antokelly

OK Folks i'm on the hunt for a good quality down sleeping bag that doesnt cost an arm and a leg to buy.i'm doing my best to build up a quality but light weight touring rig that i can carry in my Carradice longflap saddlebag for a week or an overnighter
i'm not a seasoned camper a few nights away does me fine but i like to be comfy
any advice and links on bags will be greatly appreciated.

anto.

arctos

Anto: Are you a warm or cold sleeper? Have you felt cold while camping inside a tent in a 40F down bag when the temperature is around 40F? This information will be needed in choosing a new bag.
There are many good sources of down bags from large ones like Campmor, Marmot, Sierra Designs and The North Face, Montbell and Western Mountaineering to small cottage industry ones like Enlightened Equipment, ZPacks, Nunatak, Feathered Friends, Katabatic Gear and . Some of these smaller makers also make down and synthetic quilts which can be lighter and more compact than sleeping bags of the same temperature.

fietsbob

Do you get claustrophobic in a bag that fits tightly around you?
[to keep them light they fit really close around you

(mont bell, I read, brings the fit even tighter, with elastic rings on the baffles)

Sleep on your side curl up, or back? ..

[of course, N,B: AK is on the GMT side of the Atlantic Pond]


I got a bigger bag than I needed, too tall but not too wide
stevenson's warmlight triple has 2 zip on quilts and a bottom with
a down air-mattress.. so tops choice is an either-or, or both.

being the product of a small business in NH, I could get it altered..

bwgride

How tall and wide are you, and what temperature range for the bag do you seek? Also, have you considered a quilt instead of a bag?

Golite makes trustworthy equipment and frequently has sales on their products. Right now they have several 20F bags (2 lbs 12 oz) on sale for $150. I have their 20F quilt (1 lb 8 oz) which I use in my hammock and found it to work very well for me, and I am a wide body (46" chest).

I also have two Big Agnes sleeping bags (0F and 30F) that think are excellent choices due to the integrated pad system which reduces weight and ensures one does not roll off one's sleeping pad.

If you don't mind buy returned products, Geartrade.com is a good place to buy Backcountry.com returned items. I bought the Big Agnes Moon Hill (0F) bag (2 lbs 13oz) for $110 and it still had new hang-tags on it when shipped to me.

https://www.geartrade.com/browse/down-sleeping-bags

Many good choices out there (arctos notes several), but be sure to find a bag or quilt that is wide enough to be comfortable around your chest. I recommend mummy style for colder weather. I thought I would dislike the confined foot space in a mummy bag, but I learned that it did not feel confined and the smaller area helps keep feet warmer (plus reduces weight).

Often folks will argue the merits of 900 fill down vs. 600 or 650 fill, but from my experience I've not notice many benefits, and I am not convinced a 900 fill will last as long or be as durable as 650 or 700 fill. It just seems that the 900 fill material is very fragile and does not loft as well, over time, as my less costly and just as warm 650 bags, and the weight savings seem to be marginal too for similarly temperature rated bags. In short, I would not be too concerned if the bag is filled with 650 vs. 900 down.

antokelly

Thanks a million lads at the moment i'm smothered with a head cold nothing to with sleeping bags but just thought i'de tell you that.
anyway yeah i dont like to be sewn into the bag a bit of movemeant would be good and i get up a lot in the night very light sleeper when in a tent. i'm only a little fella good looking though, 42in chest my camping would be done mainly in summer but summers in ireland can be hit and miss .i have a new matt on order exped lite .quilt might not be a bad choice when i used the alpkit pipdream in summer i used it as a quilt but when i camped out in winter that bag was useless even with all my cloths on.
thing is i cant afford to spend much and i'm in no big hurry to buy but i do want to buy quality when i do spend hope that makes sense.thanks all i'll take a look at what you guys avised.

anto.

BohicaX

https://www.enlightenedequipment.com/

fietsbob

a tent with a door zip, right by my head helped me discharge excess snot , at night,

without getting out of my sleeping bag , ditto the recycled OJ, P jar..

antokelly

thanks bob just about to have my dinner.

fuzz2050

As the proud owner of the Revelation X, I'm not sure you can get a better sleeping bag (well, quilt) for the money. They are made to order, beautifully crafted, warm as you can possible need, and pretty affordable to boot, they pack compactly, and are really comfy to sleep in.

I have a long/wide 30% bag, it's conservatively rated, and big enough to share with my wife on warmer days.

antokelly

i think that works out at 146 euro plus postge to ireland could be out of my budget.
but at least i have the link if in future i want to go ahead and order one.
so me been 5.6ins should i go with that same bag you have.
btw how small does it pack.
thanks.

cyclist2000

I have a couple of bags, just got a Marmot Plasma but it is pricy. I had a Kelty which I find very economical and very comfortable, so did my daughter, so she uses it now. I find the Keltys to be a very nice and durable, but mine was a little heavy.

nun

I use a Montbell UL Super Spiral #3

https://www.montbell.us/products/disp...6&p_id=2321139

I pack it in a compression sack so that it fits in my saddlebag. I used a quilt for a while, but drafts, no hood and my arms falling off my pad became annoying. The Montbell bag is nice
and stretchy so I can move around and not feel restricted.

@Jason

I have 2 of the Big Agnes bags with integrated pads. It's the best sleep system I've used.

ekibayno

Good quality, inexpensive, lightweight - choose any two.

andrewclaus

Ditto this. My RevX 30 quilt performed wonderfully on my Northern Tier ride, from blowing wet snow in the Cascades to 95F nights (75 at sunrise) in the Midwest heat wave.

antokelly

but why can't i choose both

antokelly

NUN thats a very expensive bag

TeleJohn

+1

arctos

If you are not determined to have a down bag only, consider making a synthetic quilt using Climashield Apex. After using only down for over forty years I tried a Climashiled Apex quilt and have been pleasantly surprised over the last two years how well it works and how comfortable and easy to care for it is in damp weather. My XL size quilt fits in and 8 liter drybag easily and weighs 24 ounces. I created mine for kayak touring but also used it on my last bike tour. Materials cost under $100 US and the sewing was very easy even for an all thumbs sewer like myself. I used the 5 ounce per yard insulation for a 30F quilt. MLD in the US makes an excellent version for $205.

nun

It's not cheap, but I've seen more expensive ones and I figure I won't be buying another one for a while so get something nice.

fietsbob

such is my being GMT+8 hours . on my late Morning 2nd cup of coffee ~o) <- think steaming Cuppa..

antokelly

ok kinda decided on this sent them an email for full cost to post to ireland.i think the quilt will suit me better i used my last mummy style bag as a quilt.depends now on price.fingers crossed.

edit email wont send through ther contact page strange.

antokelly

all is forgiven.

antokelly

like to nun but funds are low.

BohicaX

Fuzz that is the same as mine I have the RevelationX 30 but mine was custom made as I wanted a few changes to suit my personal needs. Shot a few emails to Enlightened with a little back & forth and my request all sorted out as they had never done what I asked for but no problem to them they were happy to change design making my personal needs.

Bang for buck and quality these guys shine.