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TIP: The online Bushwalk Inventory System can help bushwalkers with a variety of bushwalk planning tasks, including: Manage which items they take bushwalking so that they do not forget anything they might need, plan meals for their walks, and automatically compile food/fuel shopping lists (lists of consumables) required to make and cook the meals for each walk. It is particularly useful for planning for groups who share food or other items, but is also useful for individual walkers.Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 13 Jul, 2013 1:13 pm
Sure, and I do keep forgetting to do that.
Size 12/13 feet and bigger of course if I wear socks/bivvy boot
185-187 tall depending on time of day and how my arthritis is behaving
115 kilos and 112 chest unexpanded.
My current sleeping system is great for colder weather but since my summer SB got stolen and not replaced a decade ago I haven't owned a dedicated summer bag that was warm enough for the High Country
Currently I am using a J&H Ultra Summit assault bag and the footbox internal dimensions are
Foot box is 300mm high internal
Width of the bottom ~ 240mm
Width at the top ~ 330mm
With the hood done up to sleeping size it is 1900mm long
Girth at chest is 1655mm external
It still lofts to 210mm and with my down parka inside it has a loft of 320mm.
Size 12/13 feet and bigger of course if I wear socks/bivvy boot
185-187 tall depending on time of day and how my arthritis is behaving
115 kilos and 112 chest unexpanded.
My current sleeping system is great for colder weather but since my summer SB got stolen and not replaced a decade ago I haven't owned a dedicated summer bag that was warm enough for the High Country
Currently I am using a J&H Ultra Summit assault bag and the footbox internal dimensions are
Foot box is 300mm high internal
Width of the bottom ~ 240mm
Width at the top ~ 330mm
With the hood done up to sleeping size it is 1900mm long
Girth at chest is 1655mm external
It still lofts to 210mm and with my down parka inside it has a loft of 320mm.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 13 Jul, 2013 1:20 pm
just off the top of your head aye Moondog?? 
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 13 Jul, 2013 2:49 pm
Wayno you crack me up sometimes; I enlisted my beloved wifes help and got her to help me measure.My problem has always been that I have long skinny legs and my blood supply runs very close to the surface on the major artery and if my legs are cool my feet are cold and I shiver all night. The down half bag I sold was however far too warm when used in combination with this bag, the one that just died had much less down in it
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 13 Jul, 2013 2:53 pm
Re: VANGO VENOM 225
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 12:26 pm
ninjapuppet wrote:Its 749grams, $200 from wild earth, and packs very small about 18cm x25cm
Of course is misleading. A proper duvet sleeping bag for sub 0°temp. needs to be a lot heavier than 750g???
More info here:
http://sectionhiker.com/deciphering-en1 ... e-ratings/
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 3:22 pm
My top quilt weighs less than 749 grams and I used it in the blue mountains last year in the middle of winter in a hammock and I was toasty warm, and im a QLDer
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Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 4:57 pm
Western Mountaineering Summerlite is 550g and 0C, or thereabouts.
Re: VANGO VENOM 225
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 5:28 pm
gbagua wrote:ninjapuppet wrote:Its 749grams, $200 from wild earth, and packs very small about 18cm x25cm
Of course is misleading. A proper duvet sleeping bag for sub 0°temp. needs to be a lot heavier than 750g???
SUB ZERO Fahrenheit I would agree but that is -18 C and a good bit different
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 7:41 pm
Also don't forget its a quilt with all the down on top. If you had a bag with the same fill it would be well over 1kg, but you would be laying on at least 1/3 of it and it would be useless.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 7:45 pm
Giddy_up wrote:Also don't forget its a quilt with all the down on top. If you had a bag with the same fill it would be well over 1kg, but you would be laying on at least 1/3 of it and it would be useless.
Lying on it, and I don't agree with that.
I can use my sleeping bag as a quilt, but it's warmer when part of it is tucked under me, and even more so when zipped up. Even when compressed by my (tossing and turning) body, down is warmer than nothing.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 8:22 pm
Actually laying is the correct term, unless you're referring to being untruthful.
