Hey Brave Dave and Brave Dave fans,
Me and the wifey have been having a debate about what sleeping kit we should get for our first wild camping trip in the lake district. So was wondering if you could help settle our debate.
We're both students so don't have all that much money to burn but are willing to spend a bit more on a one of cost like this as it will last us quite a lot of trips hopefully (including in the winter), but don't want to spend more than is needed.
She thinks we should fork out 50-60 quid per bag for 4 season bags, though they are also quite bulky and where we will be wild camping for a good part of a week we don't want too much bulk.
I think we should pop for significantly cheaper 30-40 quid range 3-4 season bags but also buy sleeping bag liners for another tenner.
What are your recommendations?
Also any recommendations on sleeping mats? self inflating vs roll vs none.
Thanks,
James
Me and the wifey have been having a debate about what sleeping kit we should get for our first wild camping trip in the lake district. So was wondering if you could help settle our debate.
We're both students so don't have all that much money to burn but are willing to spend a bit more on a one of cost like this as it will last us quite a lot of trips hopefully (including in the winter), but don't want to spend more than is needed.
She thinks we should fork out 50-60 quid per bag for 4 season bags, though they are also quite bulky and where we will be wild camping for a good part of a week we don't want too much bulk.
I think we should pop for significantly cheaper 30-40 quid range 3-4 season bags but also buy sleeping bag liners for another tenner.
What are your recommendations?
Also any recommendations on sleeping mats? self inflating vs roll vs none.
Thanks,
James
I realize this post was made last year but I thought I would try to address this.
I've tried many things to keep warm in colder climates, but not in the snow, I'm in Australia.
Getting a sleeping bag with all in one insulation is going to be a little bulky but probably necessary if you're going to extreme climates.
The one thing you will need is a decent matt. I have a Thermarest Pro-lite self inflating matt which roles up into a small bundle and weights around 0.5 kg . It's pretty light. They have other versions which are also worth considering.
As for sleeping bags, well they tend to weigh allot, so if you want warm, get a good quality Duck Down bag. They're very light and warm.
It's worth noting that these bags will reduce in warmth if they get wet so buy some NikWax to wash them in.. This adds bulk to the bag and waterproofs the down.
I have found that if I get something like a 0 degree bag or down to a -10 degree bag, and add one of these new hi tech space blankets made from polyethylene and foil, I can improve the warmth of the bag. A good combination is a 0 degree bag, the high tech space blanket, and something like a bivvy shell (light as possible) or even a light weight throw would do. This idea of layering not only saves you money but enables you to shead the layers if it's too warm. These things would go around the sleeping bag to shield it from the breeze, the bag provides the air gap, and the outer layer (bivy sack or light nylon shell) traps a little bit more warmth inside the sleep system. Insulation from the ground is vital though.
However, if you are in the cold snowy climates as Dave has displayed in several of his video's, you may need all of this and a warmer bag. I don't have allot of experience in the snow because I'm in Australia. But I have camped in climates well below zero and the above system works very well.
I've tried many things to keep warm in colder climates, but not in the snow, I'm in Australia.
Getting a sleeping bag with all in one insulation is going to be a little bulky but probably necessary if you're going to extreme climates.
The one thing you will need is a decent matt. I have a Thermarest Pro-lite self inflating matt which roles up into a small bundle and weights around 0.5 kg . It's pretty light. They have other versions which are also worth considering.
As for sleeping bags, well they tend to weigh allot, so if you want warm, get a good quality Duck Down bag. They're very light and warm.
It's worth noting that these bags will reduce in warmth if they get wet so buy some NikWax to wash them in.. This adds bulk to the bag and waterproofs the down.
I have found that if I get something like a 0 degree bag or down to a -10 degree bag, and add one of these new hi tech space blankets made from polyethylene and foil, I can improve the warmth of the bag. A good combination is a 0 degree bag, the high tech space blanket, and something like a bivvy shell (light as possible) or even a light weight throw would do. This idea of layering not only saves you money but enables you to shead the layers if it's too warm. These things would go around the sleeping bag to shield it from the breeze, the bag provides the air gap, and the outer layer (bivy sack or light nylon shell) traps a little bit more warmth inside the sleep system. Insulation from the ground is vital though.
However, if you are in the cold snowy climates as Dave has displayed in several of his video's, you may need all of this and a warmer bag. I don't have allot of experience in the snow because I'm in Australia. But I have camped in climates well below zero and the above system works very well.
Even though he'll probably not see this post I apologise to JJHartchess for not seeing his post until now, a year later.
That's a great answer from Danman. Wild camping kit depends on the climate and conditions you're expecting to sleep in. If was going out on in the middle of summer then I wouldn't pack a ton of heavy winter kit because that would just be silly. A 4-season bag for £60 is going to be bulky because you have to pay quite a bit more to get the lightweight warm bags. Bulky is fine for a normal camping trip but not if you're going to be hiking long distances with all your kit.
Ground insulation is the most important bit of sleeping kit. Even with a top quality bag, if you're not insulated from the ground then it'll just suck the heat right out of you. Uncomfortable in summer, deadly in winter. You can get ground mats that roll up into a little tin these days though I'm not sure how effective they are. I still have an old school foam roll mat. It attaches to the bottom of my bag so it doesn't matter that it's bulky although occasionally I forget it's there and get jammed when squeezing through a tight space. Haha.
That's a great answer from Danman. Wild camping kit depends on the climate and conditions you're expecting to sleep in. If was going out on in the middle of summer then I wouldn't pack a ton of heavy winter kit because that would just be silly. A 4-season bag for £60 is going to be bulky because you have to pay quite a bit more to get the lightweight warm bags. Bulky is fine for a normal camping trip but not if you're going to be hiking long distances with all your kit.
Ground insulation is the most important bit of sleeping kit. Even with a top quality bag, if you're not insulated from the ground then it'll just suck the heat right out of you. Uncomfortable in summer, deadly in winter. You can get ground mats that roll up into a little tin these days though I'm not sure how effective they are. I still have an old school foam roll mat. It attaches to the bottom of my bag so it doesn't matter that it's bulky although occasionally I forget it's there and get jammed when squeezing through a tight space. Haha.
