Sleep system configurations

[BridlewayBimbler]

Evening all!



I wanted to draw from the vast wealth of experience and knowledge of this forum to find out if there was a suitable way I couid combine the items below to make a lighter modular sleep system and not die?!


I could probably just use my tent and the Snugpak Sleeper Lite I have, which is nice and warm. But the bag is 1.8kg, so weighs more than my tent (1.5kg) and is incredibly bulky so is a nightmare to carry on my bike!


Is there a way I can use the below items in conjunction with one another and to reduce my weight and bulk or will I die?!


Snugpak Sleeper Lite bag - about 1.8kg!
Snugpak Jungle Bag - about 890gm
Coccon Mountain Wanderer sleeping bag/liner - about 550gm
Wild Country polycotton bag liner - about 220gm
Alpkit Hunka bivvy - about 360gm
Alpkit Cloudcover Downtek quilt - about 400gm
OneWind Outdoors modular shelter kit = -silnylon tarp shelter 265gm+ bug tent 350gm+ silnylon tarp/footprint/groundsheet 270ish gm
Station 13 Backpacker tent-this is basically an improved version of the Geertop Blazer 1 man tent - about 1.5kg

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'd happen take a gamble on the jungle bag combined with the quilt and Hunka. In theory, that should cover most UK bases WITH a decent mat, without a properly insulated mat, then all bets are off.

I'd also go with the tarp as I'm too lazy to use a tent.

[BridlewayBimbler]

I'd happen take a gamble on the jungle bag combined with the quilt and Hunka. In theory, that should cover most UK bases WITH a decent mat, without a properly insulated mat, then all bets are off.

I'd also go with the tarp as I'm too lazy to use a tent.

Thanks I think my mat has about a 2 R rating? For reference, I'd be wearing thermal baselayers and socks - likely merino-and possibly even my Uniqlo Utralite downtek jacket if it was proper brass monkeys!

[BridlewayBimbler]

I'd happen take a gamble on the jungle bag combined with the quilt and Hunka. In theory, that should cover most UK bases WITH a decent mat, without a properly insulated mat, then all bets are off.

I'd also go with the tarp as I'm too lazy to use a tent.

Thanks I think my mat has about a 2 R rating? I akso have an ultralite -(70gm)foam mate that I could supplement the pad with.
For reference, I'd be wearing thermal baselayers and socks - likely merino-and possibly even my Uniqlo Utralite downtek jacket if it was proper brass monkeys!

[yourguitarhero]

I dunno what it is about those Alpkit Cloud Cover quilts, but they are sub standard. You're always cold.
Sell it and put the money towards a better one, or a down sleeping bag

[Bearbonesnorm]

and possibly even my Uniqlo Utralite downtek jacket if it was proper brass monkeys!

You'll get a greater benefit if rather than wearing it, you use it as a 'blanket' inside your sleeping bag.

[BridlewayBimbler]

I dunno what it is about those Alpkit Cloud Cover quilts, but they are sub standard. You're always cold.
Sell it and put the money towards a better one, or a down sleeping bag

Ah OK. I've always found it pretty warm for it's weight-but of course YMMV
Any down bags/quilts you recommend?

[BridlewayBimbler]

and possibly even my Uniqlo Utralite downtek jacket if it was proper brass monkeys!

You'll get a greater benefit if rather than wearing it, you use it as a 'blanket' inside your sleeping bag.

Never thought of that. What's the reasoning behind using it this way versus wearing it?

[whitestone]

Looking at the specs for the Jungle Bag it's rated at 7C comfort/ 2C limit. That's slightly better than a quilt like the Cumulus 150 (9C/4C) which I find is fine for UK summer usage but it's two and a half times the weight. (The next heavier Cumulus quilt, the 250, is rated at 4C/0C and is still only about half the weight of the Jungle Bag). Remember that all bag/quilt ratings assume you are wearing a base layer like you describe.

