Sleeping bag or not ?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Therealsouthstander
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Joined: 5 Oct 2012, 9:22pm

Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by Therealsouthstander »

Going to Corsica next weekend for a tour around the North and through the interior. We are trying to decide if we will need a sleeping bag or not !! Daytime temps look like they will be around 27-28 Deg but dropping to around 14-20 Deg at night !!


Would you bother taking a sleeping bag or is there something else we can use ?


Thanks
irc
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by irc »

Lightweight duvet jkt? 250g.

http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/goods/080220

Decathlon do similar.

Should be enough for 14-20C lows.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Unless you are a hard marine type, you will need a sleeping bag of some description at 15 C.
A cheap 1200 gram synthetic bag will do but make sure it is a mummy type and not square, brand make between 700 - 100 grams if you are a bit hardy.
Down is lighter but expensive.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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juice
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by juice »

I used a really light weight bag in the south of France in October and was freezing.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I.M.O. There is not anything as efficient as a closed bag to keep you warm, weight for weight.
Also a foam mat at just 100 grams if you camp on the ground will increase the lower temp of bag.

An average person will do OK wth a 1200 gram sythetic bag at 15 C with a mat.
Still air as in a tent not in the open of course.
Make sure that the bag is big enough for you, any tight spots will feel cold where you touch, and a zip baffle in mandatory, neck baffle in bag you will find in brand bags.

If you feel the cold a cheap 1500 gram bag will do you.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
lisap
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by lisap »

I use either a Rab Quantum top bag or a Thermarest down quilt with an Exped mat.

I've been in the Cascades in June with snow on the ground in the top bag and been perfectly warm because cold rises and the mat is so good it couldn't get through to my body.

I actually prefer the quilt to sleeping bags now. They have more wriggle room :D
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pjclinch
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by pjclinch »

Top Bags...

The theory is that since that down under compression has an insulation value of roughly zip then underneath you all the serious work is being done by the mat, so there's no point in wasting weight on more down there and you'll do just as well without it. This is true up to a point, but in practice isn't always that simple... If the bag is constrained by the mat and the sleeper moves in to a position (especially on their side) that creates a fair bit of void space then that becomes somewhere for convection currents to waste a lot of heat, so there's your advantage out of the window.
Having said that, if you have enough insulation that the above problem isn't bad enough to make you cold then it's a moot point, and especially for people who aren't that mobile and prefer to sleep on their front or back anyway it seems a pretty good solution.

I've not bitten the bullet as I prefer to sleep on my side and am rather mobile when asleep, and on a chilly morning I like to do the camping slug thing of staying in my pit while moving around cooking breakfast, sitting in my (mat-based) chair etc. and that doesn't really work so well with a Top Bag.

My main issue with quilts is my existing bag isn't broken and doesn't need fixing enough for another New Toy!

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mercalia
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by mercalia »

The nice thing about quilts/duvets is that they can be very cheap as more are sold for normal use. £7 for a good basic model from Tesco & 10.5 tog. Unlike a sleeping bag a normal single duvet will be big enough to cover the internal space of a 2/3 person tent and so I think the matter of draughts not likely, even if u turn a lot?
fatty
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by fatty »

Snugpak jungle bag around £35 800g and pack to grapefruit size I really like mine and has a square foot to kind of works as a duvet unzipped..
Therealsouthstander
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Re: Sleeping bag or not ?

Post by Therealsouthstander »

Thanks Fatty - Just bought the snugpak jungle bag and it looks the business :D
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