UKH

Hi I'm looking for a sleeping bag for a summer alpine bivy of around 3000m ish I will be fully clothed in rab neutrino endurance down jacket and I'm going to invest in some down booties I will be inside either my hunka xl or a rab storm I have just got (not tested) on the look out for a neo air xtherm too maybe. The sleeping bag itself I will want to be as small as possible as I will be carrying it, do you think I could get away with a super light 2c bag or go into the -2c or lower range? And what specific bags do you reccomend. Cheers

In reply to tingle:
I just bought a Mountain Equipment Titan 425 wr for the same job if it helps.
It's a -2 bag. 425g of down. 1060grams total weight. £120
I would have bought the ME xero350 but way too expensive. I think there is a xero200 for sale on here in the premier ads.

Neoair Xlite is plenty warm enough. They use Xtherms on Everest you know
Use the 150grams you save to carry some protection for it, you'd end up doing the same with the xtherm.

With that said, we bivied at 3200m, I had a mat with a 1.3 Rvalue, a 5degree bag and still used my jacket as a pillow. And I sleep cold.

In reply to tingle:

PHD design your own would be an option. I own 3 of theres and the weight/quality/stats just seem to tip whatever else I've had in the past.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

I let a minim 400 k series slip out of my fingers on eBay this weekend. PhD I had my heart set on but the price is just too much at the moment, I have till next year to find a bargain though

In reply to zimpara:

Would you use that without a bivvy bag then? Yeah I had a look at the xero range and if I got one I would prefer warmer than a 200 then it might be double use as a U.K. Winter bag when I wanted to leave my heavy synthetic at home. Thanks for the advice on mats I was suspecting it might be a little big, were you on snow or rock when you bivvied?

In reply to tingle:

Yhm ref booties...

In reply to tingle:

If you're gonna take a neutrino, i'd take a light bag anyway.
Or take a much lighter jacket and a bigger bag.

A heavy jacket AND heavy bag in summer is way too much, you won't use it.

Coming from the guy who got a ME lightline jacket only to realise it's way to hot for anything other than sitting outside cooking in.

I used a montane prism and a 900g 5 degree synthetic bag for everything and never slept in jacket once. I wanted a lighter bag but this titan was a good deal.

It's an interesting topic normally, suprised there aren't more responses.

In reply to tingle:

You might consider a pied d'elephant.

In reply to planetmarshall:

Would be ideal, but where can one buy one of those now?

In reply to tjhare1:


Off the top of my head, Phd - not sure who else does them.

In reply to planetmarshall:
Patagucci have made a happy clappy gold plated one this season with suitable marketing gumpf that implies it's a new idea:

http://eu.patagonia.com/enGB/product/hybrid-sleeping-bag-regular?p=70070-0

Part of their High Alpine Kit range.

I think the only off the peg PHD one is part of their Marathon des Sables range.

In reply to tingle:

I've been pondering the same dilemma recently and had my heart set on a PhD Minim 400K, but then I found an American company called Nunatak. They do a range of down quilts which seem to fit the bill nicely and just win out in terms of weight.

https://nunatakusa.com/

I'm not far off ordering myself the Arc Lite for summer alpine and potential other uses.

In reply to galpinos:

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/alpine-ultra-down-half-sleeping-bag-pied-delepha...

In reply to planetmarshall:

I was sure last time I looked it wasn't there! No "story" and jazzy video with it though so I'm out......

In reply to planetmarshall:

it always just boils down to phd with this fast and light gear it seems

In reply to zimpara:

yeah bought it for my first alpine trip and only used it to sit on MB summit till my mates toes started to fall off then after about 30 seconds of walking it became unbearable, but i have invested therefore i am too tight to buy a different one! im thinking either a light phd or ME bag or a half bag as they are around half the price (obviously)

In reply to tingle:

I like the half bag route. Not ideal for my situation though.
good luck

In reply to tjhare1:

Might not be entirely relevant to this thread but it's worth mentioning that Alpkit make a budget "pied d'elephant" for only £75.

https://www.alpkit.com/products/point-5

In reply to tingle:

If you are wearing a good down jacket like that and using a bivi bag, I would have thought you could get away with a sleeping bag of round about 200g of down for a typical summer alpine bivi, 300g or 400g if you want to be sure of being comfortable, especially if bivouacing on snow or ice rather than rock. Obviously the more you carry in terms of down the safer if a storm comes in but against that, the more you carry the more chance of a second (unplanned) bivouac. For what it's worth, my own summer alpine bivi bag contains 150g of down but I accept this means I will be cold at times and if I get the weather wrong it could be dangerous.

Personally I would use a closed cell foam mat rather than an inflatable. They are bulkier though not especially heavy, but the main thing is you can't puncture them - a moment's carelessness with your crampons and a Neo Air and you will be assured of being very cold!

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

so if you were me would you go with a halfbag or the added comfort of a full bag

In reply to tingle:

If by a half bag you mean a pied d'elephant type thing, I'd go for a full bag as I find this lightweight down bag is just right when summer camping or kipping in hostels/club huts in winter - so you get a lot more usage out of it. Also, in combination with the jacket, it'll mean a double layer of down over your chest and back when biviing which will make you a lot warmer.

In reply to tingle:


I've used (and still do) a Pied d Elephan bag dozens of times over the years. Combined with a good down jacket - which should be a mandatory for alpine climbing - they work very well. I also often carry a pair of down booties too, for that extra snuggle factor

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

+1. This is good advice.

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

this seemed the most popular opinion so i have picked up a PHd minim 300 for £200 on sale. Thanks man