Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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Gattonero
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by Gattonero »

meic wrote:Braces, or suspenders if you come from across the pond.

So between you in your suspenders, Gattonero with his fanny pack and me just being weird naturally we make an odd lot out camping.


Fanny pack?
I got my feet in, not my crotch! :lol:
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
mattsccm
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by mattsccm »

Quilts. How do you keep something between you and the mat? Fold it in half and lie on it?
Wouldn't a full zip bag do the same plus have a " pocket " to keep it in place round your feet?
tatanab
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by tatanab »

mattsccm wrote:Quilts. How do you keep something between you and the mat? Fold it in half and lie on it?
The Thermarest quilt is big enough to allow this, but remember that compressing the down by lying on it means there is little insulation anyway. I like a good mat and a laid out quilt, tucked around if a bit cold.
Wouldn't a full zip bag do the same plus have a " pocket " to keep it in place round your feet?
The Thermarest one has a pocket at the foot end to contain the end of the mat. I found that using a full zip bag (fully unzipped) meant that I had irritating zips to contend with not to mention neck baffles and a hood that always seemed to be in the way. The quilt of course has none of these which has the side effect of making it lighter and pack smaller.
mattsccm
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by mattsccm »

Ah!
What's always put me off a quilt is that when you move they leave gaps around you unless they are huge in which case they weigh the same as a bag. Eg A normal house hold single isn't wide enough is it? Also you are then lying on the mat which will be nasty synthetic stuff. What about your head? Pillows don't stay in one place. I am ready to be convinced here.
crazydave789
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by crazydave789 »

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tAawAsOPO8[/youtube]

Variant 3 sleeping bag, got the first version of this decades ago modified it with a fleece neck collar and upgraded it last year to the zipped model, very light, very simple very versatile around camp or for having an afternoon nap by the side of the road.

goes well with the hammock and poncho for seriously lightweight.
PH
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by PH »

mattsccm wrote:Ah!
What's always put me off a quilt is that when you move they leave gaps around you unless they are huge in which case they weigh the same as a bag. Eg A normal house hold single isn't wide enough is it? Also you are then lying on the mat which will be nasty synthetic stuff. What about your head? Pillows don't stay in one place. I am ready to be convinced here.

I have an Exped insulated mat, a rectangular sleeping bag liner, a Jacks R Better down quilt (And some silk PJs)
The mat provides more insulation between me and the floor than any bag ever could, the mat then goes in the bag liner which gives a nice easy clean surface to sleep on and also has a pouch to stuff as a pillow, it also stops the mat sliding round the tent as some do.. The quilt has a few options depending on the temperature - it has a soft version of velcro round the edges so it can be made into a rectangular bag (Something I never do) or there's a drawcord at the bottom to make a foot bag, or you can tuck one/both sides under the mat, or you can have it thrown over you (I sleep on my side and the quilt is big enough for this without gaps)
My quilt probably does weight the same as a comparable bag,there won't be much difference either way, I have it because I find it better rather than lighter.
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Gattonero
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by Gattonero »

mattsccm wrote:Quilts. How do you keep something between you and the mat? Fold it in half and lie on it?
Wouldn't a full zip bag do the same plus have a " pocket " to keep it in place round your feet?


You're meant to use the quilt in combination with an insulated sleeping mat, you sleep right on that (or some can have an additional mat cover) and the quilt is kept in place usually with one or two elastic bands. I don't even use them, tuck the quilt between me and the mat it's pretty simple though the bands do allow more room and you can turn around all the time :)
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
crazydave789
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by crazydave789 »

how about bubble wrap? cheap, weighs nowt and you just roll yourself to the required TOG with no need for a mat. good for stress too if you can't sleep

I never manage to stay on a sleep mat unless it's in the bivvy bag with me or i'm in a slit trench as I move too much. maybe it's because when I were a lad we didn't have sleep mats.
mercalia
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by mercalia »

crazydave789 wrote:how about bubble wrap? cheap, weighs nowt and you just roll yourself to the required TOG with no need for a mat. good for stress too if you can't sleep

I never manage to stay on a sleep mat unless it's in the bivvy bag with me or i'm in a slit trench as I move too much. maybe it's because when I were a lad we didn't have sleep mats.


well you risk getting arrested for being a vagrant :wink: :lol:
crazydave789
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by crazydave789 »

another plus for the bubble wrap is you can float away when caught in a flash flood.

another option in summer is sleep during the day and ride at night, I'm a night person and sweat like a fish so anything over 50 miles and a hot summer used to fuel up and potter off while the roads were quiet, stick the radio in my ears and enjoy it, just flicking my light on and off when I saw something coming, much less sweat so less fluids, fewer bugs too and often less windy, I used to do york-nottingham/belper quite often.

I'd have a nap curled up in the sun mid morning if I needed one and hadn't arrived.

mind you I managed a bowling alley at the time so would leave work at 3am after cashing up etc.. and then take 70 miles to do the 14mile ride home by riding around the howardian hills, it's interesting how when you can't see the top of a hill you aren't as upset about it when climbing up it.

even though I'm still finding my legs I prefer to spend two hours night riding here in south birmingham than go out in the day.

is there such a thing a vampire cycling?
mercalia
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by mercalia »

crazydave789 wrote:another plus for the bubble wrap is you can float away when caught in a flash flood.

another option in summer is sleep during the day and ride at night, I'm a night person and sweat like a fish so anything over 50 miles and a hot summer used to fuel up and potter off while the roads were quiet, stick the radio in my ears and enjoy it, just flicking my light on and off when I saw something coming, much less sweat so less fluids, fewer bugs too and often less windy, I used to do york-nottingham/belper quite often.

I'd have a nap curled up in the sun mid morning if I needed one and hadn't arrived.

mind you I managed a bowling alley at the time so would leave work at 3am after cashing up etc.. and then take 70 miles to do the 14mile ride home by riding around the howardian hills, it's interesting how when you can't see the top of a hill you aren't as upset about it when climbing up it.

even though I'm still finding my legs I prefer to spend two hours night riding here in south birmingham than go out in the day.

is there such a thing a vampire cycling?


not unless you like sucking greasy chains :wink:
PH
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by PH »

I was in Millets today and they had some rectangle sleeping bags for £15 which looked like they'd be fine for some summer camping. Opened up there isn't much difference between one of these and a quilt. A bulky option and I wouldn't want to carry one too often, but if anyone was considering a quilt it's a cheap way to experiment.
irc
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by irc »

Worth a try is the Double Black diamond quilt. Amazing quality for the price. Mrs IRC has one she uses round the house. Very compact to pack and carry.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PACKABLE-DOWN ... Sw-3FZDgGt

We got ours from Amazon for £25 last year. Prices vary.
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Gattonero
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by Gattonero »

crazydave789 wrote:how about bubble wrap? cheap, weighs nowt and you just roll yourself to the required TOG ...


Duh, how are you going to carry it? It's not compressible
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Sweep
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Re: Alternatives to Sleeping Bags for summer camping

Post by Sweep »

crazydave789 wrote:t, just flicking my light on and off when I saw something coming,

I'm sorry, I think you need to get out more, in the sun. This is not clever. Extremely inconsiderate to vehicle drivers. Dangerous for you. And maybe them. Attention can wander during daylight, even more at night, particularly on a hard ride, for a whole host of reasons I shouldn't need to list. How would you feel if vehicle drivers did this?
Sweep
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