The R-values used for mats changed recently so it's a bit of a minefield. Assuming you mean the newer scale then an R-value of 2 is just a little lower than something like the Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite, this link https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/r-v ... ained-i206 reckons up to 2.0 is fine for summer, 2.0 - 4.5 being fine down to -10C or so.

With the above in mind I'd go with the Jungle Bag and your existing mat for summer along with the OneWind shelter (Dyad?) but I'd leave the footprint at home. I'd use the bugnet in summer and swap it out for the Hunka in the cooler months. You'd need to work out which of the other bags/liners works best with the Jungle bag for cooler weathers. At a guess the Cloudcover as an outer (but inside the Hunka) would work best.

Kit recommendations. There's a lot of love on here for Cumulus kit. They're a Polish outfit, prior to brexit they were really good value, maybe not so much now but still good kit. My main summer quilt is their 150 model https://cumulus.equipment/uk_en/quilts- ... t-150.html, again it's popular with folk on here. Then in winter I use it as an outer to a PHD Minimus 200 bag and that combo is good to around -6/-7C which unless you head to the Scottish mountains in winter is good enough for most UK conditions year round. My wife has the 350 quilt and that's good enough for year round UK use. I'm 1.80m tall and at the limit of the recommended sizing for their standard quilts but they do custom work for taller folk.

Just for an example, here's my summer bivy kit:

Cumulus 150 quilt
Exped Synmat Hyperlite mat (it's now the 3R model)
Borah Gear lightweight bivy bag
Trekkertent cuben fibre tarp with Bearbones carbon fiber pole. (or an SMD Gatewood with same pole)

Total weight about 1.4kg (1.5kg if using the Gatewood)

[Bearbonesnorm]

What's the reasoning behind using it this way versus wearing it?

If you wear it, you'll be rendering much of the insulation useless as you'll be crushing it.

[Lazarus]

Not if you are a side sleeper and won't the greater tightness to you make it warmer?

Only time I take it off is to use it , still zipped up, as a sleeping bag for my feet. It's only ever my feet that feel cold, even now sat in my house at a somewhat balmy 14 degrees.

As for the OP a SOL escape bivvy weighs less than both your liners ( SUB 200 G) and will likely be warmer and is theoretically ( I am not keen to test this) ok at 10 degrees on its own.

[Bearbonesnorm]

won't the greater tightness to you make it warmer?

That'll mainly depend how tight everything is. It could be that the outer material is crushing the insulation ... imagine what happens to the insulation within a sleeve if your arm's bent ... kind of thing.

[Lazarus]

Was assuming it traps warm.air better than a loose fit. Crushed certainly won't help

[jameso]

I've found a down gillet or thin jacket adds more warmth as an upper bag airspace filler / blanket collar kind of thing rather than wearing it inside the bag, to back up what Stuart's saying. Maybe it stops some of the warm air getting out as well as adding insulation.

[faustus]

I've got a jungle bag and I used it on a chilly night (about 5'C) wearing merino tip to toe, and it was good. That was inside a hooped bivi. Worth noting that snugpak temp rating are for inside a tent and it seems to be their own rating, not directly comparable to other brands who use the EN standard.

Sounds like the configurations already mentioned would work. I also have a heavy winter sleeping bag from snugpak, but i'd prefer to find a way to stuff it tight and carry it as I know it would be toasty. Unless you're happy to lay out some cash for another bag of course...

[riderdown]

Maybe it stops some of the warm air getting out as well as adding insulation.

I have never understood why lightweight bags don't come with a neck baffle, I'm sure there's a good reason

[ootini]

Only time I take it off is to use it , still zipped up, as a sleeping bag for my feet. It's only ever my feet that feel cold

I'm the same, upper body is usually pretty warm no matter what, but if my feet get cold, it ruins everything. Hence wrapping my down jacket around my "socked" feet at night.

[Lazarus]

Hence wrapping my down jacket around my "socked" feet at night.

Given ypungot the OMM bag what's its like as an extra layer (.ypu can buy just the footbox)

I do use booties but still.sometimes get cold feet (.deepest winter only )