UKC

We've got a couple of trips next month and thinking about what to put the little one in - one hut, one camping.

She's 18 months old and we've got various Gro-bag things, but there's no arm coverage on those. When we took her last July, I think she got a bit cold, even though we had her in a long sleeve sleep suit and warm bag with a blanket over the travel cot.

Thinking of doing the same in the hut, which should be a bit warmer, but will probably not bother having the cot in the tent, as it takes up a lot of room, so thinking of just putting the blanket direct over her there.

Any ideas/advice appreciated.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

We found a haglöf's little kids mummy bag for when out son was about the same age, so you can find them. It wasn't even very expensive, but in the UK Decathlon is a good place to look for sort of thing - Haglof isn't so easy to find here.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

There's actually a whole bunch of toddler-sized sleeping bags out there, both down and synthetic (vango does the 'star' range). Your problems will start at about 4-5, when you need something decent, warm and packable: there's a dearth of cold weather bags for kids.

We've still got an alpkid, which the youngest is just about to grow out of (130cm). No longer in production, and too big for yours anyway, but a cracking bag and worth looking out for second-hand from now, as they don't come up that often.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

As an alternative to sleeping bags, which my 5 year old struggled to get in and out of, what about a 'ReadyBed' - an inflatable airbed with integrated covers? Combined with a growbag this would be OK for the hut and could be supplemented with a bit of cheap carrymat, cut to size, to insulate the air mattress from the ground when camping? The carry mat also can double as a large changing mat in the tent. It's also more 'non-camper' friendly if you end up having other small children stay at your house.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

plenty choice here - I'm not affiliated in any way, but have used this shop and they were very helpful
http://www.littleadventureshop.co.uk/collections/kids-sleeping-bags
B

In reply to LastBoyScout:

I got my kids full size bags, that they've used from about 2 onwards. Kids bags are quite expensive, for what you get, and they are only usually one season. I got some 3 season bags, folded the excess under to make a mattress and to stop them from disappearing into the depths. The bags are still going strong (eldest is almost 9), and I expect them to be useable for another 10 years or so.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

One option is to use a 'normal' size bag but to wrap a belt about 2/3 of the way down. Then they won't drift down into the depths of the bag.

In reply to Martin not maisie:
Alpkit bag is sub one season and designed for hut use, we tried it for uk camping, cold.
Zipped up old down jacket worked

In reply to Jim Walton:

+1 to this. As they grow you move the belt further down the bag.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

My niece had one of these

Http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-nitestar-mini-sleeping-bag-p203631

She loved it and got lots of use out of it. I have a cute picture somewhere of her asleep in it on her bedroom floor next to her bed.

In reply to Gavin:

I haven't seen you for ages. Are you around anytime in August?

In reply to John Kelly:


My kids have both used it down to freezing, with thermal jim-jams, and been plenty toasty - we'll be taking it to about 4000m again this summer and I trust it completely. What kind of mattress insulation were you using?

Sub one season seems a bit harsh...... maybe I have an overstuffed model

In reply to LastBoyScout:

We've got one 'top bag' which is great - mattress down the back means the littlest one (quite a wriggler) can never fall off the mat in the night. Got it cheap from REI about 5 years ago, a Big Agnes Little Red I think. Snug as a bug and he's happy camping in it, in snowy spring/summer alpine conditions.

Older one has an REI Lumen bag - 1 kilo, down to zero, packs fairly small, recommended but only if it's in the sale and you happen to be in the US at the time.

b

In reply to Martin not maisie:
are we talking about the same thing?
Alpkid - on inside says 'SkyHigh 250' - it's a 600 fill power
- can't imagine you would put your kids in this at 4000m and to be fair i wouldn't expect the bag to operate in those conditions

Mat - just bog standard 'karrimat' (kit we have used successfully with other sleeping bags combinations)

'overstuffed' - I had the discussion with alpkit as i felt the performance was poor, their response was that the bag was rated and designed for hut use and that i had used it outside the comfort envelope. I said i wasn't happy they said the bag did what it was advertised to do

Its now used as a liner on cold camps

In reply to LastBoyScout:



They can't regulate their own body temp properly at that age, but a year later she should be better.

I'd always prefer my son to have cold arms than risk overheating his middle. Those gro-bags are only 2.5 tog for winter, they don't need a lot of insulation - they must give off a reasonable amount of heat. Why not just let her drop off in the large gro-bag and then put a thin sheet over her once she's asleep.

In reply to John Kelly:

Yup, that's the one. It's worked great for us - maybe you had a slightly duff one. Alpkit were fairly cautious about rating it, I remember - they had a vague idea of +6 degrees, but were open about not wanting to push it.

We did a bunch of summer camping, then Autumn, some hut stuff in the Pyrenees and then ABC in Nepal (tea houses, but there was frost inside the room). Snow stuff, all fine. I'd say we've been to -2/3 with thermal baselayers and no complaints.

My own experience is that if you get the ground insulation right, the bag's absolutely fine: kids have a higher surface area to volume ratio, so they lose heat by conduction quite quickly. Whilst the fill power is only about 600, the loft is good and being a small bag, there's no additional dead space to heat (as is the case with a folded-over adult bag).

I think alpkit are missing a niche market here, with kids' and teens' down bags. There's almost nothing out there - off the peg - for children which combines warmth, low weight and packability. I had a chat with alpkit about it, but they weren't keen. Interested, but not keen.

This summer, we'll have the kids in the alpkid and a Trimm junior balance (absolute steal from sportpursuit a couple of years ago) respectively; we'll be at about 4000m in the southern hemisphere and I know from experience that we'll be fine.

But isn't that just the same with adult bags?

In reply to Martin not maisie:

Duff - it hasn't worked for us, it is definitely a hut only bag - you're kids must be very hardy

niche for kids warm down bag - yes, 3 small kid's, tent, food, mats, bags, clothes, cooking, toys etc etc all added up to challenging experience

In reply to Philip:


I think this is what I'm going to do. Although we'll be a bit later in the year, we won't be up every couple of hours feeding her and we'll also be in a smaller tent, both of which should keep her warmer.

In reply to Read-i and Jim Walton, yes, I know those tricks (I used to work in a gear shop), but shortening the length doesn't do much for the width.