Rab Neutrino query

[Moondog55]

Anybody got one that can give a critique and tell me if the temperature rating is reasonable?/

I am looking at the Neutrino 200, the lightest and cheapest of the range although it may prove to be too tight for me.

[wayno]

possibly not
the bag only has seven ounces of down in it. That's roughly twice what's found in superlight down jackets. This is a sleeping and a wide on at that (wider bags require more down to create the same amount of loft as a narrower bag). It deserves more down.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacki ... utrino-200

[Moondog55]

Thanx for the link Wayno, all up it looks about the same as my current Thinsulate bag and not all that much lighter. I'll give it a miss

[stepbystep]

I have the Neutrino 400 and find it fine when sleeping in merino thermals to zero degrees. Much lower than that and it starts to get too cold -5 and below I'd want something heavier again.

It's an excellent bag.

[Moondog55]

But doubling up the down and a much warmer bag isn't what I needed, I am actually trying to get my summer weight down so I can walk more easily

[stepbystep]

Just gave you my impressions based on my experience. The temp rating is accurate for the 400.

[Moondog55]

Appreciated
It's a little hard buying gear over the net sometimes but looking at the 200 a second time it offered no real advantage over my current summer sleeping arrangement except a slight weight saving, until Wayno gave me the link I hadn't clicked the difference between shell weight and fill weight

[wayno]

I"ve got an exped ultralite 300, it rocks. you can move the down between the top and the bottom to vary the warmth...
570gm - 280gm down medium...
http://www.bivouac.co.nz/gear/camping-a ... g-bag.html

[Moondog55]

Thanx Wayno, at 73cm shoulder width I couldn't do up the zipper, which is probably why I am still using my old MD Traveler convertible, maybe I should re-investigate a new LW down pullover

[wayno]

theres the lite 300, 79cm, 700gm, i've got the 500 version definitely more roomy than the ultralite which i've also got, big fan of exped, ship with drybag stuff sacs..., good quality design and materials.

http://www.exped.com/en/product-categor ... 300-m-left

[stry]

Still on topic, I think ?

For a light bag with plenty of shoulder room, have you looked at the least filled version of the current One Planet Winterlite, used in conjunction with the OP zip in expander ??

Possibly a little heavier shell than the exped, but worth looking into.

This bag would approximate what used to be the Rockledge.

[Moondog55]

Stry i think that would be much warmer than I really need.

When I think things through I am going to be better off with the WM bag and keep my current set-up for summer. I mean in summer you really don't need a sleeping bag all that often anyway unless up the Mountains/Hills so then I could just use my Ultra with the standard fill saving the overfilled bag for winter.
I usually throw the bag off until the wee small hours anyway and while it is a relatively heavy weight the old MD sewn through is still plenty warm enough for summer and is only 900 g

I only asked about the Rab bag as I was offered one very cheaply, but then again not as cheap as the WM half bag

[Joomy]

Thanx for the link Wayno, all up it looks about the same as my current Thinsulate bag and not all that much lighter. I'll give it a miss

Any down bag of cmparable weight will be much warmer than any thinsulate bag...

[wayno]

and down stuffs down smaller

[Moondog55]

True Joomy but a summer bag doesn't need to be warm, our nights here tend to be at or above 24C, at that temperature I don't really need a bag.
I can live with a bag that packs down to a 2 liter package, heck I could live with a 5 liter package, even if I take both of my LW bags they sum to about 5 liters and 2 kg, I'll save the weight elsewhere and concentrate my money on my winter gear

[Joomy]

Down also breathes better.

Have you seen the STS Traveller? $250 RRP but seen it for $220. Might still be too expensive but nice bag.

[Moondog55]

Yes a Large in one of those to replace my MD unit, perhaps sometime in the future

[madmacca]

I have the Neutrino 200 as my main bag.

I was up on The Bluff (1500m) last weekend, and was fine at -2C with a fleece and thermal long johns. I didn't need the hood or to wear my down jacket to stay warm. I use a Exped Synmat 7 with a 3mm CCF.

Everyone has their own trade-offs of warmth, weight and cost, but when I did my research 18 months ago, the Neutrino 200 represented the best value for me for a summer bag.

I think the down distribution follows the 'top bag' principle.

[Moondog55]

Trouble is I am a cold sleeper, at those temperatures I would need more.
It really was a casual inquiry as I need a half bag for winter much more than I need anew summer bag