Sleeping systems - bags, pads, matts, liners

Yeah gimme a shout for beer, I'm sure I still owe you some for free & discounted kit!

I can live with bulky I think but will judge when I find one. These things are like unicorn shit though... hoping the high street camping places on Deansgate may come good.

Good to know, ta.

I would prefer to buy a synth sleeping bag but it looks like synthetics just do not compete on the warmth to weight stakes at all, so I would be willing to compromise by buying a second hand down bag. I guess I would not be out if the temps are much below 5 degrees, so I'm trying to compile a list of bags to scour ebay for by seeing brands that people recommend on this thread. ATM I have thought of:

RAB neutrino 200
PHD minimus K
PHD m.degree 200 K
Mountain Hardware Helium Quilt (this seems really cheap, even new?)
Mountain Hardware Classic 300
Mountain Hardware Helium 250 (bit over specced, down to 1 degree)
Mountain Hardware Helium Solo (Bit under specced, up to 7 degrees)
Marmot Micron 40
Marmot Phase 30
Montbell Down Hugger 800
Montbell Seamless Down Hugger 900 (fuck comes up with these names)

Anyone have any other suggestions / a vague price guide? I guess I'm looking at between 150-250 for a second hand "decent brand" 4 degree bag?

I wouldn't buy a second hand down bag, they degrade over time and you dont know what it will be like.

I'd save up, or buy a climashield apex quilt for 5 Celsius.

That said I bought a mountain hardware phantom 0 for 150 quid several years back. 850 fill. It's been good. So you could buy new at that budget.

I have a RAB neutrino 200 which I use for all but the coldest nights with additional layers if needs. Really impressed. I feel the cold as well. Have slept in it during some really wet nights and the hydrophobic down stayed warm, unlike the last down sleeping bag I had 30 years ago which was as effective as a teabag when wet. I got it quite cheap from one of the german sites (edit £180 for an XL from Bike24).

I also have a neutrino 400 for colder nights, but rarely need it outside winter.

Good bag is the one bit of kit I wont compromise on.

Oh and no reason a good down bag shouldnt last for years if not washed often and stored carefully. No guarantee that a 2nd hand bag hasnt been ruined by washing too many times. Avoid washing by using sleeping clothes and airing fully is as important as storing uncompressed somewhere dry.

I got a Cumulus dynamic recently, it's synthetic climashield apex and about half a kg. I bivvied in -11°C in it a week ago, with down jacket and pants. It was comfortable, for me at least.

Their Intense model looks great, what's the quality like?

Seems to be good.

The synthetics don't pack down to quite as small as down. The Dynamic's stuff sack is said to be 4.4l and that's pretty firm fit.

But that's the point. Who knows what some idiot has done before. The poster can afford a new bag, so it seems safer.

My older bag is beyond best, and i have cared for it. It does not loft like it used to and the temperature rating is not what is was now.

Yeah exactly. New bag not much more expensive either.

My oldest Rab bag is 7 years old so maybe its yet to degrade. I have only washed it once or twice though. One of the few times my congenital anosmia is a benefit!

Measure in nights or trips, not years. My MH is about 7 years also, but probably 200 nights, over 30 trips, some long ones. It's got wet a lot and been repacked wet. So it's been heavily used and in all honesty abused when out.

TBH I was looking second hand because I was uncomfortable paying for down, but if it's a liability I will just look at synthetic bags and deal with the weight.

It's a bit of a gamble. If the bag is clearly new or near new it will be fine, however if it's older then who knows.
So don't write it off, just buyer beware.

It's annoying because as with all male hobby gear, there is always going to be a bunch of stuff that people have bought and used twice, then sacked it off because they got into the new thing (not immune from this myself) so you know the bargains are out there, just tricky to pin them down. Will bear the above advice in mind and camp out the spots for a bit.

@skinny you got a recommendation for apex quilt? Just sold all my down stuff (nice and clean and well looked after) for something less hassle.

I bought a PHD bag then never used it because I raced with a bivvy only. :)

I still have a down bag from 20 years ago though that I use for tent camping where weight and pack size is less of an issue.

make your own. I bought all the stuff to make my own, but got sidetracked half way through. From here

Or astucas

Yeah that's the other thing that happens, people spend a fortune on male hobby gear then decide that they don't need it and can sleep in a bin bag for 20 minutes every 4 days.

Cool. I was leaning towards MYOG option too.

Spotted a UK company making them but not into the zippered toe box: https://valleyandpeak.co.uk/collections/sleeping/products/classic-quilt-standard

Yeah. If you can sew then do it. You can buy the stuff for around £60. Depending on choice of shell material.

I was sewing mine with a closed toe box, but I get cold feet from bad circulation.

Decathlon doing a combined bag n jacket combo for the ppl who are into that kind of thing. 180 pounds and 3 degrees rated.

If you can sew in a straightish line, and can measure and cut fabric, they are very easy to make. YouTubers backcountry banter and reptar hikes both have good videos.

I have to say that I think secondhand down bags are fine.

if it's been really hammered it might be 5ºC off it's temperature ratings, but it will also be 80% cheaper than a new one. I've had several ultralight sleeping bags/quilts secondhand for bargain prices off eBay and still have most of them

synthetic insulation degrades a lot quicker than down. so never buy second hand synthetic sleeping bags or jackets unless they've obviously hardly been used.

how bout this, 7º rated for less than 500g is pretty decent

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Western-Mountaineering-Down-EVERLITE-Sleeping-bag/254535361498?hash=item3b437d63da%3Ag%3AMooAAOSwzsleTCAv&LH_ItemCondition=3000