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SLAAPLEKKER 400 Goose Down Mummy Sleeping Bag |
Desert Fox Synthetic
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(SLAAPLEKKER - Dutch - meaning: 'SLEEPWELL')
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SLAAPLEKKER 400
Features:
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DESERT FOX Sleeping Bags
Features:
Note: Blue & Grey = Left Zip Red & Grey = Right Zip 
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The SLAAPLEKKER 400 comes in pea green and has a total weight of 950g. Weights include the stuff sack. Size-wise, our sleeping bags are 210cm in length by 80cm at the shoulders by 50cm at the foot and will fit someone up to around 6ft 2ins in height.
The actual fill is 90% quality goose down and 10% goose feather, with a fill power (FP) of 800. Eleven independent horizontal box wall chambers help prevent cold spots and confine the down within the given area while also allowing it to loft. So what about our SLAAPLEKKER's? Well, as a conservative guide, our SLAAPLEKKER 400 has comfort rating range of +10° ~ +20° C with a lower limit of +5° C. However, if I now compare our SLAAPLEKKER 400 to my Vango Venom 300, then size-wise they are identical at 210cm x 80cm with 50cm at the foot end, but the Vango has a 300g fill of down and weighs in at 900g, whereas our SLAAPLEKKER 400 has 400g fill of down and weighs in at 950g. They both have 3/4 length zippers. The 400T 20D shell material of our SLAAPLEKKER is very resistant to down leakage, whereas the 30D mini ripstop material used on my Vango does seem prone to shedding a little down, with down poking through the material in various places on mine. The 400T 20D polyamide shell material of our SLAAPLEKKER's is a more tightly woven, lighter material than Vango's heavier 30D mini-ripstop nylon which probably alleviates the down shedding. But here's the most important thing. Bearing in mind that the Vango Venom 300 has 100g less down fill than our SLAAPLEKKER 400, and Vango give it a useable temperature rating of 0°C ~ +20°C, with a lower comfort temperature of +5°C. If this temperature rating can be trusted (and I've never personally used my Vango below around +10°C... for which it was fine), then this obviously bodes well for our SLAAPLEKKER with its additional 100g fill of down. The shell fabric on both of our SLAAPLEKKER sleeping bags is Airlight polyamide - 400T 20D nylon with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating. This Airlight polyamide shell is tear resistant with a very supple, silky smooth finish. Both sleeping bags also feature a box foot for extra comfort, a hood pull cord, shoulder baffle and a left side ¾ length two-way YKK zipper, compression stuff sack and a linen storage bag. Please note that all of our SLAAPLEKKER sleeping bags feature a left side zipper only. As mentioned above, not only is goose down a fantastic insulator, but it will compress down far more than any given equivalent temperature rated synthetic filling, and the stuff sacks do a great job of reducing the overall pack size when being carried. With the included stuff sack our SLAAPLEKKER 400 will compress down to a size of just 26cm x 18cm. The horizontal box wall baffles each contain a set amount of down with enough room for the down to fully loft. From time to time the down fill can migrate to low points and/or clump together, so always give a down bag a good shake before use in order to distribute the down throughout the baffles. Shaking the sleeping bag also allows the down to fully expand and loft after being in a compressed state. Though our SLAAPLEKKER's feature a good quality YKK zipper, the anti-snag guard may not be quite as elaborate or as effective as much more expensive sleeping bags, so just take a little time and care when using the zipper. These sleeping bags feature hanging tags at the foot end to allow you to hang up and air them out when necessary. Please note: Our SLAAPLEKKER sleeping bags are stored uncompressed. We only put them in their compression stuff sacks prior to sending them out to you. And we don’t send them out in their most compressed state… they will compress further. For storage at your home, the linen bag provided will allow the down to remain uncompressed and lofted and hence remain far more effective in the long run, so always store your sleeping bag in the linen bag when not in use backpacking. Before use always remember to really ruffle your sleeping bag and give it a good shake to help the down start to loft. Also, take it out of the stuff sack as early as possible before use in order to allow the down to decompress and naturally loft, and for air to permeate through the material which it will do over a period of time. When not in use store in the linen bag provided. Always turn your sleeping bag inside out and air for a time before storing. |
For those people on a relatively tight budget, and where size and weight are not as critical, we wanted to offer a good quality alternative to our more costly SLAAPLEKKER goose down sleeping bags.
