Moondog55 wrote:Funny isn't it how we have different opinions and feelings about certain styles and shapes of sleeping bags. I'm a side sleeper too and I can't stand sleeping in a flat envelope with all that weight on my feet.
No recommendations until we know Where When and What budget.
Whether you use clothing as part of your sleeping kit [ apart from winter weight base layer etc because that's how temperature ratings are taken] and if you sleep warm of cold. Age sex weight and height all have a bearing
What I might consider expensive but very good value you may think is over the top and exorbitant.
What I can say tho that my first sleeping bag cost me much more than a months wages when I was 17 and it took me almost a year to save for it, but it was a winter weight bag rated for snow and Alpine. At around -5C and when wearing base layers+sleeping socks and my beanie I find that I'm comfortable in either my Macpac Dragonfly600 Large or my One Planet Cocoon with 150 grams of added down in Large.
This is --- As per the testing standard-- inside my double skin tent or a big bivvy sack and with an appropriate thick mattress. The mat system should always be warmer than the sleeping bag in cold conditions.
It gets pretty cold in Queensland in winter when you're far to the West of the ranges, I've woken to ice in my billy many times, especially when living in The Alice
If you want some info for recommendations and more or less my budget given the criteria you have aksed:
where: primarily australian mountains/anywhere really in australia (or the world) that i can get to, however not looking for some high extreme alpine like the Australian alps in the middle of winter.
When: primarily in winter occasionally into autumn and spring depending on the conditions, i have other solutions for summer that don't envolve cooking to death in an oven. i am primarily looking at going to places where the coldest it could get would be around to -10 to -5 (based on the temperature comfort limit).
What: around 600 max, even if you have recommendations that are more expensive i wouldn't mine hearing about them as it would aid in creating a better sense of judgement. and may end up being worth it (the more perspectives you have the more informed of a choice you can make).
For how i sleep, my default is shorts and t-shirt. no socks. no beanie nothing extra, that is my current standard. i sleep very warm, most likely because i move around a lot, i am a male and still pretty young. My current sleeping pad is a Sea to summit comfort light which appears to have a high enough r value to keep me warm for the most situations i plan on facing (i am basing most of these temperatures off those that can be found within the national parks of sundown NP, giraween NP and tenterfield at their coldest, which have all been known to hit round the -10 degree mark on several occasions.).