Can you recommend a good, light, inexpensive sleeping bag?

[MaxKolbe]

Hi,

I'm starting from SJPdP in early September and hopefully finishing in SdC in early October. Could anyone please recommend a suitable, light, relatively inexpensive sleeping bag to take. If I can get it on the web, all the better.

I have my trusty boots and a suitable (35l) bag. I figure the sleeping bag is the next thing I need to get right.

I welcome any advice you may have.

Thanks!

 

[spursfan]

Your question is difficult to answer - light bags tend not to be inexpensive

The three possible solutions are heavy bag (c1kg), light bag (c500g) or silk liner (c150g)

Depends how much weight you want to carry, how much you can afford and how warm you feel you need to be

 

[Janeh]

On the recommendation of some experienced friends I have bought a "Roman" brand sleeping bag - the "Palm 1". It weights only half a kilo, rated at +10C (good for summer into autumn), is 210cm long, 75cm wide and can be totally unzipped to use more as a throw over blanket. Hope that is of some help. I am in australia and bought it from a camping store in Melbourne. Not sure where you are but you could try looking them up on the internet, cheers, Jane

 

[excitedwalker]

On the recommendation of some experienced friends I have bought a "Roman" brand sleeping bag - the "Palm 1". It weights only half a kilo, rated at +10C (good for summer into autumn), is 210cm long, 75cm wide and can be totally unzipped to use more as a throw over blanket. Hope that is of some help. I am in australia and bought it from a camping store in Melbourne. Not sure where you are but you could try looking them up on the internet, cheers, Jane

I was just wondering how much in AUD $ the "Palm 1" sleeping bag cost you?
thanks

 

[Janeh]

It was under $AU100 - I think it was about $85 but can't exactly remember.
I bought it from BackingPacking Lite, a company whose shop is off Hardware Lane in Melbourne if that helps. cheers, Jane

 

[excitedwalker]

Thanks Jane
I found a link to an Australian online seller of the Roman Palm Sleeping Bag Series

http://evosport.com.au/product.php?productid=16409

They seem good for there size, temp. rating and price.

 

[windeatt]

It looks good - I'm jealous. Presumably you can't get it outside Australia? For UK readers, I took a Snugpack Traveller which is a whole 250 grams heavier than the Roman Palm. But I was very happy with it - it was roomy and, with a silk liner inside, it kept me warm even in the dank, cold ancient buildings we slept in during the bad weather last May.

http://www.snugpak.com/index.php?MenuID ... ItemID=153

However I do envy the weight and small pack size of your Australian one.

 

[Chev.Jerry]

Max.
We did our Camino in September 2006, the weather was generally good, ocassionally wet, and brisk from time to time, and had a Hurricane to boot. Remember, you will be sleeping inside in a bed, on a mattress.
So we took fleece sleeping bag liners with silk sleep sacks. Every Alburge we stayed in had extra blankets, but neither my wife or I ever used them.
The fleece liner was about US $ 15, and was stated to be rated to 45F, and the silk sleep sack was US $ 55 and was to add up to 10 degree F to the bag.
Hope this helps, and have a good Camino.
Jerry

 

[sillydoll]

I agree with Jerry. I also walked end August to early October with just a silk sleeping bag liner. The only place that didn't have blankets was Roncesvalles but the albergue quickly warmed up with all the pilgrims sleeping in it! On the few cold nights I wore long trousers (made of tracksuiting) and a fleece pullover.
The Sea to Summit products are really good with silk liners in different sizes weighing under 5oz for a single and 9 oz for a double.
They also make a thermal liner and a Coolmax adaptor liner for hot/humid climates.

 

[notion900]

I bought a Mountain Hardwear 500g 2 season down bag. It cost £160 which nearly made me pass out at the time! As others point out above, really light bags are EXPENSIVE! At the time I was concerned about weight and my level of fitness, so I forced myself to spend the money and I now believe it to have been worth every penny. I used it on trips since, it now stinks of insect repellent from time in New Zealand, but it became like a nest to me. Mountain Hardwear products are excellent quality and will not let you down (if you pardon the pun).

 

[Rambler]

I just got back and used the Lafuma Extreme 600 +45F Sleeping Bag and loved it.
http://www.lafuma-boutique.com/sac-de-couchage-extreme-600-sarco,6292,254_268.html
It is 580 grams, very small and plenty warm. I actually slept with it mostly unzipped.
I got the long version from REI for US$39.95, which was cheap.
For the weight, and the price, I could not find a better deal. Plus you can wash it if it gets smelly and not worry about it being down.

Rambler

 

[MaxKolbe]

Thanks very much everyone for your helpful responses. In the end I went for the Lifeventure Sleeplight 750. It's 750g and packs away (in a compression bag thingy it comes with) to approx 10 inches by 6 inches (diameter). It was £36 at GoOutdoors in the UK.

http://www.lifeventure.co.uk/htm/sleepg ... g-bag.html

I'm happy with the purchase - good size and weight while not breaking the bank.

Thanks again.

Buen Camino!

 

[Artemisofephesus]

Would any of these be suitable for a November-December camino? I'm guessing that for a warmer one I'd have to go a little bit heavier, am I right?

~jo

 

[Caminamos]

Jo -

We too are doing the camino starting mid-November and just bought sleeping bags weighing about 1 kilo. Given that last time we did the camino we had two-kilo bags we're pretty happy with that! We chose the Pathfinder from Kathmandu (an Australian brand) - if you are in Australia they regularly have sales and these were just over $200 AUD at 60% off. The bag is a 2 degree bag and I think a minus 3 for men (men generally produce more body heat and therefore don't need as warm a sleeping bag!). We did our last camino in late Oct/early Nov and there were some pretty icy nights (the monastery at San Juan de Ortega comes to mind). I don't recall what the blanket situation was but I personally wouldn't rely on it. We still expect to carry about 7 kilos each and are sacrificing things like all but the most basic toiletries etc in order to keep our weight down. Good luck and buen camino We may see you there!

- Shevaun

 

[Rambler]

Lafuma Extreme 600 is US$35 at REI today!!

http://www.rei.com/product/767276?cm_re ... pecial+Buy

This is the bag I took last year on the Frances and I STRONGLY recommend. At this price it is hard to beat.

Rambler

 

[Anniesantiago]

I use a Marmot Pounder Plus and I love it.
I used it in Sept through November and it was sufficient.
It weighs 1.5 pounds.

 

[rosefield]

I want to order my bag on line. there is some brialliant information here - but apart from the Snugpack ( it seems grand - but is that bit heavier than the others ) i cant seem to find one I can order from the UK. I am in Ireland and I am travelling on 1st September so I want to make sure I get it on time. Can anyone help? Also I am in a bit of a dither about a rain jacket. Apart from the weight issue (which is very important to me as I am a bit of a weakling )I am very financially embarrassed at the moment - so I think I might just bring a Gortex Northface jacket I already have. YIts not the lightest but It might be that bit colder and wetter in September?

 

[andy.d]

I'll be using a Snugpack Jungle Bag which a friend kindly gave me on extended loan.
750g, packs to the size of a grapefruit, OK to 7 degrees (I'm taking a silk sheet sleeping bag too as I won't finish til early November).
It has a mosquito net.
They cost about £35 and you can mailorder from lots of sources in the UK

Andy