Bushwalk Australia

Hi,

I've been looking around for a new sleeping bag for a while now and i'm getting overwhelmed by all the options available to me so i was hoping someone here would be able to help point me in the right direction. I go camping in the winter where the temps usually get to below 0c frequently.

I currently have an Exped Megamat 10 LXW for a sleeping mat so i have good protection against the cold. I'm not to worried about packed size as i drive to all my campsites. I've never slept in a mummy style sleeping bag before so im not sure how i'd go, I've previously been using a caribee snow drift jumbo (-10) which is quite roomy but its getting a bit old.

I was considering the Black Wolf Hybrid 3c (-7) or Denali Capsule 700 (-10) as an example. Does anyone have any recommendations? I want something thats going to last a while.

Thanks!

Budget?
0C ? Is the desire to have a margin of error there?
For car based camping where bulk and weight isn't a consideration I have looked seriously at the Coleman BigFoot in the -5, the extra width and the removable fleece liner are good to trim the comfort rating somewhat
That said I'm going with a S/H down bag which I am modifying to make wider because I sleep cold and it gets a lot colder than zero at many of my campsites

You will find it helpful to use Google to find, read, and understand sleeping bag temp ratings.

That Denali bag info, for instance, makes no mention of the loft of the down. The info refers to a comfort rating of -10.

With the specified fill weight of what is almost certainly not high grade down, that rating is more likely to be LIMIT of comfort. Some people sleep OK at limit of comfort rated temps, but many of us do not. A truthful comfort rating for that bag is far more likely to be around 0c.

I may be wrong, but it I wouldn't buy it in reliance on that rating without more investigation and understanding.

Similar comments apply to most of the less expensive bags. Value and function can definitely be found, but the advertising becomes less reliable and more optimistic as the price goes down.

I've been googling and reading lots but its just making me more and more confused. There seems to be an endless option of different bags.
Budget is up to $200, i don't mind paying for something that's going to last and that's good quality. The bag i've been using is a Caribee Snow Drift Jumbo (-10), it was just meant to get me through a few camping trips but i ended up keeping it for a few years. Its really run down now which is why im looking for a new bag.

I'll have a look at the Coleman BigFoot. Another one i was looking at was the Darche Cold Mountain Bag (-12), 900 or 1100 wide version.
Its cheap but I've read some reviews and they've all been really good.

I'm not sure on the exact temps, some mornings I've woken up to a frozen water bottle and its even lightly snowed a few times.

The cheaper they are the less likely they will be tested to any standard and the more likely the temperature rating given will be the "Survival" rating and not the comfort rating, but those comfort ratings need to be used with caution and personal experience
I know I sleep colder than most and need a SB rated 5-10 degrees or more lower than my mates
We have a bag similar to the Darche Cold Mountain Very warm and very very heavy but good to well below freezing when in a good [ double wall] tent

Best way to see if they are warm enough is to measure the thickness of the bag, 70 to 90mm of insulation should be enough for -18C for most people because you can add warm clothes inside a big bag if you get cold
It helps if you can add the link to each product; I should have done that for the Coleman but I couldn't find it in a hurry

Skitzmixer....be wary of the ratings on a lot of low cost bags.
It is important to look at comfort rating so if you want to have a good nights sleep at or a bit below oC then go for a comfort rating of around -5 to -8 C.

I had another BlackWolf version supposedly rated at -8C.....comfort was not stated just rated to -8C and there is no way I could sleep at 2C in this bag comfortably. It was very cold.

Personally I reckon my Sea to Summit Trek 3 is a beauty. for down around the 0C mark.
http://www.seatosummit.com.au/sleepingb ... eries=trek
http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/sea-to- ... K3-R700-UD

Scroll down to temp ratings on this page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_bag for a good explanation.

You are not going to get much of a bag for below 0C for under $200.00.

Just googled the Darche bag I'd say -12C was an optimistic rating mainly because of the sheer size of the bag and all that empty space that needs warming up but it is bigger[ wider] than the bag we have

neilmny wrote:Personally I reckon my Sea to Summit Trek 3 is a beauty. for down around the 0C mark.
http://www.seatosummit.com.au/sleepingb ... eries=trek
http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/sea-to- ... K3-R700-UD

That's an incredible bag! I might have to save up a bit more for something like that.
I see a good quality bag as an investment which is why i didn't rush out and get any old bag.

Thanks for all the input so far, i really do appreciate it.

There is a Trek III in the marketplace you may be interested in.

viewtopic.php?t=22416

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Hi,
I would only ever buy a sleeping bag that has been tested to EN standards. There is too many optimistic rating from manufactures and it make it very difficult to compare apples with apples. The EN standard goes a long way to helping level it out. That said it's not a perfect test and it does come down a lot to the individual. I've attached a pdf with an explanation of the EN standard and what it means in real life.It has a small guide as to when to use what bag in what temp rating range. It is the best explanation of the temp ratings that I have come across.

Here's one: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/kelty-sb-35-sleeping-bag

Thanks for all the input, I've decided to go for the Sea to Summit Trek III Long.

Skitzmixer wrote:

neilmny wrote:

I see a good quality bag as an investment which is why i didn't rush out and get any old bag.

I've had my Paddy Pallin Bimberi bag since 1993. paid, what was for me a fortune at the time, $300 for it.

the sea to summit trek 3 is $330 online. I wouldn't think twice. it is an investment and a good bag has a very long life.

slparker wrote:

Skitzmixer wrote:

neilmny wrote:

I see a good quality bag as an investment which is why i didn't rush out and get any old bag.

I've had my Paddy Pallin Bimberi bag since 1993. paid, what was for me a fortune at the time, $300 for it.

the sea to summit trek 3 is $330 online. I wouldn't think twice. it is an investment and a good bag has a very long life.

slparker, if you are going to quote someone please be careful to actually quote what they said.
At no point did I suggest that a sleeping bag is an investment. That would be about as logical as saying a car is an investment.

What I did say and stand by is this -

neilmny wrote:Personally I reckon my Sea to Summit Trek 3 is a beauty. for down around the 0C mark.
http://www.seatosummit.com.au/sleepingb ... eries=trek
http://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/sea-to- ... K3-R700-UD

The OP was viewing the bag as an investment.

I see a good quality bag as an investment which is why i didn't rush out and get any old bag.

I see no purchase of outdoor gear as an investment. As far as I know every single peice of outdoor gear depreciates fairly rapidly.
I would appreciate some tips from anyone on gear that does gain in value though ie. an investment.

It's an investment in personal health and safety, used in the same way as investing a castle to secure it or investment casting