Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

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Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Sun 23 May, 2021 9:11 pm

Hiya. I'm wanting buy a new sleeping system and was going to go a quilt for weight savings, but there's no availability with delivery times in my top choices of brands (Katabaticgear, Enlightened) being that I need it by late July at the very latest. So I'm back to looking at sleeping bags as the quickest option.

Does anyone have a S2S Flame 3 or 4? I'm heading to Larapinta in August and I trust that the Flame 3 would cover it (can be a cold sleeper) but wondering if the extra weight is worth investing in the Flame 4 (I'm used to my Mont Brindabella and just unzip when it's too warm - but wanting to replace with something lighter in weight).

I use a hammocktent when hiking local in QLD - so a wide quilt was going to hopefully work well there too... but as mentioned - they seem in very short supply and as a side sleeper, I may still be better off sticking to a sleeping bag.

Any feedback on the Sea to Summit Flame or suggestions on alternative brands for lightweight bags or quilts that may be avail in the very near (buying local may be best I'm thinking) will be hugely appreciated!

I'm looking at a new Sleeping Mat too - leaning towards a Thermarest Womens' NeoAir XLite - any suggestions or reviews here would be a bonus too :D

Big thanks in advance.
Karla
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby tasadam » Sat 29 May, 2021 7:26 pm

Hi all.
Is anyone able to offer Karla any advice here?
(I made this topic a “Sticky” for a short time.
Thanks.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Neo » Sat 29 May, 2021 8:58 pm

STS quilts are readily available. The Ember, Cinder and Glow. Check with Mike and Teirgear, can probably get an Aussie custom made before your August trip.

The temperature rating for the Flame 3 is equivalent to my Ascent 2 but 300+ grams lighter! What the?

I like a bag with a full zip, so you can vent the feet or open the whole bag up too. The Flame and Spark models are not full zip.

See my musings here, I'm going to add a Glow to boost the Ascent, untested combination
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35022

For a mat I like the STS ul in xs. Slept fine down to one degree last night on the orange insulated version. Will add a long ccf as it gets colder.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby wayno » Sun 30 May, 2021 5:43 am

depends how people sleep a bit, if you sleep with your limbs spread out you need to look at the comfort rating esp if youre a cold sleeper, if you sleep huddled up the lower limit rating can be more appropriate but being a cold sleeper you want to lean more toward the comfort to be on the safe side, extra clothes can increase the rating too, if you have a down jacket anyway that can add a few degrees warmth, i doubt you'd need the flame 4
theres a lot of good brands around, exped do ultralight bags as well, but theres not much room to move in them... make sure you're not going to feel claustrophobic, lighter bags are often more constrictive, you have to unzip the exped bag just to get your arm out of it... theres various other brands but you'd have to see whats in the shops, they vary on the brands they stock
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Tino B » Sun 30 May, 2021 5:44 pm

This is for sale on FB:
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Ms_Mudd » Sun 30 May, 2021 6:31 pm

I did look at S2S Flame series bags myself recently, specifically the 3 and 4.
I ended up going with OP bags instead, a Nitrous for shoulder season and a Cocoon for Winter use. I already had a S2S Spark Sp1 (older version) for summer. Value, durability and ability to pick my optimal bag sizing was what made me go One Planet.

I know quilts would be lighter, but I have experimented with a beautifully made quilt a few years ago and decided I much prefer a bag.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Thu 03 Jun, 2021 8:07 pm

Thanks hugely to all the replies! - great advice from all.

I've sent online requests to Mike and Teirgear, but not heard back so suspect they are swamped, but looks like there's still some good local options.

Appreciate!!
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Sun 06 Jun, 2021 7:08 pm

Ms_Mudd wrote:I did look at S2S Flame series bags myself recently, specifically the 3 and 4.
I ended up going with OP bags instead, a Nitrous for shoulder season and a Cocoon for Winter use. I already had a S2S Spark Sp1 (older version) for summer. Value, durability and ability to pick my optimal bag sizing was what made me go One Planet.

I know quilts would be lighter, but I have experimented with a beautifully made quilt a few years ago and decided I much prefer a bag.


Hiya
I looked to the Cocoon as I have a One Planet canvas pack (way too heavy for my hiking pref now but still use it for travel)... but the Cocoon isn't available and so I'm back to choosing between the Flame 3 and Flame 4 (chased up other options for locally made but they all have 12+ week lead times).

Being that you were considering both Flames - if the Cocoon wasn't avail at the time, were you thinking that the Flame 3 would cover you? I wouldn't be probleming over it quite so much - but that bit of extra weight if not needed, the additional $'s and that the 4 doesn't look to stuff down particularly small... leaves me wondering which way to go. I can flip flop between being a cold or a hot sleeper :roll: I know you can add clothes and liners to the Flame 3 - but maybe the Flame 4 would make all of that seldom needed? Apart from Larapinta in Aug - have a hike South NZ in March coming up (can still be parky then) - but the rest of the time, would hope that any bag would pretty much cover for most walks locally - can always unzip when too warm.