Of course down will give some insulation when compressed, but not much and almost certainly not enough to justify the extra weight.
Of course down will give some insulation when compressed, but not much and almost certainly not enough to justify the extra weight.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 9:07 pm
ULWalkingPhil wrote:My top quilt weighs less than 749 grams and I used it in the blue mountains last year in the middle of winter in a hammock and I was toasty warm, and im a QLDer
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In a hammock in winter (how cold did it get) I am curios as to how you used your top quilt ?
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sat 21 Jun, 2014 10:24 pm
Strider wrote:Actually laying is the correct term, unless you're referring to being untruthful.
No, it isn't. In this context, 'laying' is an Americanism.
You lay bricks and carpet (and, maybe, women). But in British English - and therefore Australian English - you lie on a bed and you consider the 'lie' of the land.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sun 22 Jun, 2014 8:13 am
corvus wrote:ULWalkingPhil wrote:My top quilt weighs less than 749 grams and I used it in the blue mountains last year in the middle of winter in a hammock and I was toasty warm, and im a QLDer
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
In a hammock in winter (how cold did it get) I am curios as to how you used your top quilt ?
It got down to -1 with a strong westerly blowing through camp at Blackheath camp ground.
Used a torso length underquilt by Warbonnet and a hammock gear 20F top quilt, just used the quilt as designed.
It was colder at the camp ground on the Cox River but no breeze.
I have posted a video of my setup somewhere here.
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Re: Sleeping Bags
Sun 22 Jun, 2014 8:21 am
I dont feel the cold as you would expect a QLDer would. I was walking around Katoomba in shorts.
I also stayed at Canberra for 10 days, got down to -7, I stayed at a backpacker hostel while in Canberra. Walked around with a light nylon trousers and down jacket when required.
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I also stayed at Canberra for 10 days, got down to -7, I stayed at a backpacker hostel while in Canberra. Walked around with a light nylon trousers and down jacket when required.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sun 22 Jun, 2014 8:38 am
north-north-west wrote:Giddy_up wrote:Also don't forget its a quilt with all the down on top. If you had a bag with the same fill it would be well over 1kg, but you would be laying on at least 1/3 of it and it would be useless.
Lying on it, and I don't agree with that.
I can use my sleeping bag as a quilt, but it's warmer when part of it is tucked under me, and even more so when zipped up. Even when compressed by my (tossing and turning) body, down is warmer than nothing.
You need to go for a walk nnw instead of correcting my grammar.
As for the bag business, I have both quilt and bag and the bags down that I compress when sleeping as well as the shell that it is contained in provides next to no value and is weight that is just not needed when you have a suitable sleeping pad matched to your quilt.
You should try a quilt nnw that has been designed and fitted to enclose around you. They do react differently though design than just a sleeping bag draped over you sorry.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sun 22 Jun, 2014 10:27 am
Thanks, but
a) the doctor's orders are to keep off this leg for three days, so walking isn't an option, despite the beautiful weather
and
b) I do get sick of gear protelysizers. What works for you won't necessarily work for everyone else. People have different preferences and needs. Different metabolisms, too. Sleeping bags work for me, and I'd rather carry a little extra weight and know I'm going to be comfortable at night wherever I camp than spend a whole lot of money I don't have on changing to a system I can't be sure will work as well for me.
a) the doctor's orders are to keep off this leg for three days, so walking isn't an option, despite the beautiful weather
andb) I do get sick of gear protelysizers. What works for you won't necessarily work for everyone else. People have different preferences and needs. Different metabolisms, too. Sleeping bags work for me, and I'd rather carry a little extra weight and know I'm going to be comfortable at night wherever I camp than spend a whole lot of money I don't have on changing to a system I can't be sure will work as well for me.
Re: Sleeping Bags
Sun 22 Jun, 2014 3:42 pm
Oh, OK so the Vango Venom is a dud then...strange enough since they are known for making quality outdoor equipment. Anyway things have changed a lot since the 80s (my down sleeping bag was purchased back then and I haven't bought anything else since then. 