We opted for the Desert Fox mummy sleeping bags as they are a good value, mid-range sleeping bag that will likely happily meet most peoples requirements. The blue and grey sleeping bag option has a left side zip, whereas the red/orange and grey sleeping bag has a right side zip. So you may want to take this into consideration before making your choice. Generally a left side zip is more suitable for a right-handed person, and vice-versa with a right side zip. If you are ambidextrous you may not care, and in our experience the side the zip is on has never been an issue! The Desert Fox sleeping bag has stated comfort temperature range of +8°C down to 0°C, with an extreme rating of -10°C, though we've slept in these sleeping bags when the ground has been frozen solid outside of the tent and we've been cosy, so we think the ratings (rather strangely for sleeping bags) may be a little on the conservative side. These specifications would seemingly be on par with our SLAAPLEKKER 800 goose down sleeping bags, and as such should perform quite adequately as UK 2/3 season sleeping bag. However, being a synthetic fill, this does give rise to a slight weight penalty when compared with our SLAAPLEKKER goose down sleeping bag, and of course they do not compress down as much in pack size. These are not overly long or overly wide sleeping bags. Sizewise the unpacked sleeping bag is around 200cm in length by 70cm at the shoulders. However they will comfortably fit someone up to around 185cm in height (6'1"). At 5'11" and with a 46" chest the sleeping bag was a good fit for me, but anyone with a chest size much greater than 46" may need to look for a wider sleeping bag. These sleeping bags narrow to around 40cm at the foot end, which is a box-shape to allow your feet adequate space. While these sleeping bags lack the padded shoulder baffle of our SLAAPLEKKER sleeping bags, they do feature full length two-way zips, an internal pocket for a phone or wallet and a draw cord for pulling the sleeping bag around your face if need be. The two-way zip allows you to easily adjust for ventilation and heat management on those warmer nights. The bags also feature hanging loops at the foot end to allow you to hang the bag in order to dry out or air. The outer material is a tough, water resistant 210T ripstop polyester, with a soft and cosy, breathable 210T polyester inner lining. The sleeping bag is filled with a high quality synthetic hollow fibre providing a relatively good warmth to weight ratio. The manufacturers quoted total weight is 1.7 kgs +/- 50g (our test sleeping bag weighed 1.755 kgs in its compression stuff sack). Being a synthetic fill sleeping bag it does not compress down as much as our SLAAPLEKKER goose down sleeping bag, but with a little effort it does still compress down from its standard pack size of 23cm x 40cm to 25cm x 30cm (compressing the length does cause the width to bulge out a couple of cm). And while I would think twice about taking such a sleeping bag on a lightweight backpacking trip where rucksack space is at a premium, and weight may be a priority, it will be absolutely fine for car camping, festivals, and any circumstance whereby you don't have to worry about the extra size and bulk. On a positive note, unlike our down sleeping bags that require specialist cleaning or careful hand washing, these sleeping bags can be machine washed at 30°C. All in all, the Desert Fox is a very nice UK 2/3 season mummy sleeping bag, providing good value for money; a quality mid-range sleeping bag that will cope with all but very cold UK winter weather. As with all sleeping bags, when in use, give it a ruffle and a good shake in order to loft the filling, and store it uncompressed when not in use for long periods. Available in blue and grey or red/orange and grey (it's a sort of orangey red). |
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SLEEPING BAG LINER: Unlike synthetic sleeping bags, you can’t just throw a down sleeping bag into a washing machine, and biological washing powders will have a seriously detrimental effect on the down, so great care has to be taken even if hand washing. Natural bodily oils, sweat, etc, will all eventually get into the lining material of your sleeping bag, so for this reason we highly recommend the use of a sleeping bag liner, they make sense and are a very worthwhile investment.
Not only will a sleeping bag liner increase the warmth of your sleeping bag by quite a few degrees (can actually add up to +5° C to the ratings), but it will keep the inside cleaner and fresher for much longer - it is far easier to wash a liner than a down sleeping bag which, for best results, requires to be washed professionally! |
ABOVE: Soft-touch polyester sleeping bag liner 254g
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Something that can easily confuse the warmth rating of any sleeping bag is not only the conditions under which the sleeping bag is used, but what the user actually wears with regards to clothing inside the sleeping bag, whether or not a liner is used, and indeed how thermally efficient their sleeping mattress/pad is. Even in very cold conditions the ultralight backpacker will use the lightest sleeping bag that they can possibly get away with and simply keep multiple layers of clothes on inside the sleeping bag at night. They have to carry their clothes anyway, so this keeps the overall weight of their pack down to a minimum. Other people are more comfortable with less clothes on inside a sleeping bag, and prefer to opt for a heavier but with warmer sleeping bag. That said, you should always at least wear socks and a base layer of clothing in your sleeping bag - sleeping 'au naturel' is not advised in any sleeping bag, but especially in a down sleeping bag which will require specialist washing!
The temperature rating of any given sleeping bag can always be a little controversial as it tends to be subjective due to the fact that everyone’s body is different, and there are always other factors that come into play. Furthermore some manufacturers do seem to greatly exaggerate the ratings. You will easily find down sleeping bags with the same weight of fill (or less) than our SLAAPLEKKER's, being promoted as having temperature ratings far, far lower... How do they achieve this? Well they don't, and they can't, as you will find if you check out various reviews on any particular sleeping bag, it's simply a selling tactic to make you think that the sleeping bag is warmer than it really is, and quite frankly, it's deceitful, if not downright dangerous. A given weight of good goose (or duck) down with a given 'fill power' can only provide so much insulation against the cold. For this reason it is a good idea to look at the amount of fill and the fill power of the filling in order to more accurately compare and assess the temperature ratings of various sleeping bags.
For more information on sleeping bags, check out this website: The truth about sleeping bags
Helpful note: Once you have your sleeping bag out of its compression stuff sack and all fluffed up, you may just wonder, how the hell are you going to get it back in its little compression sack? Well we call it ‘turn and scrunch’. Start with the foot end of the sleeping bag and stuff it to the bottom of the compression sack, then continually turn and scrunch the rest of the bag in a little at a time… it will fit! Don't bother trying to fold and roll.
For information on how to repack your sleeping bag check out this YouTube video: How to pack your sleeping bag
UK SELLER - IN STOCK - FAST & FREE UK DELIVERY
The temperature rating of any given sleeping bag can always be a little controversial as it tends to be subjective due to the fact that everyone’s body is different, and there are always other factors that come into play. Furthermore some manufacturers do seem to greatly exaggerate the ratings. You will easily find down sleeping bags with the same weight of fill (or less) than our SLAAPLEKKER's, being promoted as having temperature ratings far, far lower... How do they achieve this? Well they don't, and they can't, as you will find if you check out various reviews on any particular sleeping bag, it's simply a selling tactic to make you think that the sleeping bag is warmer than it really is, and quite frankly, it's deceitful, if not downright dangerous. A given weight of good goose (or duck) down with a given 'fill power' can only provide so much insulation against the cold. For this reason it is a good idea to look at the amount of fill and the fill power of the filling in order to more accurately compare and assess the temperature ratings of various sleeping bags.
For more information on sleeping bags, check out this website: The truth about sleeping bags
Helpful note: Once you have your sleeping bag out of its compression stuff sack and all fluffed up, you may just wonder, how the hell are you going to get it back in its little compression sack? Well we call it ‘turn and scrunch’. Start with the foot end of the sleeping bag and stuff it to the bottom of the compression sack, then continually turn and scrunch the rest of the bag in a little at a time… it will fit! Don't bother trying to fold and roll.
For information on how to repack your sleeping bag check out this YouTube video: How to pack your sleeping bag
UK SELLER - IN STOCK - FAST & FREE UK DELIVERY