Any thoughts will be helpful to throw in the mix but I understand that ultimately - I just gotta make a choice! :D
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Lamont » Sun 06 Jun, 2021 7:49 pm

Hi I still don't quite understand what temperature minimum you are trying to cover.
Is it around zero?
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Mon 07 Jun, 2021 7:16 pm

Lamont wrote:Hi I still don't quite understand what temperature minimum you are trying to cover.
Is it around zero?


Fair point. It's true and if I'm still very unclear - well I trust it's hard to best advise me!

I'm unsure as I've been using a Mont Bindabella -10 comfort sleeping bag for the last decade in a hammocktent in Oz and for hut sleeping down South in NZ for 6 months. As a cold sleeper - it's served me well and I'd just open it up when too hot, easy.

I don't use a mat in my hammocktent so purchasing a new groundtent (ordered a Tarptent Moment with a Solid Inner - so that will be a warmer tent), mat and bag is all new and the change in the entire set-up is throwing me some.

The Flame 4 at -10 then may be overkill with an insulated mat.... guess I'm looking for advise on that for Larapinta, NZ South Island hut sleeping or Tassie in Summer/Shoulder type activities.

I'm starting to think the bit of extra weight of 230g is none to worry over - it's more that it looks to pack down quite a bit bigger and then there's the extra dollars if it's really not needed.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby adventuremum » Mon 07 Jun, 2021 9:10 pm

Hi
It might be worth asking One Planet directly when the Cocoon's will be in stock. Last update was 'approx 3 weeks' and they are taking back orders.
Cheers
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Wed 09 Jun, 2021 5:13 pm

adventuremum wrote:Hi
It might be worth asking One Planet directly when the Cocoon's will be in stock. Last update was 'approx 3 weeks' and they are taking back orders.
Cheers


Thanks Adventuremum - yes, I'd popped them off an email the other week and was told 'post winter - we'll let you know'.... so I've gone the S2S Flame 3 as it was on sale. Huge shoutout to staff at Find Your Feet... they were superhelpful and I received my order within 24 hours - amazing service and lovely to deal with.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Ms_Mudd » Mon 14 Jun, 2021 8:06 pm

I got my Op Cocoon and Nitrous sleeping bags from 2 x other retailers, same price, but the retailers had stock AND offered afterpay. Worth checking out other places that have them.

If I had of had to choose between the Flame 3 or 4, I would have gone the Flame3, it is the most similar rating to the -11C Cocoon I got, as the OP rating uses the comfort rating for a man. The Flame 4 would have been overkill for most situations I am on, other than snow camping. Having said that, there was not enough room in the Flame series for me to layer without compressing my layers or the bag itself, so would have had to chuck a bivy or something over the Flame 3 to get it warm enough for the snow.
I am 158ish cm tall and swing between a size 8 and a smaller size 12. Definitely on the upper end of the swing at the moment :lol:
I took a calculated gamble and got regular sized bags instead of the small, I am so happy with my choice though, I can sleep in any position and not pull the bag tight at all, but I have not had so much room that I can't heat the bag up well.

Interestingly enough, have taken both my OP bags to the recommended temps for comfort for women and have been too warm on those occasions so far, just in my merinos and had to unzip during the night, so I trust that the bags are as good or indeed better than OP stated for female sleepers when I contacted them during my research. Only used the bags a few times though, the Nitrous x3 nights and the Cocoon x2 nights.
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Joels » Tue 15 Jun, 2021 5:43 pm

I bought the lite flame a few days ago. It only goes down to 0 degrees, but I have a couple of other thin thermal layers as well. I tested it the other night in my old swag and it worked well and it was pretty cold here. I like the feel of it and it only weighs 1.3kg and the bag it comes in is nice and small, although i'll end up rolling it up with my swag. :)
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Karla » Thu 17 Jun, 2021 7:39 pm

Thanks all for your recent advice updates, really appreciate. After preferring a One Planet Cocoon but not being able to find one in stock - I purchased the Flame 3 a couple of weeks ago. I then got wobbly about my choice and swapped it for the Flame 4. My reasoning was that compared to the 3 it was only a little more weight and mula (they were on sale) and it will be my winter bag that should take me most places and I don't have to worry so much about extra clothing or a liner - which I'd feel I may need to pack with the 3 just in case - I can really feel the cold! I can then order a One Planet Nitrous later in the year as fully I'm sold on it being a great option as a shoulder season (thanks Ms.Mudd).
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Re: Lightweight Sleeping Bag Suggestions

Postby Ms_Mudd » Fri 18 Jun, 2021 11:29 am

Congrats on getting your bag Karla, glad you find it cosy. I also get a bit twitchy at the thought of being cold, so am pleased you feel happy with your temp choice.

I love that you are getting a shoulder season bag too, I chuckled at myself when I did it, but don't regret it one bit. Weight wise, it is such a savings when I otherwise would be reaching for the Winter bag over my skimpy summer bag.
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