Bushwalk Australia

I was just reading something about sleeping bag and for some reason Snugpak came to mind.
A few years ago they seemed to be everywhere, now I see them in only one shop here in Melbourne.
Any comment on this brand ?
( no I am not after one, just curious...)
Franco

they managed to make a 1 inch bag rate to -5....


yeah right....

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Easy Brett, I have a Macpac Neve. Too heavy for me now but I am sure that it can be done a lot lighter now...
Franco

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you have never heard of bags being sold by lofted height? ie: a 5 inch bag? lot's of gearfreaks discuss bags in those terms...
well snug pack produced the thinnest/flatest bags and made outlandish claims about their level of insulation ....yet they lofted about an inch. how many people suffered in the cold from their claims over the years? they have toed the line in recent years, but they have sold a lot of false hope over the years.

Yes, loft is not all there is , but a very good indication nevertheless.
My recollection is that those Snugpak bags did look very thin for the claimed warmth ( and I suspect that a fit young and well fed soldier might have tolerated those temps) but I just wanted to see if there was more to it.
Franco

I have a Snugpak Softie 3, which is their smallest/lightest bag. It isn't hugely warm, by any stretch of the imaginagtion. It's rated for, from memory, +5 comfort, 0 extreme. That's a bit generous, but is reasonable if you are using a bivy bag. My understanding is that the bags have a layer of 'reflectotherm', which is pretty much a space-blanket fabirc with holes in it for breathability which gives them that bit of extra wamrth.

They are, however, insanely light. Can be a good trade-off. I just purchased at softie 6 (the next model up) because the 3 is pushing it in warmth-wise in some of the more southern places it has visited (and because I couldnt be stuffed shopping around). Wouldnt recommend a 3 for central tas...

Cheers

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Don't know about now but back about 8-9 years ago my sister bought one of these and was dubious of the rating, but the salesman told her to bring it back if no good. Hence she tried it out in the backyard the night she got it, then returned it for a refund in the morning. It was absolutely nothing like the claimed warmth (as suspected by looking at it). Of course this was just a manufacturers claimed rating not an EN rating.

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Brett wrote:OP use a heavier casing and make wider bags for a given length to WM so naturally will lose out if the only selection criteria is weight.

I thought it might be worth noting that OP are using a much lighter fabric on the new models in their "Bushwalking Light" range over the last year or so. Ie, much lighter than what they've used on their own older classic models. I've no idea how it compares to WM or other brands' fabrics though.

Yeah if it is not properly EN rated then looking for 'X' grams of 'Y' loft fill can also be a good method. Of course then you can make bogus claims of loft rating as well!

Curious is reflective materials that outside emergency blankets do not get much of a run unless they are used in sleeping mats. No doubt this will become the new "break through" area for claims.

Yep, just go to make it quiet and light

First post, and sorry for the thread mine, but I've just bought myself a Snugpak Jungle for $49... rated at +7 comfort, +2 extreme, which I would think should be plenty for QLD... just waiting for it to arrive in the next few days and then I'll let you know how it seems!

I bought a Snugpak Premier (I think it was called that) as a trial for an extended mountaineering trip in NZ....it worked...it felt colder for its rating compared to other brands. Quite heavy for its rating, and just as bulky as down bags.

Still...it felt really nice to sleep in, had heaps of room for my boots, jackets, rope etc....as well as me.

It did the trick, but wasn't overly impressed.