2 Person Sleep System for Bug Out Situation

[Frnc]

Also, make sure to note the width of the sleeping bag at shoulders, hips and feet. Last time I slept in one, I was 3 stone heavier and I found it a bit claustrophobic and annoying. Part of the reason I went for a half bag. Also I sleep hot. You probably want a zip that goes 3/4 of the way down. Personally I don't like having my feet trapped in a narrow bag, but for bugout purposes you can't be too fussy.

Totally! That's why I fancy the look of the BIG AGNES Torchlight UL 20 Down Sleeping Bag https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/tor ... eping-bag/ as it has expandable sides and a foot area-thingy. But as I think you've said before, it's quite heavy, at 1.025kg.

Actually, looking again, they have a "UL 30" which is a bit cheaper and weights in at 840g. Again I know it's not superlight but with a quoted Comfort Limit of -1C, that could be an option. https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/tor ... eping-bag/. £330 each though but ultimately I'd rather pay more for something I like than save £100 on something I'm not happy with.

(Edit: there are some cheaper prices on different web sites, so I could definitely save some £ (e.g. https://wildbounds.com/products/torchli ... xUQAvD_BwE is almost £100 cheaper each bag - as long as shipping isn't extra ). If I can work with 840g and a compressed size of 13x15cm, then might be the one!)

Buying a sleeping bag is hard! Who knew?!

The UL 20 is overkill, heavy, will take more space, expensive.

The UL 30 is more reasonable in weight (and therefore pack size), plenty warm enough, £25 cheaper, and another £65 off at that other site, definitely a good contender. The regular says shoulder girth 152-178cm. The one I mentioned I used last is only 80 across, ie 160 girth, no wonder it felt constrictive. Ah, I see, this one is expandable too, hence the measurement range.
Compared to mine
Mine shoulder 160, UL30 178
Mine hip 130, UL30 160
Mine foot 100, UL30 122
So yours is quite a bit bigger. Combined with a 10°lower comfort temp, the weight is pretty damn good. For comparison my cheap Berghaus synthetic is 9° comfort and 680g. I don't have it in my bugout setup unless going in a group.

Of course that extra width will affect pack volume a bit, check out the video at 3.24, will that fit in your bag? Imagine stuffing it all in the bottom. It should compress a bit more, hard to say how much. It does look pretty big to me EDIT, I THINK IT WILL GO A LOT SMALLER, SEE NEXT POST. My old down bag was a lot smaller (about half the length and half the diameter, so about 1/4 of the volume) but contrary to what I've been saying, I used to roll it up tight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efmccWbNmjg

They do a women's version as well I think.

Beware of ridicuously cheap prices at what looks like a bogus Big Agnes shop.

[Frnc]

On ULOG it says
Stuff sack size 19 x 38cm
Compressed bag size 13 x 15cm
There's a massive difference 19 x 38 = 10 litres
13 x 15 is 2 litres!
So this implies you can get it a hell of a lot smaller. If it goes to 13 dia x 15 wide, that is very small.

Big Agnes say
8" x 6.5" compressed size, which is fine.

[space.gamer]

The UL 30 will definitely be my option over the UL 20, if I go that way.

Of course that extra width will affect pack volume a bit, check out the video at 3.24, will that fit in your bag?

As I say, my bags should be arriving in the next hour, so I will play with similar size/weight items first and see how they fit.

They do a women's version as well I think.

Yeah, but from what I can see, they are actually the same. Also, I think I can pick up the men's version cheaper than the women's and on the basis that you can expand the sides (for wider hips), I'd probably go 2x men's anyway.

Beware of ridicuously cheap prices at what looks like a bogus Big Agnes shop.

Totally, but https://wildbounds.com/ looks legit. They aren't massive on Trustpilot but have a lot more reviews on Feefo (never heard of Feefo though).

[space.gamer]

On ULOG it says
Stuff sack size 19 x 38cm
Compressed bag size 13 x 15cm
There's a massive difference 19 x 38 = 10 litres
13 x 15 is 2 litres!
So this implies you can get it a hell of a lot smaller. If it goes to 13 dia x 15 wide, that is very small.

