With an 85km hiking trip on The Old Ghost Road planned for November I'm starting to get nervous about training and being fit enough to carry a pack with enough food for five days. And nervous about how much this pack is going to weigh.
With that on my mind, I splashed out on a new light-weight zipless sleeping bag. It's seriously has no zip and weighs in at only 800g - and warm enough for three seasons on the trail (i.e. any time, but winter).
I was so excited when it arrived that I tried it out at home that night and I loved it. Yes, sleeping bag on top of the bed covers... and I had a brilliant night. I've got the Sierra Designs bag shaped for women - and it is superb. Despite being a mummy shape I was able to sleep in all sorts of shapes and configurations.
The quilt-like top section opens out on one side and folds around your shoulder - and just like the advertising splurb, it stayed closed and snug despite a fair bit of tossing and turning to test it all out.
There is also a foot vent, accessible from underneath. It doesn't seem to let cold air in, but if you want to cool down a bit you can pop your feet out for variable temperature control.
I enjoyed the feel of the material on my skin, and had a warm and comfortable night.
That base section under the back has no fill, and the outside has a sleeve for a mat to fit in which creates a full bed system. It is an area where any fill would be squashed flat anyway and insulation would only come from the mat being used. I didn't notice anything missing using it on the bed, and assume the same will be true for the trust DoC mattresses in any mountain huts.
I can't wait to enjoy the comforts of this sleeping bag on the trail for only 800g worth of packing and carrying effort.
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