A really good episode guys. Very informative and helpful. It is great to combine the expertise of the manufacturer with the experience of the retailer's customer feedback. Soemwhere between sales hype and whining customers with unrealistic expectations lies the real evidence for making educated decisions on sleep systems.

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed the episode, Garry, thanks for your feedback. ~ Ben

Great episode. We learnt our lesson in the snowy mountains last year when it got to minus 7. We now own down sleeping bags and good quality self inflating mats. What a difference they make and money well spent.

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed the episode, Tony, a little understanding of a sleep system certainly makes for a warm sleep. ~ Ben

Really terrific. Thanks. I purchased, or should I say "invested in" a fabulous Mountain Designs -4 goose down sleeping bag back in the 1980s. Lofting properties amazing. Cost me over $800, a small fortune at the time. My Round the World airline ticket was just double it and that was in the days before cheap flights. Have really looked after it and always used a silk liner. Still as good as the day of purchase. I actually use it as a quilt in warmer weather and if really cold I sleep with it fully zipped and the draw cord pulled to just leave space for my mouth and actually find it best to sleep naked in such circumstances. I get warmer more quickly that way, than even if wearing thermals. If using as a quilt, fully unzipped and NOT worried about weight for hiking, I actually employ a single bed doona cover on it, just to protect it. It was in effect, my doona, when I lived in London. It has the box foot construction, with separate zips for the foot box and all the zippers are covered with a protective roll of down so heat does not escape, which is also fab. I keep it on a hanger in my wardrobe when not in use, so it can stay lofted. I am about to head to the NT, which will test it, given its age and have just decided to add a quilt I can then use as i summer hiking kit and save even more pack weight, having listened to this. My old 1980s 3/4 Thermarest superlight mat has just died on me, so am about to get a new mat, your Comfort Insulated one and indeed a down topped pillow. Pretty excited. Good gear lasts years and years and worth the extra bob, if you can afford it in the first place, especially when it comes to sleeping well and actually, protecting your life when it is truly cold. I experienced early stage hyperthermia in Scotland., when my bus from London arrived at 6.00 AM and nothing opened for accommodation or even shelter until 9.00 AM. It was minus 7, when we arrived in Glasgow. Not nice, ended up at the hospital. Headache from hell! Had there been somewhere dry and private to shelter, I would have stripped off and got into my sleeping bag, to prevent, but just too public a place. By the time I realised I was in trouble, warming up slowly again, became a much more demanding and complex task!

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here, Fiona, I agree that, when it comes to sleeping gear in particular, buying good gear is worth it. Sounds like you had a bit of a harrowing arrival in Scotland, glad you were ok. This does highlight the importance of maintaining body warmth rather than trying to warm up after you feel cold. I have a friend who, whenever we are camping together, says that 4 o'clock is thermal time, she disappears into her tent and reappears with thermals underneath her clothes, that way she maintains her warmth throughout the night rather than trying to warm up once she is feeling the cold. I've since followed this routine whenever I am winter camping, it makes for a much more pleasant evening around the fire. ~ Ben

@fionaludbrook8193

3 жыл бұрын

@@SnowysOutdoors Why National Express Buses don't leave from London an hour or two later, so facilities are actually open upon passenger arrival in the depths of winter is beyond me. Fine if you have someone to pick you up. Even the phones were inside the building at that hour of the morning. No mobiles back then. No taxis to escape with into the main part of town. Of course I had nothing to eat for the whole time I was on the long haul express bus. Hyperthemia sneaks up quickly and unexpectedly. I went from the warm of the bus to a freezing Glasgow morning by just getting off the bus. Fine if you had somewhere to go and a means of getting there. I was booked into the YHA, but it didn't open until 10.00 AM! I got there, finally by taxi just after 9,00 and a fellow hosteller got me to the hospital. I was very, very lucky!

@fionaludbrook8193

3 жыл бұрын

I also go for a brisk walk before bed, if camping in the cold, just to pump up my core temperature before getting into my sleeping bag!

