PHD Ultralight Quilts, a missed Opportunity?

I bought a 2nd hand PHD Ultra Minim sleeping bag last year and have been really impressed with it, more so than my Minim 500 bag. The Ultra Minim uses 900 down and has neither zip nor shoulder baffle as you'd expect on such a lightweight bag but comes in at an unbeatable, as far as I'm aware 364g.

After using it a few times I wondered what they could achieve if instead of making it a sleeping bag they made it as a quilt or top bag. With no insulation on the bottom it would be lighter or if they retained the same fill weight it would be warmer.

I just received an e-mail from PHD with the heading "PHD launch 2 Ultralight Quilts" so I was pretty excited to see what was on offer. Looking at them they aren't what I imagined at all, rather than being quilts in the form usually associated with ultralight backpacking they're quilts in the regular use at home form. I'm not sure that they haven't missed an opportunity here to be honest although what the intended market is would dictate the form that the quilt takes.

As stand alone insulation the lightest of the 2 is heavier than the Minim Ultra and at this end of the market weight is probably more important than outright warmth. That said it may well be a useful way to upgrade a lightweight bag.

As far as I'd be concerned it's something of a missed opportunity but of course I may be missing the point, I'd be interested in the views of others.



How light and how compact could a Minim Ultra Quilt have been?

Lightweight Down Jacket, Uniqlo

I just received a new down jacket today, I hadn't actually intended buying any more down gear as I figured I was already sorted but I found this thanks to a post on Outdoors Magic. The reason I decided to go for it was cost/weight and intended use. I bought a PHD Minim Ultra sleeping bag earlier this year to use as a summer bag, it wasn't new as I simply couldn't have justified the cost but I've been using it since I got it. It's really light at 364g (advertised weight is 345g) and surprisingly warm although I always have the option of adding my PHD Ultra Down vest (150g) if needed. The only downside is that the vest has no sleeves (obviously) and what I really should have bought was the PHD Ultra Down Pullover or the Mont-Bell UL Down inner jacket. Unfortunately I'd already bought the vest.



Given that I wanted something lightweight as extra insulation to wear in camp or to upgrade my sleeping bag if required a 210g down jacket at £49 seemed worth a shot. The jacket is from Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo and is a very simple design, 2 zipped handwarmer pockets, 2 deep inside pockets, lycra bound cuffs and a stand-up collar.



The down is 640FP but there's no mention of whether thats US or EU, the down/feather ratio is 90/10 but theres no mention of fill weight, at 210g there won't be much, finally the shell has been treated to make it water repellant. I was very tempted to go for the green jacket but in the end decided on the more subdued grey.



There's no doubt that this jacket isn't even close to being in the same league as the 230g PHD Ultra Pullover with 900 EU fill power down or the 195g Mont-Bell UL down inner jacket with 800 (US?) fill power down, obviously you get what you pay for and if I'd had £200 odd to spend I'd have gone for the PHD.



The jacket packs down very small into the supplied stuff sack and could compress even further to half the packed size. I find the fit is good, I went for small as I'll probably only wear it over a baselayer or thin fleece but the sleeves are nice and long which is good in my case and it feels warm enough. I'm not sure whether I'd actually recommend it especially when talking about PHD and Mont-Bell although as summer only extra insulation I guess it should do the job, interestingly when I checked the price after mine had shipped it was back up to £59 although someone on Outdoors Magic mentioned that at one point it was on sale at £29 and at that price it really would be hard to pass up.

You can also get a hooded Parka version at the same price and a vest at £29

Goosefeet Down Socks

I had considered getting a pair of PHD down socks as I tend to suffer from cold feet but happened upon Goosefeet down socks thanks to a mention on Minimal Gear (see my Blog List)

Goosefeet are a cottage industry product from the USA but they ship abroad and accept Paypal. The socks use 800+ Fill Power down and while they recommend adding an extra 1/2 ounce to the XL size
they will also add it to any size of sock. In addition they also sell a water resistant outer over-boot made from Silnylon with a Dyneema X sole and incorporating a closed cell insole.

