The Grand Sleeping Bag Poll- PLEASE vote!

[the_camera_poser]

Ok- the great debate continues. I'm totally confused about what temperature to look for in a bag. Please lend a hand! I'm after bags that can handle as much of the Tassie climate as possible- I really don't want to buy two sets of bags, though I do have older, heavy synthetic 2/3-season bagas for us, but not practical to carry three of them. SO, we need a bag that will cover as many scenarios as possible, from Summer camping on the Coast or midlands to Winter camping below the snow line in tents, or in huts above the snowline. So basically, one bag-does-it-all, or as close as possible. Also, we need three of them, so they need to be light AND relatively inexpensive. For the most part, as a teacher, I'll be hiking in the holiday seasons, so nothing extensive in the dead of Winter.

Now, I'll be getting Reactor liners for the bags, which I know have mixed reviews, but I've read enough positive about them to take a gamble. We'll be sleeping on Ether Mats with an R value of 6.3, so theyu should be pretty warm. Also, we'll be sleeping in a tent (3-4 Season tent), and are happy to wear some clothing to bed. Also, I'm happy to buy an ultralight quilt for the top of us.

I'm planning on getting the Montbell Ultra-light Super Stretch Hugger bags- Helen and I both hate sleeping in mummy bags, but these are mummy bags that stretch to fit you- how cool is that. My big problem is figuring out what temperature rating to get. These are american bags, so I guess the rating will be according to the american system.

Also, I'm a medium sleeper and Helen is a cool sleeper, so maybe if you vote for the medium-sleeper temperature you'd choose, I can choose a cooler one for Helen, or get her a good liner or outer shell.. The choices are set at the temperature ratings available in this line of bags.

Thanks all!

[walkinTas]

My opinion, if you are a summer camper and a winter camper, you probably need two bags. It depends on how snug you like to be at night. I have a 0C and a -10C. I have been too warm in the 0C and too cold in the -10C. ...just trying to be helpful here!

[the_camera_poser]

LOL- I'm not sure how helpful that is....LOL

Summer doesn't bother me as much, as you can just unzip the bag, but I wouldn't want to use a -20 bag or anything like that. In a perfect world you could get a two-in-one sleeping bag- the inner is useful in Summer, and the two together in Winter.

[Son of a Beach]

Tasmania can get pretty cold in winter, but rarely below -10°C at night anywhere most people are likely to pitch their tent. So a bag rated to somewhere between -5° and -10°C would be fine for most people even in winter. I'd only go to bag rated for even colder temperatures if you're expecting to use it a lot in winter and/or on mountain tops.

If you're planning to use it only in summer, I'd consider going for something more at the -5°C end of the range. If you're planning to camp only at low altitudes (very unlikely if you're into bushwalking) and only in summer, then 0°C would be fine.

[the_camera_poser]

No, I'll use it in the High Country year-round, so I think either -5 with a fleece liner or -10 for the cold-spouse might do. Thanks Nik and everyone!

[Taurë-rana]

Are your ratings for a woman's comfortable night's sleep, or a survival rating?

[the_camera_poser]

Bottom-of-the range for comfort, for an "average" sleeper. I'd presume male.

[MJD]

Geez... I use a lightweight two/three season bag in summer but a much heavier one in winter.

[the_camera_poser]

It's a pain in the bum MJD- I have to buy three bags for three of us,and there is no conceivable way I can afford to do that right now. So the choices are- 1) compromise bag (liner for the winter, or maybe a quilt, and unzipped in the Summer), or 2) choose either extreme and wait to buy another set of bags in the future (DISTANT future...)

But, in all honesty, it will be a long time before Laura, our daughter, will but up for anything in the high country during winter, so maybe a 2-3 season bag is better for now.

[corvus]

t_c_p
For goodness sake you are asking the impossible just do what we all did in the early days and compromise ,whenever is Laura going Alpine ,whenever is Helen going Alpine without Laura.
When they do, minimum at -5 for most of of your trips and I suspect that will be overkill with due respect.
Your question has been answered on at least a couple of occasions and if you are so penurious forgo a lens or two shees its not really rocket science and you as as a dominie should know that Gear is an ongoing purchase
c

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[Tony]

You do not need to go super heavy to be warm in winter. Last snow season I used two sleeping bags, a -10C (Old) Supalite Fairy Down (1050g) and a +5 Macpac Snow Flake (480g) together I have used this combination at around -18C.

Since last winter I have purchased a BPL 180 quilt (550g) which on its own, during three season use I have used down to around 0C and below, on a recent trip to the snow in KNP I used the BPL quilt in combination with the Fairy Down bag and I was very warm but it was not -18C.

Having a combination of two bags gives me three options, one for warmer conditions, one for cooler conditions and together one for very cold conditions. The maximum sleeping bag weight that I have to carry for mid winter use is 1.6kg and in combination with my cut down tooth brush for a three day snow trip I only carry about 10-11kg in my pack and I am hoping to be under 10kg soon (including food).

Most of the time in the mountains, I get away with my BPL quilt with some thermals to supplement some extra warmth.

Tony

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[Tony]

Hi Brett,

I do not know of any research as to the rating of sleeping bag liners but there might be some. I have considered looking into doing some myself but time is short at the moment.

As for bag ratings I am very skeptical about trusting any bag rating that I read, we are all different temperature sleepers and some manufactures test with people who can tolerate colder temps and with heat generating full stomachs. We all learn from experience, I do not think that my -10C bag alone is suitable for me personally at -10c but with my inner it is very good at -10C and below.

As for comparing your WM bag to my Fairy Down bag, my FD bag is a few years old now and there are probably more advance lighter materials around now.

I will continue to cut my Tooth brushes down and drill them,one of my trips last summer in the local mountains I had 4kg + food and water on my back. It was lovely to walk with such a light weight on my back and I was perfectly safe and comfortable.

Tony

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