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Can anyone recommend a good sleeping bag?

H and I are going to volunteer in Namibia next July and I've been to southern Africa before and I know how cold it gets at night that time of year. When I went last time (before I met H) I was really unprepared for the night time temperatures and this time I want to be nice and toasty. My budget is pretty open - I'll pay for quality. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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Re: Can anyone recommend a good sleeping bag?

  • Are you sleeping outside?  How cold does it get?  Reason I ask is because there are tons of good sleeping bags out there but it depends on how warm you want to go.  I have a winter bag for my colder backpacking trips - 0 degrees - brand is Big Agnes - works well.  But they have them in -5 all the way to -30F I believe.  Of course, you can also get them on the other end of the scale if it does not get THAT cold.  REI has some pretty good bags, along w Marmot, Sierra Designs.
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  • I have 35 degree and 15 degree REI down mummy bags in the "Kilo" line, and have been pretty happy with them.  Though I didn't choose them because they were the best, I chose them because they were practically being given away on the REI outlet.  A lot of people will tell you that most bags are not comfortable down to the rated temperature, and I would agree.  I also sleep in a fleece jacket, fleece pants, and fleece hat/hood, a big silk travel sheet, and a small tent.  With all that stuff, I'm pretty comfortable in my 35 degree bag down to temperatures in the high 20s.  

     I take this layering approach for a couple reasons: (1) I backpack, so being able to wear the fleece around camp and then to bed is preferable to carrying the weight of the fleece and the weight on a heavier bag.  Not to mention the advantage of having all that fleece on if I have to get up and pee in the middle of the night.  And (2) I can't stand being too warm, so layering is good because I can remove layers if temperatures are not as cold as I expect.  Some people are happy as a clam in a 15 degree bag on a 30 degree night, but I am miserable.  

    On my last trip, a fellow travelor had a new bag that really impressed me.  It's this "spiral bound" thing that is supposed to really cling to you and move with you when you turn over or whatever during the night, without having those annoying cold air pockets.  Supposedly it solves the clostrophobic mummy bag problem by fitting like a glove and allowing movement by moving with you more like an article of clothing.  He seemed really happy with it.  Though certainly I'd hope so since he spent almost $500 on it.  I think it's not something they carry at REI, and I didn't recognize or remember the brand name, but I could find out for you if you were interested.  

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