We find this suitable for
Mountain Equipment's Iceline is the pinnacle of mountaineering performance within a sleeping bag; it sets the benchmark for pack size, warmth, water resistance and overall attention to detail. This particular bag increases the length to fit users up to 6ft 6.
The outer fabric is made from a super lightweight, durable 10D nylon with a Gore Thermium membrane underneath. This exceptionally thin and lightweight membrane is placed between the outer fabric and the insulation to ensure any moisture that makesit'sway onto the sleeping bag is repelled rather than soaked up by the down. A wet sleeping bag is not a happy sleeping bag. This membrane is also highly breathable and will add a further degree or so of warmth.
Providing the warmth in the Iceline is a whopping 994g of hand stuffed, superhigh qualityRussian Goose Down which guarantees warmth down to -30°C. It isn't simply the sheer quantity of down which makes the Iceline this warm, it's the geekiness that goes into it, the years of knowledge and the technical ability to know which is the warmest way to stuff the down. VerticallyallignedV-baffles on the chest and foot piece provide the greatest warmth for areas which lose the most heat, while Trapezoid baffles throughout the rest of the bagoptimsepack size. A 6 bafflefootboxand 7bafflehood optimise warmth even further and provide acucoonof salvation. This also limits the amount of down migration, maximising longevity.
An expedition fit is longer, wider and more spacious to offer greater comfort but also to allow additional clothing and larger boots to be worn while in the Iceline. This extra space can also store additional clothing to avoid soggy clothes in the morning. Inside the Iceline you're also given a small zipped pocket to stash a phone or other electricals.
- Taller 'XL' version, fits anyone up to 6ft 6
- Gore Thermium 10D outer shell
- Water and wind resistant
- 994g of Russian Goose Down
- Expedition fit is roomier
- Anatomically shaped footbox
- 7 baffle hood
- 6 baffle footbox
- V shaped and trapezoid baffles optimise warmth and pack size
- Supplied with waterproof stuffsack
- Inner pocket for electricals
How warm a sleeping bag do you really need? We’ve tried to help you by grouping our sleeping bags by their recognised comfort ratings. These are the ratings supplied by the brands that indicate the temperature at which you will remain comfortable whilst sleeping on an insulated sleep mat. After all, comfort is what you want when it’s cold and wet outside, and you’re all tucked up in your nice warm sleeping bag.
We always recommend that you choose your bag according to the coldest conditions you will experience; you can always unzip a bag if it is too warm, but trying to sleep when you’re too cold is just miserable. Bear in mind that we are all individuals, so we all feel the cold differently and that our own resistance will fluctuate depending on a whole load of factors, including how much we have eaten, whether we have consumed alcohol, whether we need a wee or what kind of mood we are in!
Sleeping bags do not generate heat; they only trap the heat we produce, so it is vital that you get into your bag when you are giving off warmth, don’t go to bed when you are cold, have a hot meal or a hot drink or do some brisk exercise to get you nicely warmed up.
Traditionally sleeping bag manufacturers provided their own temperature ratings based on their experience, the product's intended end-use and the perceived environment. However, each brand tested their bags in different ways, and it was hard to find a fair comparison between models. So, in 2005 a European standard for sleeping bag temperature ratings, EN 13537, was introduced to give consumers a comparable guide to sleeping bag performance across a range of brands and models. The ratings have four different temperature ratings to give you an indication of the bag's performance.
Comfort Rating: This is the temperature at which an average female should experience a comfortable night’s sleep. On average, women sleep colder than men, so this rating is some degrees above the "comfort lower limit" for a man.
Comfort Limit Rating: This is the lowest temperature at which an average male should experience a comfortable night’s sleep whilst laid down in a curled up position.
Extreme: This is a survival rating where the user is likely to suffer health damage such as Hypothermia. It should be treated with the utmost caution and not be relied on for general use.
However, the EN 13537 European Standard does not apply to down-filled sleeping bags with a fill weight of more than 800g; for those bags, you will have to rely on the manufacturer's experience and technical expertise, which is often more accurate!
Most reputable brands still use their own rating system alongside EN 13537, for instance, Mountain Equipment's “Good Night’s Sleep” and Rab’s “Sleep Limit”. These ratings are often the most accurate guide to the overall performance of a sleeping bag being used by an average outdoor enthusiast because they are based on years of expedition heritage, field trials, technological experience, and constant feedback.
But please bear in mind that all ratings are only a guide and, as mentioned earlier, there are a huge range of factors that can affect your comfort; if you are just not sure, it is always wise to go for a warmer model.
The biggest difference you can make to your overall comfort is to use an efficiently insulated sleeping mat. Once you get inside your sleeping bag, you instantly compress all the filling beneath you, greatly reducing its efficiency. Therefore using a quality sleep mat will ensure you are properly insulated from the cold ground, and you will be a lot more comfortable... Basically, there is no point in buying a top-quality sleeping bag if you are just going to lie down on the floor.