Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
PH
Posts: 13099
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by PH »

Rosso wrote:6ft tall, predominantly UK cycle touring April - October & generally feel cold at night.

This is off topic, so if you're one of those who objects to such thing, please stop reading NOW :wink:
The biggest improvement to how warm I sleep has been the mat rather than the bag - I'd read and understood this a dozen times before changing what was already considered a decent mat (Thermorest) for an excellent one (Exped) and the difference was far more noticeable than I'd expected. I also wear PJs and a hat when it's anything other than warm, most of the heat that's not trying to get out underneath you is leaving via your head. IMO in the hierarchy of how to stop being cold when camping, the covering comes below what to sleep on and what to wear.
You may of course know all this stuff, but it's worth repeating in case anyone spends serious £££s only for it not to be the solution.
As for the subject of bags, I have no advice, moved over to using a quilt about a decade ago and much prefer it, thought that's even more off topic...
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5457
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by pjclinch »

PH wrote:The biggest improvement to how warm I sleep has been the mat rather than the bag - I'd read and understood this a dozen times before changing what was already considered a decent mat (Thermorest) for an excellent one (Exped) and the difference was far more noticeable than I'd expected.


There's mats and there's mats, and Thermarest and Exped both make a big range so which is most insulating depends on which mat rather than who made it. The R Value is the degree of insulation provided, the bigger the value the more insulating. There's slightly more to it than a lab measurement, so if you habitually sleep on your side your hip will provide a pressure point which may ground out when on a thin mat and give you a point of heat loss, though IME it's more to the point that on hard ground I get a sore hip, so prefer thicker over notionally warmer to some degree.

Mats are more significant with down bags because the insulation is actually still air trapped by the notional insulator, and when compressed by body weight the air around down is squeezed away far more than the air inside hollow synthetic fibre, so while down is generally a better insulator than synthetic fills that's not the case underneath you. So why do bags have down underneath? Because people don't sleep in a completely static manner and what constitutes the "side" of a bag changes regularly through a night, and/or they might like to sit up in a ba and keep warm. There have been experiments with "top bags", with no insulation underneath but a slot for a mat, and as long as you lie perfectly still on your back and don't create space for convection currents they'll work okay. For those of us that move about a bit more the theory is not up to the practice. And stuff like sitting up in your pit while cooking breakfast just doesn't work so well!

For light weight I very much like the Neo-Air mats. Very low bulk too, and available in an X-Therm model with a good R value. Not cheap though, and more of a faff in a chair kit than a self-inflater (I find sitting on the ground with no back support quite uncomfortable for more than a few minutes so this matters to me, I'm sure it's irrelevant to many):-(

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
Rosso
Posts: 9
Joined: 25 Mar 2018, 8:51am

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by Rosso »

PH wrote:
Rosso wrote:6ft tall, predominantly UK cycle touring April - October & generally feel cold at night.

This is off topic, so if you're one of those who objects to such thing, please stop reading NOW :wink:
The biggest improvement to how warm I sleep has been the mat rather than the bag - I'd read and understood this a dozen times before changing what was already considered a decent mat (Thermorest) for an excellent one (Exped) and the difference was far more noticeable than I'd expected. I also wear PJs and a hat when it's anything other than warm, most of the heat that's not trying to get out underneath you is leaving via your head. IMO in the hierarchy of how to stop being cold when camping, the covering comes below what to sleep on and what to wear.
You may of course know all this stuff, but it's worth repeating in case anyone spends serious £££s only for it not to be the solution.
As for the subject of bags, I have no advice, moved over to using a quilt about a decade ago and much prefer it, thought that's even more off topic...

Very useful, thanks for sharing.
gloomyandy
Posts: 1140
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 10:46pm

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by gloomyandy »

I have a PHD Minim 450 (purchased in the sale in 2013) and it has worked very well for me. Most of my touring is in NW Scotland and the islands and in early May there can be some pretty chilly nights, the combination of the 450 and an Exped Syn Mat has always been comfortable (and I tend to feel the cold). For warmer nights my bag has a full length zip and I can open it up and use it more like a quilt. So another vote for PHD bags from me.

Oh and I find the Exped chair kit works really well for me. I'm another that finds sitting in a tent without back support pretty uncomfortable.
Rosso
Posts: 9
Joined: 25 Mar 2018, 8:51am

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by Rosso »

gloomyandy wrote:I have a PHD Minim 450 (purchased in the sale in 2013) and it has worked very well for me. Most of my touring is in NW Scotland and the islands and in early May there can be some pretty chilly nights, the combination of the 450 and an Exped Syn Mat has always been comfortable (and I tend to feel the cold). For warmer nights my bag has a full length zip and I can open it up and use it more like a quilt. So another vote for PHD bags from me.

Oh and I find the Exped chair kit works really well for me. I'm another that finds sitting in a tent without back support pretty uncomfortable.

Thank you

Bag wise, I’m probably going down the PhD route, although mat wise I’m swaying towards the Neoair Xtherm. Insulation from the ground seems key.

The criterion quantum 450 does seem good vfm in comparison to the PHD though.

Decisions...
Rosso
Posts: 9
Joined: 25 Mar 2018, 8:51am

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by Rosso »

I’ve been offered a Rab mythic 600 at a healthy discount.
Perhaps overkill, but perhaps the way to go?
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5457
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by pjclinch »

Rosso wrote:I’ve been offered a Rab mythic 600 at a healthy discount.
Perhaps overkill, but perhaps the way to go?


If you generally feel the cold at night a 600g fill bag is probably a good all-rounder for all but Proper Winter (I use my Lightline 550 for winter, but I'm not really a cold sleeper, my wife will resort to a 600g fill bag quite a bit warmer than I would, and I think she's usually happy to have it at any time of year).

So if the price is right, and you fit it okay, could we be a very good buy.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
Rosso
Posts: 9
Joined: 25 Mar 2018, 8:51am

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by Rosso »

Bought the Rab mythic 600 & Neoair Xtherm pad.

Thanks for all the replies.
PH
Posts: 13099
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag suggestions

Post by PH »

Rosso wrote:Bought the Rab mythic 600 & Neoair Xtherm pad.

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks to me a good choice, please do let us know how you get on with them.
Post Reply