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Picking a sleeping bag for a 2-week trip is a difficult one; the time of year, where you are hiking, how changeable the weather is, and what altitude you are camping at, should all be taken into account when choosing what bag to take on a trip. May in Scotland is arguably the most unpredictable month, in the most unpredictable of places, it could snow, and it could also be a heat wave, …

What Size and Shape Sleeping Bag?The sleeping bag is a vital piece of kit in any camping set up but choosing one can be difficult. After you've decided on how much you want to spend, how cold you need it to be able to go down to and how much weight you're happy to carry there are still a lot of aspects to consider. Here we have tried to show some of the things you might want to consider in terms o …

The EN13537 Standard - EN13537 requires a thermal manikin test which produces four temperature results — upper limit, comfort, lower limit and extreme.These Interpret as:Upper Limit — the temperature at which a standard man can sleep without excessive perspiration. It is established with the hood and zippers open and with the arms outside of the bag.Comfort — the temperature at which a standard wo …

Rectangular versus Mummy shapes - Most sleeping bags you will see on our website are Mummy shaped, this is because a close-fitting bag will be warmer for a given weight because there is less volume of air to move around carrying heat away with it, and a close-fitting bag weighs less than other shapes because there is no waste of material.Some people feel too restricted by a mummy bag and would r …

Zips - Most sleeping bags are fitted with a full-length zip that runs the length of the bag almost to the foot. These zips usually have a slider at each end, allowing you to ventilate the bag from the foot end if it's too warm for the conditions. Some manufacturers make bags with zips on either the left or the right-hand side. A left-hand zip is by your left hand as you lie in the bag on your ba …

Criterion has two particularly lightweight ranges of sleeping bags of interest to backpackers, they are the Ultralight range and the Quantum range. The former uses 700 Fill Power down and the latter uses 870 Fill Power, therefore the Quantum range has the highest warmth to weight ratio of the two so is of most interest to us. Down Quality At 870 Fill Power Polish Goose down (in a r …

“The Lost Ranger 3N1 20° sleeping bag is part of our latest evolution of the Big Agnes Sleep System. This modular bag design offers just what you’d expect: three bag configurations in one simple, yet technical sleep system.” Combining sleeping bags has long been a choice of ours for a few reasons, including boosting the warmth of an older bag extending its use, or combining separat …

The Cloud 800 came to us not only with some unique stand-out features, but also accompanied with a range of awards. It’s certainly an interesting bag with the most obvious aspect being that it bridges the gap between a traditional mummy style sleeping bag and a quilt.

On paper the Marmot Phase has impressive stats, by using ultra-lightweight Quantum GL fabric and certified, responsibly sourced 850 Fill Power down it achieves a comfort rating of +6C and a comfort limit of -1C, this is at an overall weight of just 506grams or 539grams if you include the stuff sack. So, by deducting the weight of the down from the total the shell of the bag comes in a …

On first impressions the Nemo Riff 30 is certainly no ordinary bag. Once removed from its cotton storage bag it opens out and lofts easily with an appearance usually found with a sleeping blanket instead of a traditional mountain bag. Nemo claim the Riff 30 allows extra space for those who prefer to shift positions throughout the night and this is evident before getting into the bag.

The first point we need to raise for this review is that with receiving a prototype we can only write about the Ultra Mythic 180 in this current form. We would expect the final product to have slight differences in weight and design. Also, the EN temperature ratings are currently only estimates and taken using fill weight just below 180g.We had heard rumors that Rab were due to launch a new line o …

Here at Montbell, we want to match you with outdoor gear and apparel that will allow you to make adventure memories to last a lifetime! To help make that happen we’ve put together this guide to walk you through our diverse sleeping bag offerings and arm you with the knowledge necessary to pick a bag that’s going to meet your needs right off the bat. So…Step 1: Select your Temperature RangeMon …