The main driving factor for me when choosing a sleeping bag was the cost. I did not see the point in spending a fortune on an expedition style bag for what I saw as 12 nights use and maybe a few back home. I will also hold my hands up and say I did not really do any research on sleeping bags before going. All I knew was that I needed a 3/4 season bag capable of keeping me warm in temperatures of more than or equal to -15ºC.
The obvious initial advantage is the price tag, this bag cost me €20 from e Bay. It was actually an Irish company that I bought it from so delivery was free. The technical specs are as as follows:
- Weight: 1.6kg
- Material: 190T polyester, WP & Cire outer, T/C 88/64 lining, 2 x 150g/m2 warm hollow fibre filling
- Colour: Dark blue with stuff bag
Features:
- Comfortable and durable, lightweight, carry bag included, can be used in cold climate.
- Keeps in warmth, even in damp environment.
- Mummy style so extra protection for head, neck and shoulders.
- Anti-static build-up.
- Easy to compress.
- A high quality product at a competitive price.
Has I done some more research before going on trek I would have realised that a down filled sleeping bag rather than a synthetic bag like mine would be lighter, smaller but a lot more expensive. In hindsight if I was to go again I will bring a down filled bag for those reasons. My rucksack once packed was almost a third filled with my sleeping bag.
While on trek the bag performed very well. Never once did I feel cold whilst snugly wrapped up inside of it. It is easily wrapped up once you are packing it away again. One major benefit I found is that the bag can be thrown into the wash once you return unlike a down filled bag that cannot. It is a very easy bag to live with, once inside there are zips outside and inside making it tough to get stuck. The mummy style bag along with draw cord means you can almost completely seal yourself in on the really cold nights.
Overall I found this sleeping bag was ideal for what I wanted. I do not really go camping much at home so I will not have much use for it again, it is very affordable and for 12 nights in the Himalayas (all above 2600m) it never failed to keep me warm. Most people who brought down filled bags also brought silk liners to keep the inside of the bag clean and also for additional warmth. The fact that the bag is easily washed makes a big difference.
Rating 4 out of 5
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