Bushwalk Australia

I'm in the process of setting up a kit for Tassie. This is going to be as light as I can possibly make it and still be safe and warm. So I'm looking at sleeping bags that are light weight, probably around the 700g or less if possible but have a good rating, not sure what I need for Tasmania conditions but I was looking at Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 20, about a -6.5 rating and just a smidgen over 700g.

All other suggestions would be great. My wife and I are starting to plan to move to Tassie and so this bag will get used a fair bit down there

Quilt...

My EE Revelation 20F is 619g, including 1oz overfill.

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On my first (summer time) trips I took a -5°C bag that weighed about 800g.

On the last three trips I took my home made down quilt, which weighs 530g.
The quilt doesn't have an official temperature rating but I'd guess it's close to 0°C.

So far, so good.

Thanks for the idea of a quilt, is a -6 warm enough for cold taste conditions

I have a Western Mountaineering Alpinlite that I use mainly for winter and shoulder seasons but it fits the bill, just a bit heavier.
The Ultralight model is the same just a bit skinners so lighter.
I think its a bit too warm for summer. Its hard to find a bag that will do all seasons in Tas.
I own a EE Prodigy synthetic quilt for summer use, 30F I think. Its great for warmer wetter walking typical of a longer summer walk in Tas where some rain is expected.

Personally I'd get two bags, if you're going to be hiking there in all seasons.
For winter I think you'll be struggling to get something as low as 700g, but if you're prepared to go to 1kg you could try this:
http://www.globewalker.com.au/down-slee ... 0-climber/
It's a Malachowski bag, they're made in Poland.
I also have one of these:
http://www.campsaver.com/plasma-15-slee ... g-900-down
Expensive, but a very nice bag and weighs around 870g.

I agree with that. For winter/summer you really want two bags. Or even three to cover the shoulder seasons optimally.

When I first started I could only afford one bag so I bought a -20°C down bag and just unzipped it in the summer. It weighed about 1.5kg. While I wouldn't happily sign up for carrying that bag in the summer now, at the time it seemed normal to me. I took that bag everywhere and used it in one form or another right up until the day it finally started to tear apart from all of the UV damage. Now I own 7 bags. :-)

or buy a bag that will cover you for three seasons and take extra warm clothing for winter to bolster the rating of the bag...

wayno wrote:or buy a bag that will cover you for three seasons and take extra warm clothing for winter to bolster the rating of the bag...

+1

This is how I treat my Rev 20F

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On several 10+ day summer trips I have experienced the full gamut from +40 deg to -5 deg & snow, often changing this much in a only a couple of days.
'Summer' walking in Tassie is 3-4 season walking, don't think otherwise.
This does make it hard to pick your kit; if only a fairly short trip you can generally make do & endure discomfort of cold &/or hot.

Having endured 6 days of solid (I mean non-stop pouring) rain through the Eastern Arthurs in early January a couple of years ago, including snow at Hanging Lake, I don't really skimp much any more.
I use a FF Lark, with 2 oz overfill & a custom Pertex Shield outer to battle the"creeping damp" associated with longer wet trips in SW Tassie (around 1150g, yes, heavyísh but it's a 3+ season bag & water resistant).
The ultra light outers just don't cut it IMHO, you either start to get damp from creeping damp or condensation; again, no biggie if only a short trip or you have a perfect forecast.

Have you considered a çombi bag like those offered (at a price) at PHD in the UK?:
http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/sleeping-bags?osCsid=1nhm0d0330s40fo6nh9mvvjsg0

Combi bags are a great idea, for wet Tassie tho a LW down inside a LW synthetic would tick a few more boxes for me
It is however a heavier for the same warmth; same goes for synthetic warm pants etc:

Another vote for the Western Mountaineering Alpinlite.

wildernesswanderer wrote:Thanks for the idea of a quilt, is a -6 warm enough for cold taste conditions

Yep, so long as you are sensible with the rest of your gear. I have a few FF bags and rate them highly, Hummingbird looks like a great option