Sleeping Bag Advice

[Des49]

I have just bought a Mountain Equipment Helium 400 as a 3 season bag. Way too hot for the last week in Brittany where I never zipped it up, a couple of the nights were wet and autumnal in feel.

It packs up really small which is great for the pannier.

I have only owned 3 bags, a Mountain Equipment Holofil Firebird, fantastic for a poor student doing ice climbing, but took up half a rucksack.

Updated this with a Mountain Equipment Annapurna down bag, this has served me so well (for 25 plus years?) but now has lost all loft over the chest area hence the update. We'll see how the new one lasts. I somehow suspect the down doesn't feel quite as puffable as on the Annapurna so feel the quality isn't as good.

[foxyrider]

Hi,
Best advice I can give is to NOT wear anything in bag and you need a mat, even a 6 mm solid foam mat works well.
Down will probably have to weigh at least 800 grams to a kilo.
Synthetic 1.5 kgs will do it.
That's for 5 C three season.

Go neked - you can always add layers then. Do however use a silk bag liner - warm, light and surprisingly cheap, besides which it protects your expensive bag from body soiling.

My three season bag is a down Spark 1 - packs very small and at 350g weighs nothing either - spot on to go in a pannier with the tent etc.

If you can afford it get a decent air mattress - the best atm according to lightweight specialists Ultralight Outdoor are the Thermarest Neoair range - the winter weight come in @ 550g - summer @ 300g. I've been using my 3/4 length summer for @ 6 years now without issue.

[pjclinch]

Updated this with a Mountain Equipment Annapurna down bag, this has served me so well (for 25 plus years?) but now has lost all loft over the chest area hence the update.

If it's not been washed for a long while sending it off for a professional clean can work wonders. It's also possible to refill down bags. ME may have, or be able to suggest, options.

Pete.

[Des49]

Updated this with a Mountain Equipment Annapurna down bag, this has served me so well (for 25 plus years?) but now has lost all loft over the chest area hence the update.

If it's not been washed for a long while sending it off for a professional clean can work wonders. It's also possible to refill down bags. ME may have, or be able to suggest, options.

Pete.

Thanks. hadn't thought of that, we did wash it ourselves some time ago but it didn't really improve things. But it doesn't owe me anything now and I don't need a 4 season bag nowadays. If I do then I will look into a pro-clean or refill.

[crazydave789]

Updated this with a Mountain Equipment Annapurna down bag, this has served me so well (for 25 plus years?) but now has lost all loft over the chest area hence the update.

If it's not been washed for a long while sending it off for a professional clean can work wonders. It's also possible to refill down bags. ME may have, or be able to suggest, options.

Pete.

Thanks. hadn't thought of that, we did wash it ourselves some time ago but it didn't really improve things. But it doesn't owe me anything now and I don't need a 4 season bag nowadays. If I do then I will look into a pro-clean or refill.

washing it yourself you need to tumble dry it in a commercial dryer with a trainer or tennis ball to break up the clumps. it can be done on the live in good weather but you have to beat it regularly to split the clumps and loft it up.

you can buy small bags of down from several places. usually undoing the stitching around the zip is all it needs.

[TRM]

For those interested, I went to decathlon as there's one near my work, to have a look at the sleeping bag I linked. The pictures online make it look much slimmer that it really is. We both went for a size up than we really which means the bags are really quite roomy with space to bend at the knee and hip, albeit maybe at the expense of some warmth. The hood is however as per the picture and a snug fit. The quality seams good and the price is much lower than similarly rated bags from other brands. They also come with a large storage bag so they arent compressed all the time which should help keep the loft. So overall we are pretty happy

[pjclinch]

...They also come with a large storage bag so they arent compressed all the time which should help keep the loft.

These are Good because the loose storage means that if there is any damp in there it'll evaporate and escape in its own time. If you're sure a bag is clean and completely dry then compressing it shouldn't do it any harm and it can stay even vacuum packed and spring back to full size after months or years. So if you pack a down bag but don't use it, leaving it in its stuff sack should be fine. If you've used it that's different, thorough airing and then loose storage.

If you have a bag without one a pillow case is a good loose storage option.

Pete.

[MrsHJ]

...They also come with a large storage bag so they arent compressed all the time which should help keep the loft.

If you have a bag without one a pillow case is a good loose storage option.

Pete.

I keep all of ours in a large duvet storage bag. Dimwit daughter decided she didn't need the hassle of putting her bag in a stuff sack so took the only bag that was pre-stuff sacked to Spain last month. Got there and found it was a kids bag I'd put in the sack (ready to sell.) so had a too short bag all trip.

[pjclinch]

I keep all of ours in a large duvet storage bag. Dimwit daughter decided she didn't need the hassle of putting her bag in a stuff sack so took the only bag that was pre-stuff sacked to Spain last month. Got there and found it was a kids bag I'd put in the sack (ready to sell.) so had a too short bag all trip.

A quasi-independent child taking their parents' work for granted and not bothering to check something? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!