Sleeping systems - advise and insights form the community

Hey team,

oaky so I plan to do some winter hunting mainly on the NI, but I have been uninvited to a hunt in the CHCH backcountry as well so looking for a sleep system to cover both.

I know that the go-to for most is the Domex Halo series, and I am also considering the One Planet Cacoon and will need a wide sleeping mat as well.

Here's the kicker, I have trouble sleeping on thin mats, and need a decent pillow as well, getting on in age and need a comfortable system, the old carcass gets sore and I get really grumpy, also I like to sleep on my side with my knees bent and struggle to do this in traditional bags I find them really restrictive and end up tossing and turning all night.

After googling and doing heaps of research I have come across the Big Agnes wide Q- Core sleeping mat and the ZenBivy Ded 10Deg F which look like great alternatives and would work well for me.

My question is there anything else I need to consider, and can anyone suggest something similar I can get in NZ before I lay out the cash to import this combination from the US?

cheers in advance

Have a look at using a quilt.
I have an Enlightened Equipment one and really like it.
Packgeargo have them.
Have matched with a sea to summit mat.
Have used a sea to summit pillow for a awhile and they attach to mat.
I was a bit skeptical but it is good pillow stays in place.

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I bought macpac sleeping bag and drove back 30kms each way when realised I had bought std size and swapped for the extra large...and I had tried the std in store...dont regret for one second getting the larger bag.I can sleep COMFORTABLY with arms inside bag,sleep on side no worries,rolling over,no worries,if it gets too hot,open it up 3/4 of way and sleep like a log.
cheap warehouse liner goes well but if weight/volume isnt too big of issue a folded over single sheet sown down seem gives heaps more room and is awesome in hot conditions,also can fit entire deer inside to keep flies off..not much good for sleeping in for rest of trip but.
if camping by/from/close to vechille,take a camp stretcher.....and poofterpad mat.the good old closed cell foam ones,and if near a roofing iron/spouting place go and visit and see if can beg/buy/burgle a larger version,they use sheets of it the size of plywood sheet to wrap product for transport.Ive got two which are basically double the normal size of poofter pad and they are AWESOME,in small tent one covers 3/4 of footprint.

Bump , any other advise out there ?

I was in the same boat.

Picked up a regular wide big agnes ripide mat, next level in comfort compared to thermarest. Use a sea to summit pillow which is quite good. I went with a western mountaineering bag - Sycamore, nice and wide. Bloody thing is left zipper and I sleep with my right arm out but bag is a perfect 3 season option.

I have a halo and they are a nice roomy bag, not as warm as I'd like but small and light. I think the extra space doesn't help with the warmth.

Sea to summit pillows are brilliant.

Have a exped and thermarest mat, warm and light yes but uncomfortable. Waiting for the dog to pop one so I can try out a big agnes.

Firstly sleeping bags:
A little weight can be saved with the fabric, but in the end if you have 800 grams of down the fill will weigh 800 grams. There’s lots of marketing around various types, but I’m fairly sceptical. So longs as your comparisons are apples for apples. I’ve bought an exped most recently and it has a waterproof outer and down which is meant to be ok if it gets wet. Hopefully never have to test it. So you just have to choose a bag weight/warmth according to your needs.
My bag has a sleeve in the hood where you can put a puffer jacket/fleece as a pillow. Really good!.



Mats:
I’ve found (unfortunately) the older you get, the harder the ground becomes.
In my teens and 20’s sleep straight on the ground if I had to. Never had an issue.
Then I went to a 10mm closed cell foam pad, then to the early self inflating Thermarest. Luxury-for a while.
Then I hit my 40’s and my hips started showing signs of wear & tear, sleeping on my side on the old Thermarest felt like I was on glass. Hard to sleep.
Bought a Neo air, and later the Exped with down in it, about 70mm thick.
This is the best I’ve found if you sleep in your side.

In summary; depends on your age, side sleeper or back. A mate I hunt with is in his 60’s still sleeps on a closed cell foam mat, and the bastard sleeps well on it. I’ve lain awake at night for hours on my $400 mat while he’s slept soundly on his bloody $10 foam mat.

Look at the thickness of the mat fabric. Lightweight ones tend to hole easy . I run a Nemo brand. I like it. Nice and hard wearing. never heard of them but bought it from equip outdoors in Hamilton.
uI normally use a quilt because the dog sleeps in there too.

