Longer answer: That Exped is Lauren’s. I prefer it to my NeoAir, but I’ve only spent one night on it. The feet hanging off the end is a bit off putting, but I got used to it. If nothing else was considered, I’d pick the Prolite Plus to sleep on, but considering weight/size, and the fact that it’s still pretty comfy, the NeoAir is good. The weight/size difference between the two is huge.
Nup.
RE: sleeping bags/quilts
We got 20F/-6C Revelation quilts and I found mine to be outstanding on our NZ trip just now. The biggest test they got was down to 0C at Mavora Lakes. I was just in undies and slept well, but I wasn’t super warm or anything. I’ve got a bit of a theory with 800+ down that maybe being naked kinda like keeps your warmth insulated by the down. Maybe it’s a stupid theory. I also have a theory that maybe it’d be good to get into the habit of sleeping under a lighter doona at home and kinda getting more used to not being super warm in bed.
Lauren didn’t sleep well that night cos she was cold. She had merino longs on, and ended up putting her big down jacket on (hers is 650 loft 900g excellent quality bright yellow CHCH custom made jobby) and was more comfortable then, enough to sleep. She wasn’t cinched in using the mat straps either, but was from then on.
Overall, I’m super impressed with these quilts and we both love them. They handled a fair bit of condensation dampness really well (we got the hydrophobic down) and they were warm. It’s quite remarkable when you get in them and it’s cold and after a couple of minutes you feel it warming up, like it’s got its own energy source. On the few warm nights, being a quilt, it just opens up like a blanket.
Before I bought I contacted Tim (AKA Enlightened Equipment) and told him what I wanted the quilt to do, and he told me what he thought was best. Maybe you should do that.
Pete, what’s the deal with the temp ratings on the Enlightened quilts? Is the rating the lowest bearable temp? I was thinking of getting a -1C, which would be good for 95% of the camping I plan to do, and relying on a liner and warm clothing for the 5% of times when it gets colder than -1C.
Is this is a good plan or should I get a -6C bag? I’m hesitant to get a -6C bag because I’m quite warm and hate waking up wet from sweat.
Thoughts please…
Dammit, I really wanted a EE revelation but left it too late. Won’t be able to get it before my trip. Onto search for a similar down bag that I can buy ‘off the shelf’.
My tent and mat should be here today which is exciting!
I’ve never taken these ratings to mean what they say across all bags. In a -1C bag at -1C you probably won’t die, but I doubt you’d sleep. -6C at 0C was good for me, but I wouldn’t want it to get much colder. I’d get at least that if I were you, probably exactly that. Tim might overstuff if you request it, but listen to his advice, if you go custom. And being a quilt, they’re easy to open up and regulate temp. I had a wicked unexplained sweat overnight in mine on our trip and woke up with a pretty heavy condensation like coating on top of the bag. Was warm the whole time and it dried out in a few minutes outside. Hydrophobic treated down yo.
I have been tossing up between a quilt and a sleeping bag for ages… the main reason I am going a quilt is because I simply can’t decide on a single sleeping bag. There is way too much choice and I can’t find too much information on sleeping bags re: packing down size. I know that the quilts pack down very small and that is a very big factor for me.
Specs wise:
· 800 Downtek for the water resistance
· -6C because Canberra get’s cold and I think having more heat is better than having less heat
· Regular length and width
· Orange inside and the 20D black exterior fabric for added toughness.
I’ve found this is key. wearing a beanie and even a neck warmer helps lots.
Bigadz - you need to take into account the rest of your sleeping set up too. are you in a bivy or small tent? or a larger 2man tent on your own or with someone else? how insulated is your mat.
I went with the -1c which keeps me very comfy to at least 3°c on a still night in my bivy… When temps are getting down I’ve got a s2s reactor which I carry on top of my thermals(which get worn in the mornings anyway) as a safety factor. Over summer when temps are 15-20°c+ I only take the liner to sleep in.
As comparison, the liner in thermals in my bivy is ok to about 10°c providing there is no wind, ad in wind or rain and forget being able to sleep.
Cheers
Going to get the -6C just to be safe. I guess opening it up if it’s hot should do the trick.
I’ll mostly be in a one-person bivvy, on a medium thickness/insulation mat.
I can only recommend what I have which is an outdoor research transcendent hoody. I picked mine up in Salt Lake City and used it for a month and a half in the coldest day to day conditions I have experienced. Loved it and would definitely buy another OR product based on this.
Here it is keeping me toasty in Yellowstone.
Now, back to sleeping bags. I am going to go with the -1 instead of the -6. I think most of my camping won’t be done in the dead of winter so I have factored that in.
^ I used a Patagonia down hoody whilst in the States + Tassie which was pretty good. Only complaint was that the bottom of the hood rubbed against my chin and was mildy uncomfortable during the first few days of wear.
Looks pretty similar to the one Ezy posted tbh… though there’s a ‘lightweight’ version for extra $$$
I went with the -1C (Long - wide with 800fp HyperDry water resistant down) to save a few grams over the -6. Will find out in under 6 weeks on the Mawson Trail if that was a mistake…
What’s the weight difference? Size difference? I suspect snot really that much. The -6 is tiny already. I’d rather have the bit of extra insulation ready to go whenever. Opening it up like a blanket works fine.
Patagonia Nano Air FTW.. Only problem is snot that windproof, but your raincoat should sort that out. You can buy my Macpac Supanova in green for $120 and I’ll get a Nano Air. Both of these jackets require layering when it’s cold.
Also pair those down hoody with a good merino base like the Icebreaker,
And like Pete said carry a shell and a thick snood and it should see you in a wide range of temps.
Uniqlo down jacket (w/out hood) is good. Been using mine for years now, layered it over a long sleeve merino thing in Nepal with a rain jacket over the top and was warm enough in -7ish.
I bivied out last night and was actually too warm for the first time in forever. Had a -1 sleeping bag, silk liner and alpkit kids mat, also had my down jacket and beanie but didn’t wear them.
Also, talking about Alpkit, how does everyone find their stuff? Their bikepacking gear is heaps cheaper than most of the competition, but how’s the quality? From the pictures, it doesn’t look as robust as Revelate, and their saddle bag doesn’t have the bungy cord on top for strapping/clipping stuff on top.
Been slowly working my way through this thread. Lots of good info.
Looking to get a new sleeping pad. Currently I own an REI pad I picked up in the states. Comes in at a reasonable 567g but pack size is a little big for my liking. Looking at the Nemo Astro Insulated Light which doesn’t save me much weight but is pretty well insulated for the size and weight and more so than my current pad
Also looking at the Exped Synmat UL7 which is 100g under the Nemo but packs a smidge larger and isn’t quite as warm.
Seems like a bunch of people here own and are happy with the Exped. Someone mentioned a Nemo pad earlier in the thread but didn’t say which one.
Mostly I’m just looking for a bit of feedback on both, but mostly the Nemo since there’s not as much info out on them.
