. They're very helpful in making sure you get exactly what you want and need for your objectives. Give them a call or shoot them an email and they'll hook you up. This kit is top notch; my first FF bag is 10 years old and still going strong.
I forgot to mention that those exped mats (synmat 7UL in my case) actually are very comfortable. I've done several extended stays on them (two weeks out there) and these things are amazing. Coming from thermarest mats I'm a complete convert. The only benefit of a thermarest for me is the self-inflation which an exped does not do. Other than that, it's like sleeping on a proper mattress, at least to me. Occasionally I'll plonk it down in the living room and sleep there. Oh the punishment... sure beats the couch.
I use a Big Agnes Lost Ranger bag with an ExPed Downmat 7. The bag has been comfortable at 16F while camped at Yellowstone, and the Exped is just amazing. I've tried many pads ,self inflating, blow up, and nothing comes close to the comfort of the Exped. I used this combination for 5 straight weeks a couple of years ago and never had a bad night.
I've become a huge fan of the Cosmo insulated pad. As you mentioned, it's pricey, but a few nights good sleep outdoors eases the pain. I'm currently using a 30 deg. Eureka bag, great pack size & actually quite a good summer bag for the money, but nowhere near 30 degree comfort. It might keep you alive at 30 deg. F. but surely not sleeping well. I'm looking right now for a good cold weather bag, & that Marmot Plasma keeps popping up. My big question is pack size. I tour on a sport bike, & size is critical. Backpacker & camper reviews all rate the Plasma as excellent, but could you give me some idea just how small it packs down?
Big Agnes Summit Park 15-degree down bag with an Exped SynMat 9 pad. I sleep in complete comfort regardless of the temps. The bag packs down to about 9" x 12", and the pad is about half again as large as a 1-liter Nalgene bottle when stored. I've used this combination for the past 3 years and wouldn't hesitate to buy it again if I had to.