Sleeping bags for cold winter temperatures

Hi there, although we are coming into the warmer season here in NZ I am interested in the specs to look for in a good quality sleeping bag for the coldest NZ outside winters. If anyone has their own experiences with the sleeping bags (plus whatever warmth-thermal accessories used) they have for cold camping nights please share so I know what to look out for and what to avoid. Thanks.

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TohungaPermalink Reply by Neil Clarke on September 19, 2013 at 18:28

Hi, for the cooler months I use a ex army down filled bag and a silk liner and have been very comfortable just under a tarp. The silk liner makes all the difference to a good nights sleep, if nothing else it stops me getting all screwed up the bag. The biggest down fall with down bags are they are not good when damp or worst wet. Unless in a tent or hut I will always use a bivvy bag just to keep the bag dry. Also when packing the bag out I will use a pack liner or dustbin bag to protect against the wet. When storing them its best to unpack them and hang in the wardrobe. Also mine weights considerably more than my fibre fill bag. As a rule my fibre fill bag plus liner will do me for three seasons in Hawkes Bay and the down bag for winter. I think these days unless your going well above the tree line there are a lot of fibre fill options out there that will serve you well. As regards comfort level everybody is different so don't go by just what the label says, all I can say is maybe try a friends bag a judge from there or just buy the warmest bag you can afford. Using the layer system works well to control your temperature, experiment with liners and thermals etc. If I was to look at a new bag I would certainly look at Domex bags. Hope this is of some help.