Choosing right sleeping bag

[joanna]

Thanks guys.
So, we bought a ursus -2 bag today, though we're not sure yet if we should keep it. when you look through the bag from the inside, you see that the down is not spread, or maybe it just looks like that to me. I am attaching the image of it.
It's 70/30 down/synthetic bag.
Is this ok for down bags?
http://imgur.com/ZgfL05M

It's difficult to assess the scale of your picture, but if you feel the down is more unevenly spread than it should be, it's probably due to its low quality (fill power 600). I'd surely prefer better than that. See my previous post.

 

[volodymyrp]

Joanna, thanks for the useful answer.

The reason why we bought the ursus model was that it is on sale for 1500 sek in xxl. This is within our budget, 3000 sek for two sleeping bags. That's why the 800 fill options do not fit there.
Also, our trip starts on Saturday next week, so it's risky to order by Internet now.

Do you think with this budget we should stick to the synthetic models then?

 

[joanna]

Joanna, thanks for the useful answer.

The reason why we bought the ursus model was that it is on sale for 1500 sek in xxl. This is within our budget, 3000 sek for two sleeping bags. That's why the 800 fill options do not fit there.
Also, our trip starts on Saturday next week, so it's risky to order by Internet now.
Do you think with this budget we should stick to the synthetic models then?

A difficult decision, when you know that you could get significantly more bang for your buck with just a little more time and money.
Having said that, your Haglöfs might be a good "plan B" option, but I have no personal experience of any version.
Why don't you just test your Ursus bags by sleeping outdoors some cold night? If you do it with some care, you'll still be able to return them, if they doesn't perform as expected.

Being in your shoes, I'd mail Cumulus anyway and ask for delivery time. You could even get your bags sent poste restante to a suitable post office on your way.
I got my own Cumulus LiteLine 400 sent to a Slovakian post office at the foot of Tatra within days, when I got into some logistic trobuble a couple of years ago.

 

[volodymyrp]

I have just mailed them, see what they answer.

I actually tried it on balcony yesterday, it was +14 outside and I tried it in just a cotton t-shirt and shorts, without socks.

I spent ~10 min in the bag. Is this enough to test?

I would say that it was definitely not too warm to me in that conditions. So, I can't even imagine what would it be like when it's +4 outside. The bag is -2 for men.

About the filling: I do not know how the down should look like. It does not seem to be uneven lofts, but just when you look through it, it seems that it's uneven.

Also, there was some cold going in through the zippers and there was some cold if I touched the floor through the bag instead of the mat.

Do you think it is a fair testing and something's wrong with the bag?

 

[seobserver]

10 minutes is not even level the Bag temperature. What was your ground insulation?

Joanna has led you in the right dirction.

go tur

 

[joanna]

(...) I actually tried it on balcony yesterday, it was +14 outside and I tried it in just a cotton t-shirt and shorts, without socks.
I spent ~10 min in the bag. Is this enough to test? (...)

Not at all. Sleep one whole night in it, it takes hours - if ever - before you+the bag reach a thermal "steady state" condition.

I would say that it was definitely not too warm to me in that conditions. So, I can't even imagine what would it be like when it's +4 outside. The bag is -2 for men.

A bit worrying, but the bag is partly down filled, so the range of comfort is wide. Also, the standard temperature rankings apply to a human body, dressed in some "functional" base layer (long sleeve top + leeggings)

About the filling: I do not know how the down should look like. It does not seem to be uneven lofts, but just when you look through it, it seems that it's uneven.

Took a look throug my LiteLine. It's "uneven", too, but on a very little scale, about 10-15 mm between the small darker spots.

Also, there was some cold going in through the zippers

Not good. There should be a protective, well filled flap along the zipper.

and there was some cold if I touched the floor through the bag instead of the mat.

Perfectly natural. Compressed down = hardly any insulation. That's why we need the insulating sleeping mats

 

[volodymyrp]

Joanna, thanks for answering my newbie questions, you really help much!

