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sleeping bags
any suggestions.? Something on sale :bear_tongue:
I went to Dicks to look and got confused. do they really match the temperatures they have listed. Some looked way to flimsy to be for cold weather. Ill need a warm one and it doesn't have to be superlight. Im going to use it inside the hennessy hammock but not for back packing.. The mummy sleep bags looked like a tomb. I gather they are not for the claustrophobic.. Also for anyone who has used the hennessy in colder weather what type of padding or ground cloth do I need.. BTW, I found the hennessys on ebay complete with the snakes ands free shipping for $119.00 I think that's as good as it gets.. |
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Sounds like you are getting a great deal on the hammock, Avalon. You'll love it!
Two sections of an answer here...one on sleeping bags and one on staying warm in your HH. But before I get to that...a word of advice. If at all possible, don't rely on the guys at Dick's for advice on camping gear. They're nice enough, but they typically don't know much. If you have an REI or a local outfitter close to you, that would be your best bet for getting good and correct advice. First...on sleeping bags. For tent camping, I think they are typically rated pretty accurately. If you are doing cold weather camping, particularly, make sure to layer in natural fabrics, wear a hat, socks and mittens and you'll probably be snug as a bug in a rug. (Not a phrase I get to use every day!) My cold weather bag is a mummy rated down to -15F. I've not camped in -15F temps, but so far...so good. The coldest I have been down to with that bag is about +15 to +20F with no problems. I'm a bit claustrophobic in confined things like that, but the tradeoff of the warmth won out. Also, look for a women's bag, if possible. (Probably won't find it at Dick's or Walmart -- again, a good outfitter is your best bet.) They are cut to accommodate our curves and just a better fit all around. This is the first women's cut bag that I have ever had and after camping with it for the past year and a half I will never go back. There is a real difference -- at least in my opinion. Second...on the HH. The biggest question is...how cold is the coldest night time temp you expect to encounter while camping? Are you thinking of the HH for cold weather camping? Or for milder and summer temps only? I have had mine for a couple of seasons now and have tried various configurations to try to retain body heat in my HH as the weather gets colder. So far, I'm good down to only about 40F -- but still working on it. You won't need a ground cover with the HH since it is not on the ground, but you will need something between your bag and the cold air to insulate you and to keep you warm. I have tried both in-hammock and outside of hammock strategies and -- for me, anyway -- so far my best results have been with adding a layer of insulation on the bottom of the hammock on the outside. (In a pinch, your emergency blanket lashed to the outside of the hammock will work and you'll actually stay pretty warm.) I have tried a thermacore pad inside the hammock but because of the asymmetrical way it is designed it has not worked well for me. I have tried the emergency blanket inside the hammock, but there was too much condensation. The guy at my local outfitter said that there is a Canadian company (can't remember the name, but I will be asking him the next time I'm in the store, as cold weather will be here before we know it) that has designed a thermacore type pad specifically for a hammock. As soon as I have that info for you, I will be happy to PM you and share. So...for now, I only use my HH through the fall. I'm still thinking there has to be a better way that does not involve spending another $100+ to stay warm. When I invent it, I'll market it and be rich. Once you experience camping in a well-designed hammock, you'll dread the air mattress and sleeping on the ground. That's why I'm bound and determined to find a better way to stay warm. When that happens, I'll let you know. Enjoy! |
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I haven't seen a bona fide "4 season" prospector type sleeping bag for a while. I have an oldy from the 40's with wool liner, down filled, canvas shell. Heavy but warm. And you can actually turn around in it. I would suggest looking for something like that if you can garage sale/merchandise board.
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Took-a-look
http://www.customwoolenmills.com/country_yarn/index.htm Not what I mentioned above, but wool rules. |
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Actually, I had not seen those before... they look wonderful! |
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I've owned several 'mountaineering' bags, north face et al, and I don't like how resricting they are. Of course, they are designed for portability, but if that is not an issue go with a nice big comfy bag. I also find they never meet up to thier temp rating expectations.
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I used to do a lot of truck camping, about 10 weeks a year. The problem I encountered is that you can't find sleeping bags with a cotton shell and cotton liner anymore, now they are all polyester lined with Slick outer covering like nylon but some other material, real cold against your face. I have looked everywhere.
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I've been looking for a one man-two women sleeping bag for a while, but the clerks just give a jealous smirk every time I ask where they keep them.
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I've never found the temperature ratings to be accurate for me, but everyone is different, and I tend to get cold when I sleep. When I truck camp in the winter, I often just stick a 30-degree REI sleeping bag inside a 15-degree rated North Face sleeping bag, and it's perfect for me. Of course, I also sleep on top of a down mattress (meant for a regular bed) when I truck camp! I suspect most people would roast, but I find it just right. Lol!
And no, I don't live in Alaska... |
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The only sleeping bags for the survival minded. Machine washable after every use.
http://wiggys.com/category.cfm?category=6 I can't believe no one has mentioned Wiggys bags on this thread yet. |
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from what you guys are posting I think I will go with two sleeping bags.. I am very partial to down maybe down and wool inside another bag that is water repellent with a cloth underneath the hammock..
Some of those bags posted looked great but the price!!!!! I as thinking about spending Les then 50 dollars..:rofl: |
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And yeah they're pricey, but the right bag could mean the difference between life or death in extreme circumstances. |
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what about this inside of another bag that is water repellent..
http://cgi.ebay.com/Slumberjack-Meri...3286.m20.l1116 |
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US Army made a bag for evacuateing wounded in cold weather. A big cotton shelled down mummy, have some buds in the U.P. that swear by them.
