When I got back yesterday I had two packages waiting for me. One was a bottle of MSR packsoap from Hendrik over at Hiking in Finland, thanks for that Hendrik. The other was my PHD sleeping bag that I ordered roughly a month ago. After I had my first bath after several days in the wilds I was soon in it testing it for size and comfort. It fits my 6 foot frame pretty much exactly and gives a nice snug fit without being too restrictive. What really impressed me was the amount it lofts, the 900 down appears to really do its job. Once out of its bag it grows and grows and grows! It’s amazing that such a light bag can be so fat. I was sad enough to weigh it with it coming in at 935 grammes with stuff sack, pretty light for a -15 c rated bag with a water resistant shell. I can be an outdoor shop customer from hell inspecting every seam and stitch of everything I buy (usually being pretty unimpressed by the poor construction of kit these days and often finding fault). However so far I have not found even so much as a loose thread. Lets hope that this is a down bag where the down actually stays inside the bag rather than making my tent look like I have been fighting poultry!
I now can’t wait to get out backpacking on a really cold night, a review will be forthcoming when it has been used in anger.
Just popped over to the PHD site to have a look. Saw the price. Gulp!…
By: Phil W on November 1, 2009
at 10:41 pm
Phil I have to admit that it is a bit of a heart stopper. I just hope that I now have a winter bag for life!
By: backpackingbongos on November 1, 2009
at 10:54 pm
PHD kit is the dogs danglies.
I have been tempted with getting one of the new 900down filled bags but have resisted so far.
I have a 800down Minimus and that gets used most of the year as my main bivvy sleeping bag of choice (its less “tangly” than the golite quilt when used in combo with a bivvy bag)
Lets hope you have plenty of chance to test it out this winter. Oh and I think that a -15Celcius bag should do you for the winter!
By: backpackbrewer on November 2, 2009
at 9:05 am
Serious kit!! I’ve got enough sleeping bags
By: blogpackinglight on November 2, 2009
at 7:22 pm
Would agree that PHD kit is superb. I have the Minimus and Minim 400 which are great for the use I need. The Hispar will be ideal for winter. What will you use at warmer times of the year?
By: Phil W on November 2, 2009
at 7:29 pm
Dave it really is the dogs bits! Hopefully it will do just right for the winter. I sleep cold so hopefully will be suitable for late Autumn through to spring. My old bag is rated to -12 celcius and I always felt cold in temps approaching freezing point, not sure if that is me, a dodgy rating system or the fact that most of the down is floating around my tent.
Robin, but have you covered every eventuality?
Phil, due to sleeping cold hopefully it will do me good for 6 months of the year. In summer will use my old ME Helium bag. I did think about the Minim bag but feel that I would be too cold in a -5 rated bag. My Helium is rated to -5 and i feel cold in it at +5 !
By: backpackingbongos on November 2, 2009
at 8:27 pm
can I ask a really dumb question re you sleeping cold? What mat are you using?
By: backpackbrewer on November 3, 2009
at 12:26 am
For the last few years I have used a Thermarest, firstly the original big heavy one, then the prolite and now the neoair (not yet used in winter and will probably use a foam mat underneath). Prior to that the classic Karrimat. Last week in a bothy it was in the teens at night and I was still comfy in a -12 bag (although I did need to take my socks off!).
I do take into account becoming hardened to the cold over the winter. If I camped next week at -2 c I would feel it much more than if I camped at -2 c in March. If you get my drift?
By: backpackingbongos on November 3, 2009
at 6:45 pm
I know exactly what you mean, you get used to the cold to a certain degree (no pun intended!)
I the coldest I have camped at is -7C in Feb in the Lake District at around 800m and on that occasion I had a PD400 bag on top on a Gossamer Gear Thinlight foam mat with a nightlight foam torso pad on the top end. I did wear my baselayers but was toasty all night. From that “metabolic barometer” I am assuming that if I use my Neoair short pad on top on my thinlight foam pad in the depths of winter, it will give me similar thermal performance but comfier. If you see my reasoning!
By: backpackbrewer on November 7, 2009
at 10:07 am
Awesome bag, and may you enjoy it for a long time. I can not recommend the NeoAir for cold temps. I feel cold on it already around 5°C, and last weekend, at -8°C it got seriously fricking cold (it was a combo of Z Lite + NeoAir). I’m going to get a Multimat, like Phil (Turner) just reviewed on his blog. Light, and hopefully warm!
By: Hendrik M on November 3, 2009
at 6:54 pm
Hendrik was the neoair cold even when used with the zlite? I assume you used the Z lite under the Neo air?. I will now go and check out Phils reveiw!
-8c wow, I have never camped in the uk below -7c and long may I hope that continues!
By: backpackingbongos on November 3, 2009
at 7:31 pm
Dave I hope that the Neoair works well with a foam mat, I will try it with my multimat.
By: backpackingbongos on November 7, 2009
at 12:27 pm
James, have you had a chance to try out the new Hispar on any cold nights? I’m very interested to hear how close you think it comes to its rated temperature. (Thinking about a 600 for myself, to be used in the Sierras and Rockies in winter).
By: Jim Sweeney on February 9, 2010
at 5:35 pm
Hi Jim. I have only used the Hispar down to 0C so not a real test! (I was very warm and comfy by the way). I sleep cold so buy sleeping bags rated much higher than the temperatures they are rated for. For example my last Mountain equipment bag was rated at -12C but would only keep me warm down to about -2C. However weather conditions in the uk are cold, damp and windy so may feel colder than it actually is. Hope to test the Hispar this weekend, temps will be around -4C and very windy, will let you know how the bag performs.
By: backpackingbongos on February 9, 2010
at 11:06 pm