Sorry guys, you must get fed up of posts like this but I really would appreciate your input. I will soon have £200-£250 to spend on the following items. Sleeping bag, bivvy bag, warm jacket for apres ride and a sleep mat. They will only be used for bikepacking from spring to late autumn. Items that have grabbed my attention to date are Vango Venom 3 or 400 at £70 and £90, Alpkit Hunka at £30, Montane Fireball Smock at £80 (not sure about this, would a down jacket be better). As for sleep mats I have no idea having only experienced closed cell foam mats and a cheap and heavy self inflater. I think I would like a full length mat but am open to advice. After buying that lot and saving again I will be requiring some dry bags but again have no experience of them. I am leaving these till last so I know what size I need. Thanking you in advance and anticipation.

i'll leave the sales-talk to those who're way more experienced in these areas than me but.....i was recently in your position and, after much deliberation and research, i ended up going for:

- sleeping bag: Vango Venom 300

- bivi-bag: Alpkit Hunka (XL)

- mat: POE Peak Elite AC (2/3 length found online for only 49 quids)

i've only had limited testing of said items since purchase but so far i'm happy as larry!

i'm interested to see what you go for.

good luck choosing.

gairy.

The POE mats are excellent, I got a full-length Ether mat for about £30 last year and it's fantastic.
Bags are a big choice, I've not used the Vango bags but with the Alpkit Pipedreams coming back in, might be worth looking at them as well. They're not the cheapest, but my PD600 is 5 yearols and still one of the best bits of kit I've ever bought.

Jacket-wise, that's a while other can of worms. I have a Filet down vest, but at the moment I'm living in my old Montane Extreme smock - it may be heavier, but it's less risky to wear in the sog. I also have a Prism jacket that's lovely but could just do with a wee but more insulation: I'm contemplating the Flux as an upgrade...

http://www.sleepingbagshop.co.uk/produc ... g-mat.html

This might be an option for a mat Ray, obviously a compromise on weight but it should keep the cold at bay whatever the season. Another option is the AlpKit mats designed for kids (kippa?) I've seen them used by grown ups a few times, light and pack pretty small.

Down jacket ... how about this- http://shop.uniqlo.com/uk/goods/069089 Seem to be well regarded by those who have them.

Hi s8tannorm, I am liking the down jacket but the mats a little heavy as you say. I've seen a POE peak elite AC 2/3 for £46 delivered, is this a good price?

if you're looking for a 2/3's POE peak elite ac then isn't someone selling one in another thread (can't remember who or where - maybe someone can post a link to said thread???)?

here it is (in a thread appropriately named 'POE peak elite ac'):

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... read#p4335

Thanks gairym, have posted on the thread to see if it's still for sale.