)
More info about down:
What is fill power? What's the difference between 400 and 700+ fill?
Fill power is the most frequently used measure of down quality. It involves measurements taken of a one ounce sample of down in a plexiglas cylinder with a weighted piston compressing the down. The test requires controlled temperature, humidity, and preparation of the sample. All other things being equal a parka made with high fill power is lighter and more compressible than an equally warm one made with lower quality down. Fill power is expressed as cubic inches per ounce (c.i/oz) -- a lofting power of 400-450 is considered medium quality, 500-550 is considered good, and 600-700 is considered excellent.
700+ fill is quite different from 400 fills. Almost all down commercially available is a secondary product of geese raised for consumption. It would be prohibitively expensive to raise geese for down alone. The geese that are the source for lower fill down are about four months old when they are "harvested" for food. Down from these geese can be carefully sorted, washed, and blended, but it will never loft like really mature down. The 700+ down fill comes from a small number of birds kept for breeding purposes throughout the year. These geese molt naturally in the spring. While their down is loose it is collected by hand. It is very rare and, of course, expensive. The larger individual plumules are what gives the greater loft. The only way to get down of this quality is by careful hand selection which is the major factor in its scarcity.
Why do Down products vary so much in price?
You may find a white goose down duvet costing twice as much as another white goose down duvet, or even more. There are many factors which can affect the quality and therefore the price. Just remember, as with everything else in this life, there really are no bargains. A cheap down product will be filled with immature down, which will provide little warmth, and which will probably collapse after relatively little use. A substantial number of inexpensive products contain high percentages of feathers, rather than down as promised on the label. Workmanship and design is generally inferior on cheap products as well. Overall, a "bargain" is usually a waste of money. A quality product will certainly cost more, but it will be warm and cozy, and last for many years. Something that costs twice as much and lasts 10 times as long is much better value.
HOW DO I KNOW I'M GETTING WHAT I'M PAYING FOR?
Look for the fill power and also check if you can feel for quills or push one through the garment fabric.
Questions & Answers About Down
)More info about down:
What is fill power? What's the difference between 400 and 700+ fill?
Fill power is the most frequently used measure of down quality. It involves measurements taken of a one ounce sample of down in a plexiglas cylinder with a weighted piston compressing the down. The test requires controlled temperature, humidity, and preparation of the sample. All other things being equal a parka made with high fill power is lighter and more compressible than an equally warm one made with lower quality down. Fill power is expressed as cubic inches per ounce (c.i/oz) -- a lofting power of 400-450 is considered medium quality, 500-550 is considered good, and 600-700 is considered excellent.
700+ fill is quite different from 400 fills. Almost all down commercially available is a secondary product of geese raised for consumption. It would be prohibitively expensive to raise geese for down alone. The geese that are the source for lower fill down are about four months old when they are "harvested" for food. Down from these geese can be carefully sorted, washed, and blended, but it will never loft like really mature down. The 700+ down fill comes from a small number of birds kept for breeding purposes throughout the year. These geese molt naturally in the spring. While their down is loose it is collected by hand. It is very rare and, of course, expensive. The larger individual plumules are what gives the greater loft. The only way to get down of this quality is by careful hand selection which is the major factor in its scarcity.
Why do Down products vary so much in price?
You may find a white goose down duvet costing twice as much as another white goose down duvet, or even more. There are many factors which can affect the quality and therefore the price. Just remember, as with everything else in this life, there really are no bargains. A cheap down product will be filled with immature down, which will provide little warmth, and which will probably collapse after relatively little use. A substantial number of inexpensive products contain high percentages of feathers, rather than down as promised on the label. Workmanship and design is generally inferior on cheap products as well. Overall, a "bargain" is usually a waste of money. A quality product will certainly cost more, but it will be warm and cozy, and last for many years. Something that costs twice as much and lasts 10 times as long is much better value.
HOW DO I KNOW I'M GETTING WHAT I'M PAYING FOR?
Look for the fill power and also check if you can feel for quills or push one through the garment fabric.
Questions & Answers About Down
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