One man tent and sleeping bag

cedrus

Hello everyone,
I am looking for two things and I would be very grateful to get some suggestions.

1) I need a good quality sleeping that can keep me warm in anything up to -20 Celcius (atleast -12 to -15).
Can I keep it to less than say 150$. If not, whats the best I can get for 150$?.
2) I need a good one man tent that I can pitch anywhere.
Can I keep it to less than 70$?

I can get it from US of A, if required. If I can get it here in India, better. As good as possible in this budget. Any advices?


I have another related question - How often do temperatures in Ladakh actually go down below say -25? (Like Drass say -57 celcius and so on). Any body has first hand experience? witnessed temperatures like -40 and so on while trekking?.

Thanks a lot.

Darmabum

www.stikage.com

I think they're in Delhi.

A bag for those temps will/might be hard to find for that money; not sure what you can find in India - and at what price - but here in the US of A a good down bag will cost you around twice that. As for tents, stikage might have some, for my money Northface tents have served me really well. I took one of their mountain tents (not free-standing) to Iceland with me. 100 mph (160 km/hr) winds had it shaking but I was one of the few tents that survived that storm.

__________________
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - Marianne Williamson

kmalik

For selecting outdoor gear in the US, I often consult the outside magazine gear section.

cedrus

Hi folks, thanks a lot.
Also, I am looking for people who have actually used it in those temperatures. Coz...all these ratings, particularly the ones in places like Stikage in India are horribly misleading and they find out only when they go camping.
Darmabum, Please do suggest which tent and sleeping bag you have. Even if it is above my budget I can still evaluate it.

Darmabum

cedrus - I've been camping for most of my 52 years, but in nothing like the temps you're talking about; I'm a three-season camper, so I can't be of much help with the bag. The tent, however, I would take anywhere, and trust it. It's Northface's 4-Season Mountain tent. Staked well and erected properly it really is bulletproof. In those 100 mph winds - that came off a glacier like a giant foot - the tent pressed almost flat in the gusts, but popped up every time. All around me people were screaming, tents blowing everywhere . . . if you're really expecting high winds I'd suggest a tent that is not free-standing. Look into tents by Mountain Hardware. I have a spring/summer tent by them and it is as equally wellmade and reliable as the Northface tents I've owned. And yes, temperature rating CAN be misleading/optimistic . . . stick with reliable companies such as Mountain Hardware or Northface, they've never led me astray.

cedrus

Thanks Darmabum. Looks like I really need to reduce my expectations from my budget. Actually, I am only expecting temperatures of upto say -12, -15 celcius. (I don't plan to put a tent in Drass in winters ) However, I wanted it to be a one time investment. So, just wanted to go for the best possible.

I guess, my budget is sort of fixed. So, I will just take the best I can get around that price. North face ain't for me, as of now. It costs a whopping lot.

kmalik

I'd somewhat echo Darmabum. The ratings of the sleeping bags are reliable only up to a point. Depending upon body metabolism etc. - your experience may vary. Even if the rating is correct when you buy, if you are a frequent user - the bag filling compresses and the effective rating declines. You can increase the effective rating for any bag by adding a sleeve inside. Then there is the fact that your tent and thermal underwear etc. also form the part of the protection system.

Like D says, for serious cold (and -20C is getting there), your budget projections are perhaps insufficient.

In the US, there are several good companies around. We have a Moss Big Dipper 4-seasons tent for the last 18 years and have been very happy with it. Don't know if Moss is still around or has been acquired by someone else. It used to be a premier tent manufacturer.

Darmabum

a lot of research, talking with other outdoors people, I've never been disappointed in buying the best I could afford (and maybe a little more ). That Northface tent I took to Iceland (in '92) is still in use. Cost me an arm and a leg back then, but it's still tickin' (while I've had friends go through five or six tents in that time) . . . When you're "out there" you don't want anything breakin' down . . . your life could depend on it; my life is worth is worth an arm and a leg (and maybe a little more )

cedrus

Looks like the prices really shoot up exponentially with temperature ratings. I have -5 celcius wenger sleeping bag for just 40 dollars and it lives up to the rating. I thought may be I can manage something fantastic at 170$.

vir

Though my camping experience is very limited. I always thought anything close to $150 should get me a really good sleeping bag.

See this for 5 Fahrenheit (-15 Celcius):

http://www.rei.com/product/747907

Some are below $100:
http://www.rei.com/Search.do?cat=450...ice%2 C199.99

camelgirl

Will this be a one-time adventure or do you plan on using these things for many years to come? If it's only for one trip, maybe you could look into renting the equipment you need. Also, check out places like ebay auctions. There probably are many people who bought expensive equipment and stopped using it or upgraded and are selling their old but good equipment.

cedrus

I definitely need a one man tent for July-Aug-Sept season in Ladakh, which I will be using very often for a long time.
As for the December/Jan time frame, its not in my plans now but
I would like to keep the option open (if my budget permits). Coz...every time I have ventured into new weather, I have got a new sleeping bag and I have 4 now.

So, I am just wondering if I should just go ahead spend on a fantastic one time investment, as D suggested.

Yeah, If I can't afford it I will probably stick to renting for the winter treks. May be a couple of years later, when I have a million dollars I will buy something for 1000$ and just go live with the penguins .

Darmabum

I was in Lhasa in February of '85 . . . really cold in Lhasa in February (when they came in to sweep the dirt floor of our room in the morning they poured water on the floor to keep the dust down; water froze in a minute or two) . . . was staying in a very basic Tibetan guest house . . . woven rope beds, one down blanket per bed. The Irish guy in the next bed went to bed fully dressed, from pants to parka, fully dressed; he was freezing. I slept naked. Had my Walkman on, and was singing . . . above the roar of Walkman I hear the Irish guy yelling at me . . . thought he didn't like my musical tastes (or voice) . . . he asked me if I was cold . . . I told him no . . . he asked me why . . . I told him because I believe, Believe, that if you sleep naked you stay warmer. One blanket and a Walkman. Singing!

Just curious too, what your plans are. Sounds like your planning on months. Just wanted to make sure that by a "one man tent" you mean what we in the US of A refer to a "two man tent". If you're gonna be out for that long you'll need the space. Again in a situation like that - if you do plan to stay out for a few months - keep in mind that tent material will eventually break down due to UV exposure (another reason for high quality), and in Ladakh that could be considerable. While I still Believe that sleeping naked does keep a person (at least me ) warmer, if my tent fails (is flapping in the breeze like a nylon prayer flag) it's gonna get real cold, real fast

cedrus

D : Current plans are like this - me and friend cycle (mountain bike) up to ladakh and then onward. We want to be self-sufficient, thats the protocol. He carries his stuff in his bike.I carry my stuff in mine.This is where the one man tent requirement starts. Its my job to get the tent and lots of things to consider.

In future, I would like to use this tent to make slight detours and explorations from small villages.

I shall definitely suggest your idea to my girl friend , if we camp out.

himadventures

Well, I am with darma for Northface.