non-name brand gear?(sleeping bags off ebay, etc)

[AWTtrekker]

Just wondering whether anyone has had any luck with the down bags, etc on ebay and how accurate you have found things like warmth ratings? Looking for some bags for my (older) kids to use bushwalking in cooler weather and not really keen to spend hundreds if I can get away with it as they are liable to not take as good care of them. Looking for something that is rated to around -5 to -10 and not too heavy

[Mickl]

I doubt many of them would be good quality and unless they were tested properly to get the rating I would take them with a grain of salt. If you could find out the quality of the fill and weight of fill you could possibly compare them to other rated bags to get an idea.

If it were me I'd try find a decent second hand bag in a decent brand or we always get and recommend the One Planet Sac -5 or -8 bags for kids to buy to use on outdoor ed trips and usually they are handed down to younger siblings so seem to last well and are good quality.

https://www.oneplanet.com.au/product/sl ... hetic/sac/

[neilmny]

Look for the European Standard EN13537 rating and choose based on limit of comfort not comfort rating.
There's a big difference between -5 and -10 so I'd suggest limit of comfort would be -10 or lower to suit your suggested range.
I doubt there are cheap options for bags rated that low in temperature and at those temperatures someones life could depend on it.
There's been a lot discussed on this subject so use the forum search for some good info on what matters.

[Chezza]

I think even the EN13537 ratings are likely to leave you feeling a bit cold, especially if any of your kids are female, and a no-name brand bag is unlikely to have an EN rating as the test setup is expensive.

The most useful rule of thumb is loft comparisons. Western Mountaineering and Katabatic Gear are known to be a bit conservative in their temperature ratings, and use the same rules of thumb. You can see all of WM's (double-sided) loft and temperature specs here:

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/sl ... ion-chart/

BPL also have a rule of thumb, which runs a little colder than WM's specs:

https://backpackinglight.com/bpl_sleepi ... statement/

If you find a bag with an EN rating and want to know what that correlates to in loft (single-sided, top layer), Richard Nisley posted a great chart in the link below that allows you to derive the loft of the top layer (assuming no funky fill distributions):

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... /#comments

If you cannot find an EN rating or a loft figure, and cannot measure the loft for yourself, you're buying on trust and I haven't seen very many other products where less reputable brands have such egregious false advertising. It's usually cheaper to buy once and buy right than buy twice.

Don't let sales people sell you on supposed fill power numbers. Higher fill power only decreases the weight required to achieve a certain loft, but loft is what keeps you warm. Also, fill power is another thing that they often fib about.

Synthetic bags are a bit different to the above. They seem to require less loft for a given temp reading. Again, there's good discussion on BPL regarding this.

[Gadgetgeek]

If you can wait, maybe try to grab the Aldi stuff? Sadly discount gear here is pretty poor with no REI type store to keep the others in line. I'd go for synthetic bags, yes they are a little heavier, but more forgiving as far as moisture, and cleaning. Add a liner, and good thermals (which are part of the EN rating anyway) and I think they will be farther ahead. I don't think you will get what you want without spending a fair amount. The no-name down is likely to be untreated for waterproofing, and potentially more allergenic.

[AWTtrekker]

Thanks guys, I had thought that we would test anything we get at our property, where there is also an old caravan which we could move in to if the gear turned out to be not warm enough. Unfortunately with 5 of us I am struggling also with the cost of buying good quality gear for quite a few people at once and hours spent on ebay, etc over the last few weeks has not turned up any decent second hand gear to suit them and when I do find anything they aren't willing to post(I am regional so there aren't any decent equipment shops here).

[dunamis]

I bought one of the EBay down bags for one of my kids and he's never complained of being cold but I haven't stuck him in a tent in winter to see what the comfort rating is! I think it was $100 or something


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[AWTtrekker]

Thanks. Maybe I will buy one, wait for a nice really frosty night at our property and go for a sleep out myself. I like to be warm when I sleep so if I am comfortable they will be fine. It's so hard when getting your family ready to do just a few overnight bushwalks costs the same as an overseas holiday!

[Hermione]

How old are your kids AWTrekker? Only ask as I found size to be an issue with sleeping bags for one of mine (it still is and she's in her 20's), just that if there is too much extra space in the bag they might not be as warm. I agree outfitting the whole family for walking can be tough on the budget, but once you have the gear it should last you for plenty of trips.

[stry]

A good sleeping bag is a close to a lifetime investment. Provided of course that you will get the use out of it.

Wisely chosen and looked after with reasonable care a life of 25 years or more is realistic.

[Mark F]

There appear to be several chinese sleeping bags available at what seem very low prices. This one was well rated on bpl (https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/el-cheapo-chinese-sleeping-bags/ ). Amazon won't ship to Aus but see the same bag on Aliexpress http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Aegismax-UL-Wing-outdoor-ultralight-mummy-type-white-Goose-down-camping-spring-and-autumn-sleeping-bag/936561_1807753747.html . Scroll down and there are many options for fill weight etc. With a bit of comparison I would certainly be leaning towards one of these bags if I was in the market for a good but not leading edge bag.

Virtually all the leading brands are made in Asia - usually China, the fabrics are woven there and much of the down comes from there. The better factories are learning fast that a good quality product at a reasonable price is a better proposition than trying for the cheapest possible.

[walkerchris77]

A good sleeping bag is a close to a lifetime investment. Provided of course that you will get the use out of it.

Wisely chosen and looked after with reasonable care a life of 25 years or more is realistic.

+1.

If u can save up a little more and get a good quality bag u will be great full when the weather turns and your nice and cosy and warm.

[Gadgetgeek]

As much as buy once cry once works, for kids its a different matter. Until they know how to look after stuff, its kinda not worth it. I know folks who have very good gear left behind after school camps. Mommy and Daddy might have really sweated over the purchase, but the kids don't know. The flip side is a kid freaking out over "ruining" a 10$ pair of shoes.(which were likely sent with the plan to toss at the end) They don't understand value the same way, only what will freak mom out. The aliexpress route is a gamble, but that being said, you could get something decent, and a little crafting could turn it into something much better.