which tent and sleeping bag would you use for Iceland?

stephenjubb · Post by **stephenjubb** » 23 Feb 2014, 1:19pm

Hi All,

I really need a tour where it is desolate, beautiful, not touristy, tough, scenic and cold. I've done lots of tours in scotland with wild camping in summer/autumn, temps down to minus 11. I've camped in winter in Lake district but none of it really tested me or my equipment.

I did want to get to Scotland this winter bicycle to camp at bases of mountains and see stunning winter scenery but due to work, family accident wasn't possible and it has not been really cold enough. Camping at the Lake District at christmas though raining and extremely windy was just like scotland in a bad storm in winter.

I might sound a little bonkers to some, but to summarise it is just like going to Mars somewhere like Scotland in winter (or somewhere remote), compare to England it is like going to another planet.

So decided on Iceland for aug/sep for six weeks. That should give enough toughness to satisfy me. Have been before in 2007 but was inexperienced. Wrong kit etc. Since then done lots of tours mostly in Scotland in hilly windy, rainy terrain at all times of year (except winter!)

I have a selection of tents and sleeping bags to take but can't decide, some are for winter use, some free standing, some heavy, some light.

The tents are

1) Terra Nova Laser Large 2 - http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-s ... ce-2-tent/

3.3 kilo, plenty of space, 3 season, not great in winds, large.

2) Golite sl5 (outer only) http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-5-Tent-P46714.aspx
with Terra Nova Solar Competition and tarp
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-s ... mpetition- 1-tent/

Total weight 2.7 kilos, two tents effectively, very flexible, normal tent pitching, but can use the competition seperately free standing. Takes longer to setup, small living space but have used this combination for 3 months in scotland and worked well but in bad weather up there at durness had to peg the Golite 5 down really well, add extra guy lines and it just survived. Its zip went so for a while I just used the solar competion so it is like taking a spare tent.

3) - Coleman phad x 3 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-Phad-Th ... B000PEN1VG
With groundsheet 4 kilos, heavy, but completely free standing but poles not overly strong.
Would it survive an icelandic storm? Bought to test out winter camping (rather than waste money if did not like).
Hard to put up in wet windy conditions.

4) - Finally could not resist, a hilleberg nallo 4 gt for winter. a little big, but figured in winter would need plenty of space.
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... llo4gt.php

With groundsheet about 4 kilos, you really can put these up in the cold, wet and windy with gloves on. They go up
easily. Need say nothing else about it except no free standing. Problem in Iceland wild camping?

I think 1 would be unsuitable but which to take out of 2,3,4?

Sleeping Bags

1) - I have a western mountaineering alpin lite, 900g good to -5c but no water proof shell. Would not work with option two
above if get heavy condensation

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm? section=products&page=sleeping%20bags&cat=ExtremeLite%20Series&ContentId=28

2) Western Mountaineering Kodiak, 1.2 kilos -19c low (though given its size probably lower than that) and water proof
outershell. Probably over kill but for 300g more it is water proof and more resilient if down gets damp (more of it so can
get damp for longer).

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/in ... ntentId=38

Bike is an easy one, Dawes super galaxy, tubus logo rack, dynamo with usb charge, spa handbuilt wheels. Cooker is Primus omnilite ti, small and light and runs on most fuels.

Got down jacket. So only quandary is which tent and sleeping bag would you take? I'm probably favouring the Hilleberg (option 4) and Kodiak Sleeping bag (option 2). However this is largely influenced in that I have not had a good old freeze your b?ll??ks off tour and want to use this equipment! But is this overkill?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Regards

Steve

simonhill · Post by **simonhill** » 23 Feb 2014, 2:53pm

Will it be particularly cold in Iceland in Aug/Sept? If you want really cold I think you may be going to the wrong place (maritime climate) at wrong time of year (late summer).

If you really want cold you need to follow the real cold weather junkies, Helen and Shane.

