Newbie Sleeping Bag advice..

[Wotsits]

Hi All

I know this has probably been done to death multiple times, but i've got a mate who's interested in bikepacking & has started to get his gear together. He's up to the point of buying a sleeping bag & to start with would preferably want to keep the cost under £100.

Has anybody had any experience with/opinions on the Rab Genesis Bag-
http://www.rockrun.com/rab-genesis-2/

Or would one of these be a better option-
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/1336 ... g-bag.html

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-nites ... ag-p196169

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-sum ... ag-p194428

Or would anyone have anything that they're looking to move on that might be suitable.

Thanks in advance

[Bearbonesnorm]

Below £100, entering the cuddly world of down is difficult, if he wants to stay warm in anything but perfect conditions, it'll be impossible if buying new. I'd possibly try and find a secondhand Alpkit Skyehigh 600, a little used one should be available under a hundred quid.

Lamina bags seems to be the synthetic bag default, here's a 20 (minus 7 limit) within budget: http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/C ... 05qVijoc20

Another option from MH could be the new Pinole, bit cheaper than the Lamina series: http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... nIAXg#9569

This from North Face doesn't look bad either: http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/showPart. ... an%2020/-7

[Wotsits]

Thanks Stu

Would the Rab Genisis not be a good option then?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Would the Rab Genisis not be a good option then?

I imagine it would be fine but I can't help wondering why Rab have dropped it within 12 months?

[Wotsits]

I can't help wondering why Rab have dropped it within 12 months?

Interesting, i didn't know that

[Bearbonesnorm]

The 'Ignition' is Rabs new syntheitic bag range. The Genesis bags have been pretty heavily discounted for the last few months.

[Teetosugars]

I had a look at one of these the other day...
Cheap as chips, and come on a long way from when we had them in the Army.

Not sure how realistic the temp ratings are?
Again, they may have improved...

http://www.cheaptents.com/acatalog/snug ... -tera.html

[Wotsits]

Thanks guys, i'll pass the info on & post up the outcome

[Charliecres]

I have a Lamina 20 and would happily recommend it. Not as small or light as down but cheaper, warm and comfy. I've used it down to a couple of degrees below freezing and was snug.

[Bearbonesnorm]

If the budget could stretch by £40, this would see him right for years to come.

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/mountain ... colour=106

[Ian]

Slight hijack:

Anyone have a view on the synthetic bag?
http://www.tauntonleisure.com/mountain- ... 21#tdesc_2

[Bearbonesnorm]

Anyone have a view on the synthetic bag?

As synthetic bags go that must rate very highly, although given the price I suppose it ought to

[Ian]

£136 for a sleeping bag seems ok to me?
Or have I had my head in a world of 900 fill down for too long?

[Bearbonesnorm]

£136 for a sleeping bag seems ok to me?

There's very few synthetic bags that cost more than £100. Those that are tend to be costly for a reason.

Or have I had my head in a world of 900 fill down for too long?

Possibly ... it happens

[Yorlin]

Oh, your friend could try and win a bag.
http://martinrye.wordpress.com/2014/04/ ... -giveaway/

(he's also got a comp for a odd rucksack)

[FLV]

I also need an additional sleeping bag now.

Due to the loss of one I lent out and taking the wife and youth's out last night, I ended up in a decathlon / quecha belonging to said loser of my fourth decent bag. The quecha is rated to 10 degrees.
I was not warm.

Personally I want a down bag, rated for approx 2C and less than a kilo. £150 quid is about my limit.


or.... Thinking about it... maybe I need to try a quilt!

[Alpinum]

Here they have both, down bags and down quilts for a fair price:
http://sleepingbags-cumulus.eu
X-Lite 200 (old version, w/o zip) including basic clothes (legwarmers/longjohns and a sweater or two) and a light weight down smock (200 g) gives me decent warmth down to about -5 °C, said that, I don't need much to have a warm night. My girlfriend has the X-lite 300 (full zip) that keeps her warm down to about -5 °C including clothing as above.

Reckon that quilts with 150 g down will have the same performance like 200 g down in a full bag.

I believe for bike packing - say March to October - in Wales, England and Scotland a thin synthetic quilt to be the best solution. Get in the quilt wet, dry during your sleep and repeat. After two or three such nights down will be in a miserable state, Primaloft (no experience with Apex etc.) can cope with that and will suddenly beat down in it's performance. A say this as a big fan of down.

DIY or from from here:
http://astucas.com/en/gear/sestrals-quilt

good overview here for quilts in general:
http://hikinginfinland.com/2010/11/quilt-101.html

[Nick]

Get in the quilt wet, dry during your sleep and repeat.

I'm fairly well acquainted with both type 1 and type 2 fun, what kind of fun is getting into bed wet?

[Alpinum]

I'm fairly well acquainted with both type 1 and type 2 fun

Could you possibly explain the meaning behind type 1 and type 2 fun?

what kind of fun is getting into bed wet?

I don't really bother if I'm wet or damp as long as I'm warm. Of course it's easier to stay warm if you're dry, but staying dry in many cases is near impossible.
Being dry is completely overrated. I even say this as a bloke who can actually wait or travel (1-2h) for/to nice weather and dry single tracks.

[composite]

I'm fairly well acquainted with both type 1 and type 2 fun

Could you possibly explain the meaning behind type 1 and type 2 fun?

what kind of fun is getting into bed wet?

I don't really bother if I'm wet or damp as long as I'm warm. Of course it's easier to stay warm if you're dry, but staying dry in many cases is near impossible.
Being dry is completely overrated. I even say this as a bloke who can actually wait or travel (1-2h) for/to nice weather and dry single tracks.

Type 1 fun is cable car to the top then a sunny ride down to a cold beer at the bottom.

Type 2 fun was day 3 of our trip across Wales.

[Alpinum]

Cheers.

Thought it was something in that direction.

So type 3 would be HTR in winter or rather ITI? Or riding 36 h with 1.5 h sleep? Ian, could you possibly differentiate between type 2 and type 3?

[Ian]

Type 1 fun is anything that is fun while you're actually doing it

Type 2 fun isn't fun at the time, but afterwards when you've dried out, you think it probably was fun and memories of pain and discomfort fade within a couple of days.

Type 3 fun is a bit like type 2, but has a much longer "half-life". You talk for a long time about how much of an ordeal it was and how it took every ounce of physical and mental strength you had, and especially that you'll never ever do it again. But gradually you start think what you'd do differently next time and before you know it you've signed up for the Highland Trail for the second time...

[Alpinum]

We had some good laughs last May 30th as many said never again, only to say "next time I would change..."
Getting in to those type two's and three's is one thing. The other is getting out of it again. It's addicting
I don't think this forum is a good place to get off this drug.

I guess I'll always stick with type 2. The ordeal diminishes within hours in my dank, dulled brain. No matter what I went through.

Is there something like a OT button here?