Sleeping mats...cant help you there. I just use a bit of polythene and a mat like anyone else in most outdoor situations?

Sleeping bags. I just use two of them / sometimes like Micky Duck has said. That is ideal to bring the temperature up.

Head wear. I bought a long woman's scarf at a garage sale and just wrap that around my head. Keeps my head warm, most time and keeps the annoying sandflies and mosquitoes at bay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Milan501

Hey team,

oaky so I plan to do some winter hunting mainly on the NI, but I have been uninvited to a hunt in the CHCH backcountry as well so looking for a sleep system to cover both.

I know that the go-to for most is the Domex Halo series, and I am also considering the One Planet Cacoon and will need a wide sleeping mat as well.

Here's the kicker, I have trouble sleeping on thin mats, and need a decent pillow as well, getting on in age and need a comfortable system, the old carcass gets sore and I get really grumpy, also I like to sleep on my side with my knees bent and struggle to do this in traditional bags I find them really restrictive and end up tossing and turning all night.

After googling and doing heaps of research I have come across the Big Agnes wide Q- Core sleeping mat and the ZenBivy Ded 10Deg F which look like great alternatives and would work well for me.

My question is there anything else I need to consider, and can anyone suggest something similar I can get in NZ before I lay out the cash to import this combination from the US?

cheers in advance

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the one thing I don't go without now is my light thermal blanket - put on top of light inflatable mattress - I cant sleep in a bag zipped up never have been able to so put blanket around feet and use sleeping bag more like a duvet - the blanket I have was designed as a hospital under blanket - does not let moisture thru - so ya sleep insulated from any cold from the ground - really good totally recommended

I've had a few bags now including a Halo but I now have one of these:

https://bootsandgear.com/index.php?r...product_id=410

Which I really highly recommend, great build quality, only weighs slightly more than the Halo and I very much doubt I would actually be able to get cold in any nz conditions in it, I like the centre Zip setup also. I see he has only just got a few back in stock, they are built in Ukraine so I would say supply has been difficult the past 12 months. A friend runs pest control crew and he supplies them to all his staff for the multi day stuff they do and they all get a hiding and holding up to it well.

As for mats, don't buy one of those super lightweight things they squeak and carry on and rip very easy. I've been running the same Thermarest Neoair venture for a few years now and it's plenty comfy and warm and it's still only a tiny bit heavier than the likes of the exped synmats but built way better by comparison. Play around with how much air you put in your mat it can make a big difference to comfort, some people just seem hell bent on blowing them up as much as possible but often it's not needed.

I dont get out on the hill much but should get a decent mat and smaller lighter bag one day

thanks team, some great insights here, are much appreciated.

I recently moved from a 25mm thermarest to an exped down mat. "Dura" line not the "ultra" range as the ultra line use a lighter range of fabrics. Ok if you had a long big carry for a one off trip.
Cant help re bags. I have an old fairydown/macpac, tapered rectangle down with an early "event" semi waterproof outer. Few years back when I started getting a cold chest back I sent it to twin needle who stripped the down, washed it, added a dwr or hydro phobic coating and added back in an extra 200gr of down.

So I would look for a bag that the down has been given a hydrophobic coating, helps drying in the event it gets wet. 90/10 down, at least 700 loft (measure of expansion/warmth). The weight of down is greater in a larger bag. So probably 700gr may cover you???
Add a silk liner in summer and a micro fiber insulating one if you plan on a really cold trip.
Z

Gone from sleeping on a blue rolled foam mat or tussok or bracken if it's warm and saving space to the cheapest thin self inflating thermarest...that was ok but took up a lot of room and still not very comfortable tho did insulate from ground.
Now gone to this.
Attachment 216769
Attachment 216770
It's been a game changer, so much thicker and comfortable, takes no time to blow up... decent insulation and most importantly for me packs up to virtually nothing compared to the old thermarest or roll of foam.
Still need to upgrade my old sleeping bag but undecided yet on what to get and if I can get past the gorse in my pockets.

One of the issues is as you get older you need a higher rated mat to keep warm.
Older hips and shoulders feel the cold.
The hiking forums have some interesting stuff on it.
I need the higher rating now, it is a bit heavier but worth it.