Furkuk · Post by **Furkuk** » 23 Feb 2014, 2:56pm

I've been to Iceland in August and it certainly isn't cold. I was walking around in shorts. Stays light overnight. Lovely place though

stephenjubb · Post by **stephenjubb** » 23 Feb 2014, 3:50pm

simonhill wrote:Will it be particularly cold in Iceland in Aug/Sept? If you want really cold I think you may be going to the wrong place (maritime climate) at wrong time of year (late summer).

If you really want cold you need to follow the real cold weather junkies, Helen and Shane.

I've had frost in august in Iceland, frozen feet (poor choice of sleeping bag) and frozen tent. I've not a lot of desire at moment for really cold, what they do is extreme (not my cuppa of tea), some nice cold frosts do me and white covered mountains (though won't get that in Iceland).

I admire those Shane and Helen immensely, but not for me yet!

Tigerbiten · Post by **Tigerbiten** » 23 Feb 2014, 4:09pm

I was there last year from the end of May for 7 weeks.

My tent was the Terra Nova Laser Large 2.
I use bog standard aluminium tent pegs and the 4 extra storm guys and it was fine.
I just made sure it was parked end on to the wind as there is no shelter on most campsites.

I've got room in my trailer for both a 3 season bag and a 2+ season bag.
Most of the time I was using both bags together as it was cold.
I think I only used a single sleeping bag about three times during my stay.

pstallwood · Post by **pstallwood** » 23 Feb 2014, 6:54pm

I would use my Blacks Icelandic from circa 1970.

LondonBikeCommuter · Post by **LondonBikeCommuter** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:00pm

Odd choice of sleeping bags..... are you based in the UK or are you getting them from the US?

stephenjubb · Post by **stephenjubb** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:13pm

LondonBikeCommuter wrote:Odd choice of sleeping bags..... are you based in the UK or are you getting them from the US?

you can buy them from the UK but they are US made. Biggest and lightest ones I could find.

DaleFTW · Post by **DaleFTW** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:23pm

Those aren't particularly warm bags, my summer UK bag is rated warmer than the second one. What sort of conditions are you expecting?

LondonBikeCommuter · Post by **LondonBikeCommuter** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:30pm

stephenjubb wrote:
LondonBikeCommuter wrote:Odd choice of sleeping bags..... are you based in the UK or are you getting them from the US?

you can buy them from the UK but they are US made. Biggest and lightest ones I could find.

How much are they?

LondonBikeCommuter · Post by **LondonBikeCommuter** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:33pm

DaleFTW wrote:my summer UK bag is rated warmer than the second one.

Are you genuinely saying that you use a -10 rated bag for summer use? :roll:

stephenjubb · Post by **stephenjubb** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:35pm

LondonBikeCommuter wrote:
stephenjubb wrote:
LondonBikeCommuter wrote:Odd choice of sleeping bags..... are you based in the UK or are you getting them from the US?

you can buy them from the UK but they are US made. Biggest and lightest ones I could find.

How much are they?

Alpinlite £386.99 at http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... g-bag-p923

Kodiak £485 at http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... 0UACg#3138

stephenjubb · Post by **stephenjubb** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:36pm

LondonBikeCommuter wrote:
DaleFTW wrote:my summer UK bag is rated warmer than the second one.

Are you genuinely saying that you use a -10 rated bag for summer use?

which bag is that? I roasted in the alpinlite in summer, so I used it as a quilt.

LondonBikeCommuter · Post by **LondonBikeCommuter** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:47pm

stephenjubb wrote:Kodiak £485 at http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... 0UACg#3138

A touch more expensive than the Kodiak but a country mile better is the MountainHardwear Banshee
can be had at the moment from snow&rock for £525 down from £750

I'm sure you could do better than the Alpinlite as well.

DaleFTW · Post by **DaleFTW** » 23 Feb 2014, 9:48pm

LondonBikeCommuter wrote:
DaleFTW wrote:my summer UK bag is rated warmer than the second one.

Are you genuinely saying that you use a -10 rated bag for summer use?

Where are you getting that temperature from?

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