Bushwalk Australia

I will be buying a new sleeping bag shortly.

The main thing I will want it for is tramping the south island in Feb maybe March. Sleeping in tents a bit and doing hikes like cascade saddle dart valley over about four to eight weeks. Apart from that maybe vanning or biking around, so space and weigh are considerations.

What rating bag do you recommend?

I am 42, male, tend to feel a bit colder than the average person at night, and will have a good sleep mat.

Thoughts appreciated. Am in Melbourne and a keen eye will be on the sales.

Cheers!

the weather usually gets cool at night in the mountains even in summer , the temp will often be somewhere in the teens at night. although a full hut will add a few degrees to that.

i usually find the exped ultralite 300 more than does the job. will cover you for most days at that time of year including some of the cooler weather as long as you're not sleeping out in the alpine zone in bad weather.

http://www.exped.com/new-zealand/en/pro ... 300-m-left

you can move all the down to the top of the bag for cooler weather to get more warmth out of it.. half a kilo, packs down super small with 850 down... BUT its a narrow bag, when its zipped up you can't get your arms out of it because it even tapers in around the neck before you even pull the drawchord, if you feel claustrophobic in narrow bags, dont buy it,, and you have to be careful with the zip . no bells and whistles, no neck muff, zip is only two thirds the length of the bag


if you want something roomier but still pretty light, I can also recommend the Exped Lite 500 which i had before exped released the ultralite range and i got the 300,. Although it will be generally too warm unless the weather is bad. its a good general purpose three season bag I find if you dont have the budget for multiple bags.
http://www.exped.com/new-zealand/en/pro ... 500-m-left

I've visited South Island twice in spring, when the weather is quite unsettled compared to the end of summer. I'm using a Marmot Hydrogen. It is rated to 30 degrees Fahrenheit - a little under 0 Centigrade.
I use a silk liner and most often just pull the bag over me like a quilt rather than get right in.

Thanks for the replies guys! I got an Exped comfort 400 on sale! As I get cold at night often, the 300 seemed a bit lighter than my confidence would allow. Backed up by, as always, great advice in Bogong Outdoor store in Melbourne.

the ultralite 300 is warmer when you take into account its a narrower bag that you an move all of the down on to the top.. I use it as a three season bag if the weather isn't too cold