I read about the Lite Line 400 and it gets very nice review in the Internet.
I tried contacting Cumulus about delivery, but unfortunately they do not answer neither to my email nor by phone. Also I read that they do quite narrow mummy bags, which would not be quite comfortable for me. For example, I feel very uncomfortable in HelSport Alta due to the lack of space in it. Is it true that it is narrower than haglöfs or fjällräven?

So, seems that I have to stick to the "plan B".

I additionally bought 2 more bags for testing: Lupus +2 and Fjällräven Skule 3-seazon(for my wife, still being delivered). Both 1300-ish SEK, though lupus is on sale with startins price at 1800-ish.

I made a longer test with ursus and lupus, spending like an hour in each. It was 14 outside.
I fluffed ursus up and that changed it totally: It was so warm inside that I even become sweaty in just one hour. I had an open zipper and I was in base layer and wool socks.
I did the same test for lupus+2, it was slightly better, but still too warm.
Do you think it will be comfortable in +6-+10C with them?

Now I'm really in doubt which I should keep for myself.

Also, the lupus model weights less than the ursus one, due to the 4C temperature difference.

Can anyone compare an entry-level down/synthetic bag to a higher-middle-level synthetic one? Is it still better to buy a entry level down/synthetic?

 

[joanna]

(...) I made a longer test with ursus and lupus, spending like an hour in each. It was 14 outside.

I still think you should spend a whole night in each to really be able to choose.

I fluffed ursus up and that changed it totally

Perfectly natural. You have to fluff up your bag and wait for quite a while, to make it function as intended.
The lower down quality, the longer time will it take.

It was so warm inside that I even become sweaty in just one hour. I had an open zipper and I was in base layer and wool socks.
I did the same test for lupus+2, it was slightly better, but still too warm.
Do you think it will be comfortable in +6-+10C with them?

Hmm, you rather have to prepare for temperatures around freezing point (or even below).
Wait for the next cold front and do a full night test, preferably also in some windy place. It's hardly possible to get any wiser after the one-hout-tests in 14 degrees you've done.

Can anyone compare an entry-level down/synthetic bag to a higher-middle-level synthetic one? Is it still better to buy a entry level down/synthetic?

Spontaneously, I'd choose down/synthetic, but not below some decent down quality. 600 cuin may sound low, but is not necesarily too bad. Check if the down fluffs up in decent time and seems acceptably well spread.
But I hope somebody else, with more experience from synthetic bags, will give you a better advice.

 

[jaknudsen]

Hi @volodymyrp! Did you get a chance to use the Ursus -2 bag? What do you think of it?

 

[G.Kraft]

Kastar in en säck jag har erfarenhet av istället. Köpte nyligen två stycken Robens Caucasus 600. Fick båda för 2500kr när Outnorth hade superrea.

Testade dem på en kortare tur i Kiruna ganska nyligen.

De blev väl varma med understället på vilket inte var så konstigt då vi hade relativt varm temperatur men en del regn.
1220g 195cm -8/-2 comfort herr/dam

Pros
Kommer med en smart vattentätt packpåse
Bra lösning kring dragkjedja, både isolering och skydd mot att dragkedjan fastnar.
Grymt prisvärd dunsäck som känns välsydd
Skön krage och huva

Cons
Materialet på insidan är lättvikts och inte lika skönt att ligga i som klassisk insida. Känns dock som det andas väl.

/Gustav

 

[G.Kraft]

Sorry forgot about English

Just adding a tip of a bag in the same category I bought this summer and recently tried out.

Robens Caucasus 600. 2500 SEK for two bags (connectable) when Outnorth had a major sale.

We had relatively warm whether but wet and with high humidity. So the bag was to warm with a wool liner.

Specs 1220g, up to 195cm user length, -8/-2 men/women comf. temp.

Pros
Good waterproof bag included (delivered in big mesh bag for storage)
Good zipper solution, both isolation and preventing it from getting stuck
Overall quality and fillpower feels realy good
Neck and hood is comfy


Cons
Inside fabric is lightweight and not as comfy as a regular one, but feels like it ventilates well.

/Gustav