Thinking about a new sleeping bag

[Phil Fargaze]

I`ve had my old bag for years now and the temperature at SGL7 was a bit too cold for it so the time has come for a new bag that can handle March/April and Sept/|Oct temperatures with a £40 budget. I have been looking at the Coleman range simply because I have got one of their brochures and the Atom X1400 looks to tick all the boxes. Any other suggestions/ experiences?

[scoobee]

Have you thought of an ex-services sleeping bag?! I used one for many a year and still do, mind it only comes in one colour...GREEN

[username]

+1 for ex-military bags. get down your local army surplus. make sure you check inside though, some will have been slept in with boots on and may have been repaired badly or not at all.

I used a 58 pattern bag for years and it was always nice and toasty.

[ronin]

Read about this one that seems to be good:

Sleeping Bag

Just fits the budget as well, no idea why I recall it as I don't go camping.

[Phil Fargaze]

Good ideas there. I dont care about the colour! I just checked the web site for my local army surplus and they have got what is called a PLCE sleep system and its only £20.

[username]

Good ideas there. I dont care about the colour! I just checked the web site for my local army surplus and they have got what is called a PLCE sleep system and its only £20.

The PLCE is more modern than 58 pattern. Never tried one myself but haven't heard anything bad about them. I think they are synthetically filled rather than down which has the bonus that they can get wet and you don't have to worry about the filling going manky. You can't go wrong for 20 quid. Have a check what people say on other forums about them.

If you're buying online though make sure they say its grade A or 1 or something like that.

[ollypenrice]

To be warm in a tent two things matter above all else. 1) What you are lying on. Get something very very insulated underneath you. Old woolen blankets, a Thermarest, cardboard, anything. It doesn't have to cost much. A Duvet from home? But put it underneath. That's where the heat goes. 2) your head. Sleep in a woolly hat. We have enormous brains (even I do!) and they get pelted with blood to keep them running. This blood is warm and cools fast if your head is cold. Then it goes round the rest of your body cooling that...

Decathlon do cheap but decent sleeping bags but what goes under them is the key thing.

Olly

[scoobee]

The PLCE is more modern than 58 pattern. Never tried one myself but haven't heard anything bad about them. I think they are synthetically filled rather than down which has the bonus that they can get wet and you don't have to worry about the filling going manky. You can't go wrong for 20 quid. Have a check what people say on other forums about them.

If you're buying online though make sure they say its grade A or 1 or something like that.

Grade 1 PLCE if you can get one, I used one in Norway with a bivy and that was all you needed, try and get a long one, nice and snug

[scoobee]

Just found this on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321010109399?hlp=false

[rowan46]

To be warm in a tent two things matter above all else. 1) What you are lying on. Get something very very insulated underneath you. Old woolen blankets, a Thermarest, cardboard, anything. It doesn't have to cost much. A Duvet from home? But put it underneath. That's where the heat goes. 2) your head. Sleep in a woolly hat. We have enormous brains (even I do!) and they get pelted with blood to keep them running. This blood is warm and cools fast if your head is cold. Then it goes round the rest of your body cooling that...

Decathlon do cheap but decent sleeping bags but what goes under them is the key thing.

Olly

+1 on this

[crashtestdummy]

agree with the above,its very important to have a good base with which to sleep on.i have a mountain equpiment starlight 4 season mummy bag,rated to minus 31 in the extreme or about minus 12 for absolute comfort limit and at minus 5 in france on an airbed my back felt cold alot of the time untill i added a karrimat underneath then i was toasty warm.

[Vantis]

You should buy a bed chair, thats what i use all year round when i Troutfish (going again 28-30 dec) http://www.fishtec.co.uk/online.cfm/fishing-sleeping-bags/trakker-big-snooze-plus-sleeping-bag/40/yes/58864

[Vantis]

C A R P

[ollypenrice]

C A R P

What am I missing here??

Olly

[Planetesimal]

Apparently if you type c a r p without spaces the swear-word filter thinks you've mis-spelt something else and converts it to trout. Or so I've read!

[nightfisher]

What am I missing here??

Olly

He tried to type c a r p but word filter turns it to trout, hence the spacing . There are some very good c a rp fishing sleeping bags around for 40 - 50 puunds

[username]

As said above get a mat to sleep on too, they aren't expensive. The military bags will have a hood on them for your head - just don't freak out if you manage to turn round in your sleep!!

[Phil Fargaze]

Thanks all for the ideas. I understand about heat loss through the ground and head. I use a Lichfield self inflating mattress plus a couple of extra foam sleeping mats if it is cold. I don`t like or trust air beds and a frame bed is a bit bulky. I get cold feet sometimes and started using a hot water bottle in the bottom of the bag, works a treat!

[nightfisher]

Thanks all for the ideas. I understand about heat loss through the ground and head. I use a Lichfield self inflating mattress plus a couple of extra foam sleeping mats if it is cold. I don`t like or trust air beds and a frame bed is a bit bulky. I get cold feet sometimes and started using a hot water bottle in the bottom of the bag, works a treat!

Yes frame beds are a bit bulky, but sooooo very comfy

[Phil Fargaze]

Now that one does look nice. I think what put me off frame beds were those small army issue ones.

[nightfisher]

Its the nash indulgence fishing bedchair, a bit pricey but one of the best

[Neil_F]

I regularly use an ex Dutch Army arctic sleeping bag that I bought off Fleabay for around £20. They have a waterproof bottom layer, built in hood and built in stuff sack. I believe they are filled with duck down....mmmmm, supa toasty!

Just my 2p worth.

[Phil Fargaze]

I went to the well known camping retailer on Canvey Island, Essex which happen to have 20% off almost everything and I ended up getting a Vango Nitestar 450. It`s 3-4 season and comfort at -2 so that should do the job.

[ollypenrice]

I went to the well known camping retailer on Canvey Island, Essex which happen to have 20% off almost everything and I ended up getting a Vango Nitestar 450. It`s 3-4 season and comfort at -2 so that should do the job.

Now is the winter of our discount tents...

lly

[Phil Fargaze]