All the prices were in Dollars and the weights in ounces but after converting to Sterling/Grams they looked promising. Initially I was going to buy the Over-Socks as well but in the end decided to just get the Down Socks with an extra 1/2 oz of down as I needed a pair size Large (I wear size 43/44 so reasoned that I needed large as US sizes are smaller than UK sizes).



I eventually placed my order on 18th March and had a reply on the 19th informing me that they had been shipped and received the socks today. They cost £42.70 including shipping and weigh in at 75g including a stuff sack which weighs about 3g. That compares well with the PHD socks at 90g/£63.75 including postage.

The socks came loosely packed in a pre-pay stiff card box together with the stuff sack which to be honest looked like it would never be big enough. As it turned out the socks are easily stuffed into the stuff sack. The fit is perfect, not too loose and not too tight so the sizes given on the chart seem spot on. I tried them on briefly and they certainly feel warm and like anything made using good quality down seem to virtually inflate once removed from the stuff sack.

Obviously I can't make a direct comparison with other down socks but in the end it came down to simple economics. The service from Ben and Susan was first class as is the standard of workmanship, definitely well worth considering if you need a bit of extra insulation and want to support the cottage industry..

http://goosefeet.webs.com/

Golite Adrenaline 0°

Only recently I mentioned that everyone seemed to be getting ready to pack away the heavy winter gear in anticipation of spring and yet I find myself writing about the Golite Adrenaline 0° sleeping bag. It's a full winter bag with 880g of 800 Fill Power down so what has prompted me to write about it.

Well I looked at this bag on different occasions but for a variety of reason, not least the price I didn't buy it. It was originally selling at £325 but the last time I added it to a shortlist it was around £250 (currently £229) from Ultralight Outdoor Gear. Again I decided against it even though I felt it would be ideal for my needs. I'd read that it was a fairly narrow sleeping bag and while most considered that a disadvantage I felt that for me it would be a benefit, I also liked the idea of the center zip and the Pertex Endurance on the hood and foot would be a benefit if using a single skin tent.

I just happened to be checking out the Outdoors Magic forums and clicked on the Bargain Alert thread where someone had posted that The Outdoors Warehouse were having a sale with up to 50% off Golite gear including sleeping bags. I went to the website immediately and to my surprise the Golite Adrenaline was listed at £150. I thought about it for approximately 10 seconds and decided to order one knowing that I'd be unlikely to ever get a better opportunity.



The bag arrived within 2 days and I have to say it's very impressive, it's amazingly soft, lofts well and feels very thick and comfy. I tried it for size and yes it is quite narrow compared to my PHD Minim 500 but it wasn't at all uncomfortable even allowing for the fact that I was fully clothed.

The center zip works as well as expected (I had an army issue sleeping bag with a center zip so knew what to expect) and when fully zipped the hood is almost like that on a jacket and although there are draw-cords to tighten it further I doubt they'll be necessary.





The bag has a Trapezoidal box foot to allow plenty of room for your feet and the Pertex Endurance extends up to about mid calf height, from there up to just below chest level the down baffles run horizontally but change to vertical baffles over the chest. The hood, like the foot uses Pertex Endurance for water-resistance and breathability. The center zip has a baffles both inside and outside the zip and there's also a neck baffle.

It is as you'd expect quite bulky compared to my other bags, the heaviest of which is the PHD Minim 500 at 850g but then the Adrenaline has significantly more down. The stated weight was 1250g but mine weighs 1320g which isn't too far off the mark. It'll fit into a Sea to Summit 13L dry bag with room to spare although it does take some effort/time to expel all the air.

The only problem I can see is that I won't be able to try it properly for another 10 months or so as it's much too warm for temperatures above -5. I very much doubt if I'll get another bargain like that again but you never can tell, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time as they only had 2 in stock when I placed my order.



The technical specification of the bag is as follows;

6" baffles, differentially cut with 7" loft

Waterproof and Breathable Pertex Endurance at head and foot

Trapezoidal box foot

Baffled hood with drawcord

Insulated draft-tube in hood & zipper

50/50 distribution of insulation

Durable zippers with snag-proof draft tube stiffeners

Internal, insulated neck collar with elastic drawcord

880g of 800 fill power down

Rating, -18° (EN 13537 -12°)

The Adrenaline range has been updated for 2010 and are now named as Adrenaline 3 Season, Adrenaline 4 season etc rather than named/classed by temperature rating in °F. The equivalent bag is now known as the Adrenaline 4 Season with the same quantity/Fill Power of down (880g/800 FP) with a stated weight of 1350g now using Pertex Shield rather than Endurance and retails at around £300.

