Hi All

As the title says im looking for a 3 season sleeping bag as the sleeping bag ive been using could do with a rest after

• 3 full Duke of Edinburghs (Bronze silver and gold) + all the training exercises/weekends
• countless sleep over at mates on the floor after a few beers
• and a few camping weekends on the bikes/BSB/WSB weekends.

The main reason for change is my current sleeping bag is

• only a 2 season sleeping bag which has the advantages of being small in pack size
• light
• easily packed when on a weekend away.

Big down side is

• im 6ft 4 and have a pretty big chest/shoulders so its a tight fit and normally requires me to sleep with my arms outside the sleep bag (ok in summer/warm nights not so in cooler times)
• when i put my head inside the head/mummy bit its a tight fit and means the material is tight on my head/feet and can get cold during the night
• other big thing is its quiet thin requiring an inner cloth even during none summer months.

My price range is up to �80 and may push to �90 as i will probably have to include �10 postage to Northern Ireland.

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Plough on

Howdy Max,

There is a post in the Lakes IV forum with some links for cheap deals from the on-line stores, line and year end stuff.

Might be worth a rummage ?

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>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Thats what got me thinking/looking and asking the question.

Just never really trust the advertising blurb some of the websites put up and i find personnel opinions normally quickly sort out whats good and whats not really worth the money

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Plough on

Fair enough.

I have a comfy 2 season bag, and to make it extra warm, probably more 4 than 3 season, I use a fleece liner. I've used silk before (and still keep one in case of coldness, and it's warm, but tends to rip at the seams.

One advantage of mixing like this is you cantravell lighter in warmer times and aren't stuck with an overly warm bag.

I'm not as tall as you, but I probably equal you in girth (!), my bag is a Vango Ultralite 300 and packs down to 190x270mm, the fleece is a Eurohike 600g liner a little smaller than the bag. The silk is the size of a cigarette packet

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>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

I agree with the above with regards layering. I often use a lighter weight sleeping bag and either line it with an appropriate liner or use a gortex bivi bag. The liner option is a good one as it means you can wash that rather than the bag. The bivi bag also works well as it adds a 'season' and packs down well but also enables me to sleep rough if the weather is good enough but at the same time keeps me dry if it does shower.

Regarding your size, well thats a bit more of an issue. Most mummy bags are, by definition, uncomfortable as they make you sleep in an unatural position and are not built with larger individuals in mind. One option that might be worth considering is a cheap cotton square sided bag. I use one a lot. Its cotton, so more comfortable and not sweaty. Its wide enough for even Harley riders and still packs reasonably small. So for your 80 quid you could easily get a two or three season cotton 'caravan' bag with ample width and have change for either a liner or a cheap breathable bivi bag. This would give you the flexibility and comfort that we all seek. Try and avoid the flowery ones though as you will just get laughed at!

Mummy bags are great for use in tougher condition and I have several for use in snow holes, high mountains and sea kayaking but when I am on the bike I use the cotton option above. One cautionary note though. Cotton looses thermal values when wet. Thats why most mummy bags are made from a non absorbant artificial material.

One more thought. Recently I took a group of young sea kayakers off to France and one of the kids had a German Army bag that had arms! I had never seen one before but might be worth a hunt around. It was very amusing as he wore it as a coat of an evening as it also flipped up below his knees to enable him to walk. So when bedtime came, he just lowered the leg coverings and lay down where he stood. That would solve your arm problem.

Hope this helps a little but ultimately its a very individual thing.

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DickyC

Gun Metal Grey 2014 XT660Z
'Advice is sought by someone who knows the answer but doesn't like it'

'The adsence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously'