UKC

Hi folks,


I'm new to the forum but have been walking, rambling, hiking and generally exploring the UK countryside for many years.


For most of those years I haven't had the best gear but have recently upgraded my coat to a Snugpak Softie 6 Jacket and I genuinely cant believe the difference it makes now that the temperature is dropping outside. Did a bit of research before buying but didn't realise they were a UK company still making things in England, according to this blog I found: https://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/news/snugpak-from-kitchen-table-to-sas-who-da... 


Has anyone had any experiences with the Snugpak brand? I'm tempted now by a sleeping bag for summer use!

Welcome.

I believe some of their cheaper gear is manufactured in China.

We used to have softie 3 sleeping bags when backpacking and they weren't bad for summer use.

My favourite sleeping bag is a snugpak bag, a Softie Kestral from 1995 I think. Super soft, relatively warm for its time and weight as a synthetic,  and a delight to fall asleep in. I've had a few of their other bags which aren't as soft, but are much warmer. I should try a jacket.

Hi,

I use their waist pack a lot - less sweaty than a rucsac when I don't need to carry much; useful when cycling too.

I also use their monster kit bag, and an Ebony parka. The kit bag is awesome, the parka great for static warmth but not very breathable and too 'bouncy' to pack small.

My wife has the ML6 smock - like the Ebony, very warm but not very packable.

Their stuff is sturdy and well designed if not very stylish.

I sourced all of it on an auction site, though even at full price, they're good value.

Have a good weekend, julian 

I have a Softie 12 bag bought nearly 30 years ago for a round the world trip. After that it was yomped over multiple Munros. Heavier than so-called '4-season' bags I've had since, but it's still warmer. Sadly, the shell material has deteriorated, probably due to the many hundreds of nights I spent in it. My old cat Lottie used to love it.

I've a softie 9 bag that I must have got in the late 90s. It's still fine, although defintely not as warm as my newer bag of equivalent temperature rating.

We have a couple of their sleeping bags. I can't remember which ones but for practical purposes they do a good job at a good price. I'd buy another. Like you say, a great British product that few seem to be aware of.

Couldn't move for their sleeping bags in the 80s/90s - I wanted a Softie 12 Osprey for a while, black with neon pink liner!

They also made a lot of military spec versions of their bags in olive green with reinforced inners, so you could sleep in your boots!

Love my Softie sleeping bag. 

They seem to make a lot of stuff for the military, I've looked at and tried on a pair of their insulated trousers a few times but I'm not keen to look like a squaddie or a Walter Mitty type.

Pretty sure my parents still have a pair of these somewhere at home. Great bags and have seen a fair bit of use over the years.

I have exactly that bag, bought in 1993 (I think) and still in use

That's what I have. I just dug it out of the wardrobe and sadly it's smells a bit musty and appears to have black spots of mould growing on the inside. I haven't used it for years and it was held together with gaffer tape anyway. Trouble is, we've been through a lot together and binning it would feel like betrayal!

I used some of their gear when in the service but have since moved on to lighter and brighter designs due to a focus on climbing and alpinism. 

Pretty decent kit for the price but not really focused on weight savings (which I can totally understand from a military design perspective, where things need to be bombproof).