wenger sleeping bag

cedrus

Hi all,
I am thinking of buying this sleeping bag.

http://www.nextag.com/Wenger-Logan-M...30/prices-html

Anybody heard or had good/bad experience of this company wenger?.

It claims a rating of -23 celcius. I would buy it if it can support upto say -10 or -12 celcius.

What is your opinion on this?. Should I go for it?. Its just 50$.

Do you think I could sleep comfortably with just my vest on (or naked) at -10 celcius in this?. After all, they claim -23 celcius.



(For this price, I feel its a much better long term investment for me than a north face one like - http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/...ubcategory=732)

What do you people think? Should I go for the wenger one?
Thanks

AvidTrekker

If its really rated till minus 23 deg Celcius, sleeping naked at minus ten should be alright.

You could check out reviews of this product elsewhere...

In India, minus 23 is only reached is some parts of Ladakh in winter... so, where do you intend using it? [just curious coz you have asked this question on an "India Travel Forum"]

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Nick-H

There's no way I'd take my clothes off in those temperatures, not even long enough to get into the bag <shiver>.

I guess it calls for the undress-in-the-bag technique.

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cedrus

Hi AT, This is the general thread I had started - One man tent and sleeping bag.
I started this one seperately coz.. I thought Wenger might be a popular brand that people might have used and would comment upon the brand. And the mods were nice enough to let me have a seperate thread for this.

Its a bag I want to be once for the next 5 years. Say, I do the chadar trek in Ladakh this time, which I have failed the last 3 years.

Kingfisher

Hi cedrus,

The advantage in buying 'specialist' brand tents and bags is in the sophistication of design and materials. Your information on the Wenger bag does not indicate either it's weight or size when packed -- this would not be of huge concern if you were travelling by car or had a porter but will surely be of importance if you are carrying the bag on back or bike. I believe Wenger products are more of the 'recreational' class and suspect that a bag with that rating would be somewhat bulky.

Keeping warm is important to a good sleep, of course, but there are other things to consider besides the loft of your sleeping bag. A suitable tent will help out, and I would highly recommend a Therm-a-rest (or equivalent) inflatable pad to insulate you from the ground.

AT raises another point with intended use and the need for that high a rating. If a rating of, say -5C, would be adequate for 90-95% of your intended use, then the extra bulk and weight of a -23C bag might be overkill as you could easily buy an inexpensive blanket or such to supplement the bag when needed (if thermal long-johns etc aren't adequate)

Good equipment is a sound investment for someone who enjoys travel and I would encourage you to check out some gear 'hands-on' in a specialized recreational equipment shop to get some ideas. I'm not sure of your location ('hill top' is not too helpful), but if you are from the US, then REI would be a good start; if Canada, then check Mountain Equipment Co-op -- you may have other good local equivalents. URLs below, and while both of these sites will give good product descriptions and details about weight and bulk, items like a tent and sleeping bag will be your long-term companions, so nothing beats checking things out in person.


http://rei.com/
http://www.mec.ca

cedrus

Hi Kingfisher, I would be spending this winter in ladakh, as AvidTrekker guessed. I am from India but plan to get the stuff from US.

Darmabum

especially considering you'll be biking, size DOES matter. There is no description of rolled size in the Wenger info, that'd be good to know. Really good to know. I don't know how much you'll be "out there" in Ladakh, as compared to being in villages; while in a village you can have access to blankets, to supplement your bag, should you need it. But while "out there" you're on your own, your ass will be - as 'they' say - on the line. 'They' also say, Shit happens; after years of being "out there" in many types of environments in many countries, shit happens to those both well prepared and ill-prepared, but definitely happens less to those well prepared. More money doesn't always assure more product, in fact with North Face you're paying not only for the sleeping bag but also their sponsorship of expeditions, etc. But, if it was my ass on the line, I'd find a way to get the North Face (or similarly well-made, well-recommended, well-tested in harsh environments) bag. It'll cost ya (as I mentioned in your earlier thread Re: your tent) "an arm and a leg", but it might just save your ass. Maybe think of selling one or four of your other four bags to sponsor the North Face

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cedrus

I found this wenger one weighs close to 6.5lbs. Also it is not -10 F. It is -- 10F. Thats -12 celcius.But apparently it lives up close to that -12 celcius rating.However, it is on the heavier side.

Ashutosh

A -23C sleeping bag is going to be pretty much unusable above -18C and below -30C or so. So your range of usage is really limited.

In general, good sleeping bag manufacturers build in a safety factor of a few degrees, so a -20C sleeping may actually be good enough until -25C.

However you shouldn't just go and buy a sleeping bag rated to the lowest possible temperature just because you don't like cold weather or you are looking for best value for money.

You should also factor in your body temperature factor - if you are the sweating kind, then excessive sweating inside the sleeping bag usually leads to additional problems like hypothermia.

I would reccomend you to stay within +/- 5C of the temperature you are likely to encounter.

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VSK Sharma

Hi,
Quite interesting to read all the replies. Well -10 deg C bag is good enough for the treks in India. Also during Chaddar Trek the temps are much lower and this bag alone may not server the purpose. Yes with fire in the cave the temp will be above the outside temp.
A friend of mine had bought a light 1 kg (approx)bag from IMF, Delhi and it served him good during Dec trek to Everest Base Camp.