Alpkit Pipedream 200, Pied d'Éléphant

I mentioned a few days ago that I was expecting delivery of an alternative to a regular sleeping bag and that it wasn't a quilt, well it arrived yesterday and what it is, is a Pied d'Elephant. Just in case you don't know what that is it's the bottom half of a sleeping bag, the idea being that you use a duvet jacket to make up the top half.

If I remember correctly the first place I saw a Pied d'Elephant mentioned was in the book 'I Choose to Climb' by Chris Bonnington and searching for such a thing about a year ago was how I found Alpkit. I'm not sure why they never featured in any mail order catalogue I ever had, I guess there simply wasn't any demand but I assume they must still be popular in Europe. I learned only today that OMM made one so there you go.

So why did I decide to give it a try? well one reason is that I wanted to see if I could reduce my pack weight, I always carry some form of insulated jacket or vest, in summer a PHD Ultra vest, for colder weather either an ME Xero or an Alpkit Filo. It seemed logical to make more use of them than simply as an extra layer when sitting around and in the process I could potentially halve the weight of my sleeping bag. The other attraction was that I could cook with both arms free while still retaining warmth, I was sold on the idea thanks to a bivvy just over 1 year ago when I used a German Army sleeping bag that had sleeves and a waterproof cover also with sleeves. I was fairly confidant that if I could sleep out in temperatures just below freezing in a thin quilted synthetic bag under a poncho (albeit fully clothed) then I'd manage ok in a down filled version using a bivvy bag under the fly of my tent.

Of course I toyed with the idea but kept putting if off until last week when I decided to bite the bullet and order one.

The Alpkit Pipedream 200 has as you'd expect 200g of 750EU fill Chinese Goose down, thats roughly the same as a full length bag with 400g. My 'summer' bag is the ME Xero 250 with 250g of 700EU down and my other bag is a PHD Minim 500 with 500g of 800EU down so the PD200 has approximately double the loft of the ME Xero and a bit less than the Minim 500. The PD200 weighs 488g in a 4L Sea to Summit Ultrasil Dry Bag, the Xero 250 weighs 640g without a bag and the PHD weighs 850g again without a bag.



PD200 c/w Trekmates Bivvy Bag and Millets Closed Cell Foam Mat

The PD200 is a nicely finished bag and the down feels similar to that of the ME Xero but not as soft as the Minim 500. There's a zip running across the end where your feet are but there's no baffle which I was slightly concerned about. The top half is simply a thin vest affair with a zip and there's an elastic drawcord at or around waist level. The construction is different to the other 2 bags, instead of full width channels running across the bag it has a center section of horizontal baffles with vertical channels running down each side, the construction is the same back and front but whether the channels are closed to prevent down migration or not I couldn't say. The bag came supplied with a large storage sack, a small stuff sack and a compression stuff sack but I've opted to use a 4L Sea to Summit Ultrasil drybag which only weighs 29g. The bag lofted up nicely once unpacked and everything I've seen so far would encourage me to buy a regular Pipedream, the PD800 looking good as a winter bag and at a very good price.



Foot Zip without Baffle, The Channel Construction can just be seen

The proof of the pudding is the eating and I wanted to try it out as soon as possible so set up the Phreeranger Fly/Footprint yesterday evening. The Fly I'm using isn't my best one and obviously needs the seams re-sealed but I was going to use the previously tried Trekmates bivvy so a few drips weren't going to be an issue. I could have chosen a Self Inflate mat but in order to test the PD 200 I used a Millets (Eurohike) 4 season CCF mat.