I've got the Katabatic Alsek quilt 22f (-5.6C) quilt, weighs around 660g.

Absolutely love it - been warm as all fuck. Fast dry when I had a tent malfunction and rain came through, does take some getting used to setting it up (straps attach to your sleeping matt).

Was about 600 - 700$ landed in NZ from memory.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZQLewis

I recently moved from a 25mm thermarest to an exped down mat. "Dura" line not the "ultra" range as the ultra line use a lighter range of fabrics. Ok if you had a long big carry for a one off trip.
Cant help re bags. I have an old fairydown/macpac, tapered rectangle down with an early "event" semi waterproof outer. Few years back when I started getting a cold chest back I sent it to twin needle who stripped the down, washed it, added a dwr or hydro phobic coating and added back in an extra 200gr of down.

So I would look for a bag that the down has been given a hydrophobic coating, helps drying in the event it gets wet. 90/10 down, at least 700 loft (measure of expansion/warmth). The weight of down is greater in a larger bag. So probably 700gr may cover you???
Add a silk liner in summer and a micro fiber insulating one if you plan on a really cold trip.
Z

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Out of interest mate - what was the cost all up to have that done by twin needle? I have an older fairy down that could be a good idea. Thanks!

These are about $100 from the surplus shop

CARINTHIA Defence 4

I have slept in mine in -23c and it was quite ok.

if you have an old down bag that is getting a bit thin in places,the down is clumping...chuck it in the dryer on cold wit htennis balls and CLEAN running shoes etc to beat it up as it tumbles..... basically you want to agitate the crap out of it to reloft the down... you can also karate chop the down around baffles to move it from clump into bare spots... the theory of circular baffles was to be able to move it around for different temperatures....

Joel, cant remember exactly but it was cheaper than a new bag. $300 ??
Real cause of the problem was the wife decided to wash my bag for me. Damaged some of the internal baffles.
Z

I use a thermarest Xtherm in wide as i generally roll around a bit & am a side sleeper, its bloody warm as its insulated & reflects your own body heat back to you. Weighs around 500gms i think and rolls up pretty small.
Before this i had an Exped synmat duo, almost like a small double mat but weighed somewhere around 800gms

I've had a really good run out of Macpac sleeping bags, I have an epic 800 that i've used for year but it is too bloody hot & i've only ever needed to zip it up twice in that time, generally use it as a duvet altho it's heavy at 1.7kg
Recently bought a firefly 400 and have used it a few times in the Kawekas (biv) & Ruahines (hut) weighs a touch under 800gms i think.

Sleeping bags - seems to be different manufacturers but very similar spec and very different pricing. We have 3 One Plants bags because every time I do the the pricing / spec comparison One Planet comes out on on top.
I personally use Southern Adventures in Invers as it is an independent store and is free to do really good pricing with permanent discount if you sign up for VIP card
Mats - I’m 56 and personally prefer the Sea to Summit style of mat. Never have an issue of sliding off and they have a pillow lock system that is simple but seems to work. Seems to be tough and quiet to sleep on.
It’s a pity you can’t trial mats particularly before you buy as this is the area where I have noticed with mates that we all have our preferences

Popped into Southern Adventures and took a photo of their display on the OP Cocoon
Photo is a little confusing but basically regular price on aerated circle with Sale price below on sale cardhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4620f225a7.jpg


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Milan501

Hey team,

oaky so I plan to do some winter hunting mainly on the NI, but I have been uninvited to a hunt in the CHCH backcountry as well so looking for a sleep system to cover both.

I know that the go-to for most is the Domex Halo series, and I am also considering the One Planet Cacoon and will need a wide sleeping mat as well.

Here's the kicker, I have trouble sleeping on thin mats, and need a decent pillow as well, getting on in age and need a comfortable system, the old carcass gets sore and I get really grumpy, also I like to sleep on my side with my knees bent and struggle to do this in traditional bags I find them really restrictive and end up tossing and turning all night.

After googling and doing heaps of research I have come across the Big Agnes wide Q- Core sleeping mat and the ZenBivy Ded 10Deg F which look like great alternatives and would work well for me.

My question is there anything else I need to consider, and can anyone suggest something similar I can get in NZ before I lay out the cash to import this combination from the US?

cheers in advance

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Kia ora mate- what did you end up with? I've been looking at Zenbiv too - other EE Revelation quilt.