Big Agnes say
8" x 6.5" compressed size, which is fine.

Just tried out a Eurohike Adventurer 200 https://www.eurohike.co.uk/102298/10229 ... g-dark-red in my 5.11 Rush72 and I can get that in compressed. Eurohike quote a pack size of 37cm x 21 cm so if I can get that in, I should be able to get the Big Agnes UL 30 in even in a stuff sack - not that I would. So the quoted compressed size of 13 x 15cm is tiny in comparison.

(10 minutes later) OK, I took the plunge and got 2x UL 30. I'll wait for them to arrive before getting the rest of my bits.

[Frnc]

Awesome! You have way better sleeping bags than I do! And mine do add up, to about 670g. I have the Primaloft half bag plus a really cheapo camping blanket/quilt that is quite low volume even in it's own bag as that doesn't really compress it much. Partly the idea was to ditch the quilt if it was a short summer bugout.

In fact thinking about it, maybe Big Annes sell them in oversize bags so they don't get ruined in storage. This would make a lot of sense. That video should have shown the compressed, trail size. If they aren't really compressed in the bag they come in, you could maybe store them in them, but it might be better to use something else. I would research that and also see if it comes with instructions.

When actually bugging out you don't need a compression sack if it's at the bottom, and it's the last thing you need, so the bottom is the place to have it.

If you want an ultralight sack liner they have some here but they are expensive for plastic bags! https://www.treadlitegear.co.uk/10-x-72 ... -205-p.asp
A bin liner might be just as good.

Exped XXL Cyan 40 litres ultralight 44g is stronger but that's even dearer, £26

Osprey do some pack liner dry bags, Medium is
Weight: 102g
Volume: 50-70L
Maximum Dimensions (cm): 61 (l) x 33 (w) x 35 (d)

[Frnc]

Yes, don't buy everything at once. First bugout bag I bought soon got rejected (40 litres, too small)! Fortunately it made a perfect carry-on bag when I went to Japan. If I ever go away for a few days I take that.

My bugout system is a bit different to yours, because I plan to go on my mountain bike if possible, so some of my gear is in panniers. But if I have to go on foot it will fit in the Kelty, or my festival sack if long term.

I keep pretty much a full set of winter clothing on my bedroom door (insulated jacket, wind jacket, softshell trousers, hiking trousers, waterproof jacket, fleece), base layer in a bag on my wardrobe door. I use flat metal hooks that hook over the top and can take a lot of weight. I have a pair of boots in a box next to my bed. Ready to bug out in a few minutes. Also hanging up is things like map case with maps and compass.

[space.gamer]

Yeah, I'm starting to pack my bag and I'm quickly finding I need some small bags for my stuff. No issues there - I'll look for some now on Amazon, even if they turn out to be just some ZipLock bags.

[Rusty74]

vango are brilliant tents,i have the diablo 600 which we used to use for music festivals and iv always been a fan of ex army arctic sleeping bags,but weight to me is not an issue as i have no plans on bugging out

[Frnc]

vango are brilliant tents,i have the diablo 600 which we used to use for music festivals and iv always been a fan of ex army arctic sleeping bags,but weight to me is not an issue as i have no plans on bugging out

I wouldn't bug out unless I had to, but I like having a full bugout kit just in case. Plus, if I had to bug in long term, a lot of the gear and knowledge would still come in useful. Also I don't have vast amounts of storage space so I have to have compact gear.

Any surplus bugout gear goes into the bug-in gear, but it could be used to bug out if going with others. Eg a Trangia, too big for my solo bugout bag, fine for bug in or group bugout.

[Frnc]

Yeah, I'm starting to pack my bag and I'm quickly finding I need some small bags for my stuff. No issues there - I'll look for some now on Amazon, even if they turn out to be just some ZipLock bags.

Took me years to get my bugout gear together. Still tweaking it a little bit. I do a bit of a seasonal swap around in the autumn and spring, and try to keep track of things with expiry dates. Note that some first aid dressings have dates on them these days.

For reference, my solo winter bugout kit, if I was going for just a few days on foot, weighs 12.5 kg plus what I'm wearing, phone, and a couple of little extras (keys, wallet, main head torch, earphones, documents)