Sleeping systems - advise and insights form the community

[Lauries Hut]

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.