With the Fly pitched and sleeping mat sorted I had to decide on which jacket to use. At this time of year I'd be using either the ME Xero duvet jacket or the Alpkit Filo but decided to risk using the PHD Ultra Vest with the option of swapping to the Xero jacket if I was feeling too cold. The temperature at midnight was around +5 deg but it was raining and there was a creeping dampness that always makes me feel colder. I settled in, initially wearing only a fleece and thin synthetic base layer with my lower half in the PD 200. I made something warm to eat and drink and was pleasantly surprised by how warm my legs and feet were. Once I'd finished eating I removed the fleece and put on the Ultra vest and settled down for the night. Unfortunately or should that be predictably the down vest wasn't enough, my body was ok but with only a baselayer between my arms and the bivvy bag I began to feel uncomfortable. I could have added the fleece but instead switched the Ultra vest for the Xero jacket. The Xero jacket doesn't have a hood but I wore a hat and in addition wore a pair of fleece gloves. With the Xero on I soon returned to a comfortable temperature although my lower half was comfortably warm at all times and the lack of a baffle on the foot zip didn't have a detrimental effect. The wind picked up and shortly after the rain stopped and the sky must have cleared as the temperature had dropped down to +2 deg when I awoke feeling hungry at 6.30am. This was my opportunity to really benefit from what is effectively a sleeping bag with sleeves, the stove was fueled, the pot filled and a hot mug of drinking chocolate was steaming away without any draft inducing contortions caused by trying to get arms out of a sleeping bag.



I wore the PD 200 vest part over my jacket, that way I can ditch the sleeping bag without taking my jacket off.

I decided to open the porch door and tied it back before settling back down for another kip but by this time people were setting off for work, next door the oil heating switched on (most annoying) and I only dozed until about 8.30 when I decided to pack it up.




The verdict then, well it worked, with a jacket I was fine, the PD200 worked a treat as did the Trekmates bivvy and I certainly like having the use of my arms. Like for like I suspect it's not going to be as warm as a regular sleeping bag for a variety of reasons not least because the jackets are all stitch-through, against that it's a closer fit. In the event that the temperature had dropped further and I had to use what was available I could have added my fleece. There is some weight/space saving although it isn't much, only 200g over the Xero 250 but again it's warmer than the Xero 250, there's about 400g between the PD 200 and PHD Minim 500, the Minim should be warmer but some of the benefit is lost for me as it's really too big, I'd be better with a 'Slim' PHD bag suitable for up to 36" chest (I'm about 37" in a baselayer) rather than 'Regular' which is suitable for up to 44".

I intend to use the PD 200 for real maybe next weekend or at least before Christmas, again I'll probably use the Phreeranger in Single Skin mode but that depends on what the weather conditions are like. The packed size of the Phreeranger used in Single Skin configuration is pretty compact and thats always an attraction, I don't want to sacrifice comfort or safety though.

What I'd really like to see is a sleeping bag/Duvet Jacket/Sleeved Bivvy combo with all parts designed to work together but it's doubtful if there's a market for it.




Left to Right, Phreeranger Fly & Footprint, Pegs & Poles, Trekmates Bivvy Bag and PD200

New gear Reviewed, Pacific Outdoor Ether Thermo 6

Sleeping Mat - POE Ether Thermo 6

Initial Impressions

I got the Ether Thermo 6 just after returning from the last trip. It turned out to be a Long rather than regular but as it wasn’t much heavier and they didn’t have any regular in stock I kept it. I’d tried it twice and found it pretty strange compared to a normal self inflating mat, I had the feeling that I would fall off it. You have to inflate it yourself and it takes a fair few blows but it packs nice and small and was comfortable to lie on but didn’t provide much support if I leaned on my elbow on it.

In the Field

The mat is fine as far as sleeping comfort and insulation goes, the weight isn’t excessive and it packs down well however it is an effort to inflate even in the space of the bothy, trying to inflate it under the fly of a tent is too much trouble for my liking. Due to the length it kinks when you’re inflating it which makes it more difficult/awkward. I’m still not keen on the ‘Sleeping on a Log’ sensation and it doesn’t provide the same comfort as a Self Inflate foam mat if you’re leaning on your elbow to cook.

Conclusion

I guess I prefer Self Inflating foam mats even if they don’t pack down as small. I feel they provide a bit more sitting/elbow leaning comfort and only need topping up after they’ve inflated themselves. The mat is good enough and does what it claims, it simply doesn’t suit me.