Sleeping Bags

infopete

For the last few years we've had Snugpack Traveller sleeping bags, they're about 850g and have a comfort rating of 7c. They pack up small (ish) and have lots of space to move around in.

However, even with a silk liner they have been useless in June down the Loire and the alpes. Mrs P has had to resort to wearing a fleece and ron hills at night and is still cold

It's time to buy a better sleeping bag for each of us.

I'm 6ft and like space to wriggle and Mrs P is 5ft and just wants to be warm.

We'd like the bags to be less than 850g (packed) and not be more than £200 each (or a lot less).

What would you all recommend?

mercia_man

Alpkit.com do the best value down sleeping bags by far. I've got a Pipedream 400 which cost £150 and is the equivalent of Rab or Mountain Equipment bags costing £250-plus. Overall weight 750g, warm enough down to freezing and really high quality 750 fill power goosedown. However, Alpkit buy their stuff in consignments and the Pipedreams always fly off the shelves because they're such good value. Next consignment is not due until summer 2013, according to the website. But Alpkit's SkyeHigh 600 is available at £140. It's 650 fill power goosedown and is heavier at 1,215g. Comes with cotton storage bag and a really good compression sack. Rated to -5C.

infopete

Mercia Man wrote:

Alpkit.com do the best value down sleeping bags by far. I've got a Pipedream 400 which cost £150 and is the equivalent of Rab or Mountain Equipment bags costing £250-plus. Overall weight 750g, warm enough down to freezing and really high quality 750 fill power goosedown. However, Alpkit buy their stuff in consignments and the Pipedreams always fly off the shelves because they're such good value. Next consignment is not due until summer 2013, according to the website. But Alpkit's SkyeHigh 600 is available at £140. It's 650 fill power goosedown and is heavier at 1,215g. Comes with cotton storage bag and a really good compression sack. Rated to -5C.

I looked at alpkit a couple of years ago, they weren't in stock then either. I'm cycling in mid June so their stock may come in too late.

mercia_man

I've just spotted some bargain Terra Nova Voyager bags on Field & Trek website. The TN Voyager 800 is just £195 - a huge £84.99 saving. And it fits your warmth and weight criteria. Might even be a bit too warm. The Voyager 600 would also suit - and that's £160 in the sale (£39.99 saving). I've read good reviews on these bags which are really high spec.

infopete

I've emailed alpkit to see when they are likely to get stock again.

infopete

Alpkit won't have any stock by June bizarrely they are still designing their new range.

mercia_man

I'd definitely have a look at Field and Trek online because those Terra Nova bags are a fantastic saving. The Voyager 800 is an even better bargain than I said in previous post. Its list price on the TN website is £340. At £195 it's a snip. Field and Trek (part of the Sports Direct empire) often has Terra Nova stuff at massive discounts. I saved something like £150 on a tent last year.

infopete

I'm in London next week so I'll pop into the Field & Trek shop.

I've tried telephoning but they have a 0844 number that nobody answers. I tried filling in the contact form on their website but it's only for people with an order number. It's a wonder how these people sell anything!

priory

RAB goose-down bags

I got a 1kg bag after some ridiculous sleepless nights at sub-zero and it is ffantastic down to -5 with a foam mat.( you need the mat)
modern name is neutrino endurance 400

British Army alpine( I meant Arctic) sleeping bag is as good and cheaper and more robust but weighs 3kg.

infopete

The neutrino 200 looks good too and it's less than 200 quid and at 685g Mrs P won't complain too much as she has to carry them.

priory

but when she is cold at night you'll feel daft saving that 200g.
Are you anywhere near the factory shop in somercotes, derbyshire?

infopete

priory wrote:

but when she is cold at night you'll feel daft saving that 200g.
Are you anywhere near the factory shop in somercotes, derbyshire?

I know June night time temperatures haven't been as good recently but the Rab is rated at 5c and we do use silk liners that are supposed to help.

Though I have camped at Val d'Isere in July and woken up to a frozen tent brrrrrrr.

Is there a factory shop, I'm driving near Derby on Monday?

mercia_man

If you had trouble with Field and Trek website, go to sports direct.com and put Terra Nova in the search facility on the home page. I've just done that, found the Terra Nova Voyager sleeping bags, clicked on the 600 bag and put it in my basket ( before removing it). So it appears they are easily available. There's loads of bargain Terra Nova stuff there. As I said before, Sports Direct owns Field and Trek so it's all the same thing.

priory

rab is made at Equip factory on wimsey way somercotes, sign the book and go upstairs. tragically monday is no good . factory shop opens weds and thurs12.30 till 3pm . they will not tell you what they have in stock because the retailers don't like that. I have not heard of a positive response to a call asking to be admitted at another time, but it may be the prospect of selling two good bags might swing it. there are always some bags in and lots of down jackets , and all the rest, but not necessarily exactly what you want, so it's not worth coming a very long way if you can get the right thing at home.
Terra Nova are made 2km away near alfreton station, but I have not been there since the early days and have the impression they just trade on the web, but you could enquire about a factory shop.

infopete

I need to get some ergo levers into Mercian to be converted to 10 speed so I may make a day of it and go bag shopping too. If I choose a sunny day (if we ever get another one) I'll take my bike up to the peaks too.

takeonafrica

If you want small and light then it's got to be down and the best (i.e. good quality and value) ones I've found are
Cumulus.
I'm really happy with my quantum 200 (which I think now has a different name, the liteline 200), which I've used extensively through Africa and North America (although needed a fleece blanket and thermals plus down vest when the temp dropped to -13C in Utah!), and the Excuistic 1200, which I've just been using up in northern Scandinavia (and was mostly too hot in, but that is preferable to too cold).
Good service too.

infopete

I emailed the UK Cumulus man this is what he said:

"I appreciate the confusion being caused by the existence of two separate companies sharing the same name. This was not the case until fairly recently when the company in Poland - Cumulus PL - created a web shop using an inverted version of our website name. Prior to that Cumulus PL was merely a 'toll manufacturer', a company which made our sleeping bags for us. They did have some independent sales, but their own range of products was fairly primitive and sold mainly just in Poland.

Other than the fact that Cumulus PL make our sleeping bags for us, we have no other connection with them. It has been a source of annoyance to us that they have jumped on our bandwagon by using the web name that they do.

We are not the distributor for Cumulus PL in the UK and we do not sell any of their range of bags. In fact, it is not possible to buy any of their bags in the UK.

Our full product range can be found by following the like below:

http://www.cumulus-sleepingbags.co.uk/C ... tRange.htm

Cumulus UK sells only to our stockists and not directly to the public. Our stockists can be found on our website:

http://www.cumulus-sleepingbags.co.uk/stockists.htm

In particular I would recommend Adventure Centre, Spike Outdoors, Action Outdoors and BAC.

All the best,

Andy"

But the Quantum does look good so I'm trying to see who will sell me them for the least.

takeonafrica

Thanks for that infopete - I did wonder what the links between the companies (UK and PL ones) were.
Anyway, I bought the quantum from one of the UK stockists and got the Excuistic from Poland. Very happy with both!