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

@@fionaludbrook8193 good advice! ~ Ben

enjoyed this episode, I did want to say in my opinion that most people who are new to camping / backpacking should start with a synthetic bag, you can get some fairly packable bags for around $150 dollars, these bags may not take you deep into winter but your spending twice that much for a entry down bag of equivalent comfort rating. Also i think most people dont realize how you have to take care of a down bag with more attention. But unless your doing long miles or multi day hikes where weight become more important then i think your over looking some amazing synthetic bags. also i think a good topic would be the different synthetic fills from different brands, there seems to be a bunch of different types that each manufacture use and would be nice to know more about them than just lumping them into one category of all the same. kudos from North Carolina, USA

@SnowysOutdoors

2 жыл бұрын

Great advice thanks, Carravagio16, there are a lot of affordable synthetic bags for campers not delving into the coldest winter months, and synthetic technology has come a long way. Down still offers the best warmth to weight, but as you mention this is most paramount for lightweight adventurers. We'll make a note on the discussion about synthetic materials, we'd need to find an exert on the matter. Thanks for your comment. ~ Ben

That was fantastic! So much great info in that.

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Coralie. ~ Ben

Great episode. Really enjoyed it, Any info on pillow choice for cold camping? Thanks

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Shane. Regarding pillows for cold weather camping, these are by no means the cheapest pillow, but they do have down fill making them a cozy place to rest your head at night - www.snowys.com.au/aeros-down-pillow-regular. They are available in regular and Large sizes. Check our all out pillows here - www.snowys.com.au/sleeping-gear-accessories#?type=377. ~ Ben

2 minus 5 bags in a canvas swag got me thru yrs of working outback

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean both sleeping bags used at once, Drew? As in, one inside the other? ~ Ben

@drewwakelin7149

3 жыл бұрын

@@SnowysOutdoors depending on the weather...yes

Straight away onto there web site as soon as you make the point that there an Australian company.

@SnowysOutdoors

Жыл бұрын

Yep, an Aussie company selling their product internationally. ~ Ben

Guys , I may have misheard , did you mention sea to summit have a 3 way system ? Quilt & bag system ? Great discussion thanks ….

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bazza, glad you enjoyed it. The latest Sea To Summit bags have a feature called 'Quiltlock' which allows a quilt to be attached to the top of another Sea To Summit bag. This means you can create a really versatile and functional sleep system to cater for all seasons. So by 3 way, I guess I mean that there is a mat for insulation on the ground and a sleeping bag for warmth, then a quilt that either serves as a summer weight sleep option of for extra warmth in the depths of winter. ~ Ben

great video. what would you recomend for 4 year olds camping in an oztent on a 3 degree night. the sleeping bag is not rated the best at 5 degrees.

@SnowysOutdoors

3 жыл бұрын

You could try additional blankets over the top of the sleeping bag, Anthony, but short of that you might have to pick up a new bag ~ Lauren

@WS_00

3 жыл бұрын

@@SnowysOutdoors Hi Lauren, sorry I’m not trying to catch you out as so much of this advice can be subjective, but a section on your website states “Avoid adding extra blankets on top of your bedding as the weight will crush the filling, rendering it ineffective for trapping the air. Use them beneath you or under your mat instead.”. This was taken from www.snowys.com.au/blog/5-toasty-tips-to-make-your-sleeping-bag-warmer/ Thought I should point this out.

@SnowysOutdoors

2 жыл бұрын

@@WS_00 Apologies! I only just say this reply now when looking at a recent notification. This advice is primarily focused on down sleeping bags that require the feathers to fluff up and keep their loft to be effective. Some technical synthetic bags can be the same. I'm not suggesting you load up the bag with blankets, but a old fashion woollen blanket for example, will do the trick. We've got a few at home that are a few mm thick and not heavy enough to cause issues. Really appreciate you raising that though, because it is an important consideration depending on the circumstances. Hope that helps. ~ Lauren