Sleeping bag recommendations...?

[mingle]

Hi,

Just looking for a suitable sleeping bag for yak camping...

I'd probably only be using it Spring/Summer/Autumn in Victoria, I'm 5'10", average build...

There seem to be some good deals on eBay, but there are so many choices I'm not sure where to start!

Are sleeping/camping mats also worth getting?

So any comments or recommendations would be great!

Cheers,

Mike.

[matcoburn]

Hi Mike,
blow your dough on a minus 5 rated bag or more....some nights especially on the NSW coast get those cold westerlies....freeze your knackers off. The other alternative is to shiver all night. This is a suprising method to lose weight...fairdinkum.
Heaps of self inflating mats on the market im sure they are all good. I have a cut down gym mat that is only 1 metre long to keep my upper torso warm.
See you out there one day mike

[TheFishinMusician]

Only tip i can give is.....
Synthetic will stay warm when wet,
Down will not.

And post a trip when you intend to go yak camping so we can all come!

[eric]

Even if you only get a 0c bag, you can get a liner to add a bit more warmth to it on cooler nights and still have a bag for warmer nights.

As for sleeping mats, I picked up a self-inflating full length from Snowgum a month or so back for $60. It packs small which I like.

[Feral]

Dont go for a bag that is "for yaks" it will be so small and narrow you'll be like a bug in a cocoon, unable to roll over or move about. I wont buy a bag thats not at least a metre wide.

[ArWeTherYet]

I have a Black Wolf -5 (I think its 220 micro thingies). Very light and compact, but no room to move and I'm fairly slim. I use a inflatable air mattress which is way more comfortable than a self inflater. I just carry a cheap propeller type pump and use my 12 volt battery, still pretty compact. Buy a cheap thermal blanket (tin foil blanket) and use it as a ground sheet under your mat, very effective in keeping you from getting cold.......oh and dont forget the rum, very good for helping you sleep on a cold night.

[kayaksportsmark]

On overnight kayaking trips I reckon the hammock is the go. Do a google search for hennessy hammocks basically a tent in the air. Add a sleeping bag and you're set.

[TheFishinMusician]

On overnight kayaking trips I reckon the hammock is the go. Do a google search for hennessy hammocks basically a tent in the air. Add a sleeping bag and you're set.

Yep, i would love one of those if i could guarantee hanging points everywhere i went, however i seem to be camping on treeless, or at best, scrubby beaches at the moment so a tent will have to do.
They do look mighty comfy though.

[kayaksportsmark]

Yep, i would love one of those if i could guarantee hanging points everywhere i went, however i seem to be camping on treeless, or at best, scrubby beaches at the moment so a tent will have to do.
They do look mighty comfy though.

A friend of mine has told me he used his on the ground like a tent, but I dont know how he did it. But definitely worth getting if you have trees around. Saves the extra weight of poles and sleeping mattress.

[TheFishinMusician]

A friend of mine has told me he used his on the ground like a tent,

Hmmm..... some more research needed here methinks. That would be handy. wonder how he keeps the "roof" up? Resistance to wind?? hmmmmm........starts googling.......

[paulo]

Try the Roman Palm series of sleeping bags. Close to smallest and lightest bags around and reasonably priced. I bought the +10 degrees (Palm1) as I would rarely need walmer in Qld. It weighs only 500gms and fits in your hand as the name suggests. I used it on the 7 day sail up the inside of Fraser Island last Nov and it worked a treat and fits in the yak nicely.
http://evosport.com.au/product.php?prod ... medium=cpc
Shop around as I think mine was only $50 at a camping store.

[LoboLoco]

It all depends on what warmth you want (ie. what temperatures you think you will be camping in)
I get fairly hot so I have a +7 and I had it half open all nights on my last trip (Lake Tyers) and the coldest temp would have been 4-5 deg. I have a black wolf and a snowgum brand sleeping bag and they are both good quality (both around $80-90)

Cheers

[padfoot]

Horses for courses again I'm afraid. You might like to pop into a shop and try a few out. The general idea is to find one that is as close to your body shape as possible but is comfortable. That will mean you hold in the most body heat. Some people find the mummy shape too constricting. I would also agree with the liner too. Keeps it clean(er) and warmer.

[Rose]

I bought one from Kitbag.com.au, based in West Australia. It's a military style bag, mummy shape, but it's the biggest sleeping bag I've had. Too big for me really, but I like it just the same. Fits my son, who is quite a big chap now that he's grown...he usually feels very constricted in a sleeping bag. It's flat filled, so there are no cold patches where quilting is stitched, and synthetic, so if it gets wet, it'll still keep you warm. It has a reinforced section at the bottom so you can sleep with your boots on, neat idea, but probably only necessary if you expect to find yourself under enemy fire during the night, and need to be ready to flee at a moment's notice.

I bought a polar fleece liner online from an English site, it's warm enough on its own in warm weather, and packs down very small, although its own bag is not particularly tiny. I just sqeeze it down into a small dry bag. For very cold weather, as a liner inside the sleeping bag, it's blissfully toasty. I've bought a few camping items from the UK, because they make things warmer over there, where even summer nights are nippy.

I always use a sleeping mat, it makes a big difference, as it prevents heat loss to the ground underneath. I got a fold-up one, I like the folded shape better for packing than a roll, but that's a personal choice.

[simonsrat]

Are sleeping/camping mats also worth getting?

YES! Nothing better than waking up refreshed for the next day of the adventure.

I bought a Roman Moon Mat - the largest one. After using a mates. It was the best night sleep I have had in a tent and the ground I camped on was very rough.



It fits in a dry bag and slips easily inside my yak. It was worth every cent. (about $180)

I have a light weight Mont Hot Wire sleeping bag which folds up to about a the size of two softballs and also a Black Wolf Verticle Limit which is about the size of a football. Both are down filled. They are good, but saying that so is my cheapy from Kmart ... but it does not fit in the Yak.

But I think it pays to shop around, ask heaps of questions and get the one suited to what you want to do within your price range.

No mater what make sure you have a quality dry bag / drum to keep it dry. You do not want to sleep in a wet bag .... either down or synthetic.

As a side note ... I washed my down bag and it took 2 days to dry. I was very surprised it took that long. In the end it was still damp so i put it in the drier so it would not go moldy.

Storing them out of their bag is also good and reduces the chances of mold growing.

Cheers,

steven