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what about sleeping bag liners. I was reading the austrian boards and they all seem to use silk... What about silk , versus wool liners.
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Re: sleeping bags
hoot, Im going to make one.. Its easy as can be.. Ill check the prices on silk at the fabric shop today and let you know.. Im trying to be smart here. Right now I am just camping. Chances are good it will turn into back packing in the next year. If I need to spend more for a bag that would work for both I will..
The silk liner could be a big help. If I make my own I could make it double thick..Also I am a very restless sleeper. I get up a lot at night.. I toss and turn and my little pomeranian will be in the bag with me. I think i would go nuts with the restriction of some of those mummy bags.. Ill post the directions for the silk liner and let you know the total cost.. |
Re: sleeping bags
2 Attachment(s)
Homemade Silk Liner
Making a silk sleeping bag liner is a pretty straight forward project. Start by going to your local fabric store to buy some silk fabric. I found some at JoAnn Etc. There was a section with "Silk Solids" for about $2.99 per yard - 72" width. If you're a small to medium size person you can probably get by using a folded 72" width section of silk, otherwise you'll have to buy twice as much silk. Buy about 2 and 1/4 yards of silk, or more if you're taller. This should cost you about $7 to $8. Once you have bought the silk, fold it in half. With a chalk pencil or just a pen, mark out the desired shape and then pin it up for sewing. Using the sharpest cissors you can find, cut out your pattern. Then using some polyester thread (if available) sew two or three stitches into the edge of the cut. You should now have a nice silk bag. Turn the bag inside out to hide the stitch. Then if you want, sew back the top of the bag so the material doesn't unravel. The silk liner that I made for myself weighs about 4 oz. which is far less than the typical 6-7 oz. store bought silk sleeping bag liner and at a fraction of the cost! Plus, you can't beat the fact that I found some bright green silk! ;) |
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belle, doesn't henessy make a pad specifically to fit the hammock? Have you tried it?
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http://www.wenzelco.com/details.aspx?navID=332 Outer: Poly/cotton blend Liner: Cotton flannel |
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SlumberJack makes one with a cotton shell, and a cotton inner liner.
http://www.slumberjack.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=39 |
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Best sleeping bag I ever had was ex German army, the one with the arms on it, and you could unzip the bottom half to make it into a parka.
It's always cold when you wake up in the morning, so why not keep wearing the top half of your sleeping bag, and still be able to walk about until the fire is well lit and you have a coffee in you? It wasn't the lightest, and it wasn't the warmest compared to some of these - but I would swap my fancy sleeping bag for one in a second, if I could find one. |
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I bought my first real cold weather backpacking sleeping bag back in 1990 from this outfit:
http://www.featheredfriends.com/Pica...epingBags.html Glad to see they are still in buisness! Their sleeping bags are light, warm and expensive! I was always backpacking in sept/oct timeframe in the rockies and I wanted something very light and very warm. The bag that I got was called the Tern II and it was rated to -20 F. It has 700 fill down with a Goretex shell. They stopped offering Goretex shells quite a while back, not sure why though. With down though, you want something that will not get wet, because the down looses insulating ability (no loft). The coldest I have been out in it was -11 F in Yellowstone one morning and I was warm as could be. My biggest problem was mustering the ambition to get out of it that morning. I still have that sleeping bag and use it, but a lot less now. If it is freezing or higher temps, I cannot sleep in it at all because it is too hot. This is definately not for everybody due to the price, but for me at the time, weight to warmth was my biggest concern and I saved up for the best that I could find in the range I wanted. |
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get a Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends sleeping bag...and you will be pleased.
my personal favorite sleeping bag is a Western Mountaineering Ultralite weighing 2 pounds(the long model) rated at 20 F and compacts to about a football size... http://www.backcountrygear.com/catal...ail.cfm/WE2199 i find it to be an excellent all around bag and have spent many nights in it and whole-heartedly and unabashedly recommend it... ain't cheep though... <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="84%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD width="50%" height=56><TABLE height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD width="70%" bgColor=#ced0ac height=56>"Ultralite" </TD><TD></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=86 height=56>http://www.backcountrygear.com/images/westernlogo.jpg</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD align=middle width="40%" rowSpan=2>http://www.backcountrygear.com/image...nUltralite.jpg </TD><TD vAlign=top align=right width=96 rowSpan=2>http://www.backcountrygear.com/graphics/slbg_det_20.gif</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD width="50%" height=244> A solid 3 season bag without the weight. The Ultralite is a specialty bag that is ideal for those trips where space is at a premium, kayaking, cycling or fast peak bagging. Western has utilized it'sExtremeLite fabric to reduce the weight. Western's Ultralite bags are meant to be used by experienced people who are skilled in the care of their equipment. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> |
Re: sleeping bags
Avalon,
Check out Campmor. They carry numerous brands and usually have "last year" models at a decent discount. Their "hot buys" and internet specials are usually pretty good deals. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Home |
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http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___43146 http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___87570 http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80607 Also as I mentioned in an earlier post, some bags can be combined to make a double. These are usually rectangular, not mummy. You may have to ask a knowledgeable salesperson at the store to find this out. |
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