Sleeping Bags

Yes, The North Face bags are crazy expensive now I bought mine when there was a sale, and it was still quite a lot of money. Hopefully it will come with me on many, many hikes in the years ahead to earn its keep

Kobus, AdrianT is spot on. I got my one from Mountain Mail Order and was able to pick it up at CityRock in Randburg. The price is very good, considering the direction that the Rand is going!

Dave wrote: Thanks ruthtbl. That Blue Kazoo ain't cheap though. Those Mountain Hardware bags are getting harder and harder to avoid.

As the owner of 3 MHW bags (a Pinole, a Lamina 20 and a Hyperlamina Torch), I can tell you that you won't get that price if you get someone to bring a bag into SA for you - when last I checked (which was when I bought my Lamina 20), they only had 2 left (so 1 after I bought mine). I suspect they brought in a batch of them a while ago, and because the Ice Breaker seems to be the SA standard winter bag, these didn't really sell. They have been marked down to that price for ages.

I still dig my 16 year old Icebreaker. It has been many places and has never let me down. Packs a bit bigger but I don't care.

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I bought a Lamina 20 after you bought yours, Ghaz. So maybe they have more? It's a crazy good price!

I decided to buy local and ordered a bag from Hex Valley Down which I have been very happy with.

www.hexvalleydown.com/shop/sleeping-bags/

The standard bag is R2900 and is probably similar to an ice-breaker in warmth. It is 100% local goose down with a lifetime guarantee.
You basically get a cowl shaped bag with baffles in the collar and seam and a drawstring to pull the cowl in. The website states it weighs about 1.1kg but I haven't weighed mine. they give it a min rating of -9 and extreme of -10.

Annemien who runs the business was very helpful and eager to know how the bag performed. She apparently used hers at Everest basecamp and was warm enough.

I had an issue with my zipper which was quickly resolved at no charge and no fuss. Great service and local:thumbsup:

GriffBaker wrote: I had an issue with my zipper which was quickly resolved at no charge and no fuss. Great service and local:thumbsup:

Curious, was it a YKK zip?

Not sure really. No issues since the repair though.

GriffBaker wrote: Not sure really. No issues since the repair though.

Ok cool. It will say YKK on the pull tag. In my opinion, all products should have YKK zips.

Cool, I'll have a look this weekend. The issue wasn't so much with the zipper itself but the way it had been sewn onto the bag. The slider kept coming off.

The issue was a minor one and I was kept up to speed with the repair the entire time.