Walkhighlands

Looking for a decent sleeping bag for the WHW. I've seen the OEX Fathom EV 300 which packs down small, weighs 1.05kg, is 3 season (comfortable at 1 degree) and I reckon I can get for about £40.

Can I do much better than that? For context, my tent is a NatureHike Star River 2 and I'm very happy with it - so happy to go for Chinese products like that.

booms wrote:Looking for a decent sleeping bag for the WHW. I've seen the OEX Fathom EV 300 which packs down small, weighs 1.05kg, is 3 season (comfortable at 1 degree) and I reckon I can get for about £40.

Can I do much better than that? For context, my tent is a NatureHike Star River 2 and I'm very happy with it - so happy to go for Chinese products like that.

I have the OEX Fathom EV400 and it is a good bag for a budget. Think it's about £50 now but there is no way it is a 4 season bag as claimed.

I wouldn't have thought you'll get much better than that at that price point. For context, Cotswold only have half a dozen 3 season bags under £100

The notable cheap Chinese brand for sleeping bags is AEGISMAX.

Some great prices and weights, certainly under 1kg if you want.

Marty_JG wrote:The notable cheap Chinese brand for sleeping bags is AEGISMAX.

Some great prices and weights, certainly under 1kg if you want.

I have one, and it's certainly good for 3 seasons (380 gm of 800 fill power goose down); it weighs about 725 gm, and packs down not much larger than a large tin (when it came through the post it was so small that I didn't recognise what it was!!!).

But it's down, and with no water-repellant down treatment, so you really need to keep it dry, and be really careful that it doesn't get damp in wet weather.

And of course, being down, you get negligible insulation from below, so you do need a sleeping mat. I use an Exped UL 3/4 length, which only weighs 200gm, and is very comfortable, even for a side sleeper.

I use and recommend a Snugpak Softie; a synthetic-fill three season bag. I got it for about £70 but that was a long time ago - it has lasted, well used since 1995! I see from the website that they have increased in price, but they are great quality and well suited to the Scottish weather. Natural down has no insulating proerties when wet - hollowfill synthetic insulation will still keep you warm when wet, and dries out quickly. It may be slightly heavier than down, but it's not exactly like carrying an anvil. The warm-when-wet issue means that synthetic fill is best in Scotland. https://www.snugpak.com/sleeping/sleeping-bags?p=3

I suspect the synthetic/down merits had less to to with Alba's weather and more to do with Caberfeidh's bladder.

What a calumny! And a pretty risk one too, I would have said....

Marty_JG wrote:I suspect the synthetic/down merits had less to to with Alba's weather and more to do with Caberfeidh's bladder.

Alteknacker wrote:What a calumny! And a pretty risk one too, I would have said....

Indeed, and I note he is in Glasgow, where the current Caberfeidh Towers loom in eldritch ruin above the River Kelvin (handy for disposal of dismembered corpses).