Rab Ascent 500 & other sleeping bag bargins

[wintonian]

Any opinions on the Rab Ascent 500 for a 3 season bag before I grab one for £100? 

[IanBW]

Havent used one im afraid, but great price!

[Seanh]

I have a 700 and while it's a fantastic bag it was a bit warm in Cornwall last May, I guess it's a lot to do with how warm you sleep. For £100 I would say go for it, they are great quality and just a touch larger than the other Rab bags. I would love to find a cheap 300 to used as a two season bag.

[wintonian]

Went for the 700 in the end at £120, pity really as my local Go! has them for £216 but the dam zip is on the wrong side  - I quite fancied beating them down by £112 which would have smashed my previous record. 

Mind you it was quite a faff as the retailer doesn't do PayPal and kept rejecting all my cards and it's just taken me 5 hours to finally get one through.  If it wasn't so dam cheap I would have given up and gone else where long ago and it was only the thought of me, as a cold sleeper, shivering in the wilderness in the 500 that made me persevere.

Anyway for those who like a challenge Rock   Run have some rather good offers on Sleeping bags ATM

For example:
Ascent 700 - £120 was £220
Ascent 900 - £140 was £250
Neutrino Endurance 600 - £210 was 350
Andes 1000 - £249 was £470

It's mostly the Neutrino's and some of the best deals  have gone but still...

The Ascent 500 is £111 at Tiso (L & R zip) so £90.90 at Go! (discount card price £180 - L zip only)

Now I have to find a mat for next month - thinking about the Neoair Xlite but rather pricey.
Rab Neutrino Endurance 600 

[Seanh]

I can highly recommend the exped synmat 7's, not cheap but very comfortable and warm as well.

[wintonian]

I can highly recommend the exped synmat 7's, not cheap but very comfortable and warm as well.

Those were  the other ones I was thinking about but I don't know of anywhere  'bricks & morter' to have a look,  whilst both Go and Cotswold stock the Thermarest's.

[Seanh]

I bought mine blind on recommendations of others and after years on a thermarest prolite I am very happy with it.

[Owen]

Maybe a bit late but I brought an Ascent 500 last year. I used it in October camping out on Braeriach by the Wells of Dee, the temperature was around +4-5degrees C, I was far to hot. Next night I camped in the Lairig Ghru and just opened it out and slept under it, I was still very warm. It's a really good winter bag but wouldn't call it three season.   

[WalkingNick]

Great information here...had been looking at the Ascent 700 as seemed to be quite well discounted due to the new model coming out. However, having read the info here (thanks Wintonian) I got in touch with Rock n Run and saved £70.00 on Go outdoors prices...got it for £120.00...excellent value I reckon...happy chappy 

[wintonian]

Well it arrived today and I'm impressed! 

It's absolutely huge inside - I'm sure you fit 2 in it, however it doesn't pack down quite as well as I had hopped - maybe I was expecting a bit too much there?

It's also really warm (the label says lower comfort -12, whereas Rock    Run says -9) so perhaps I should have gone for the 500, but I really would rather be too hot than too cold, so the mantra was; 'if in doubt get the warmer one'. Suppose I could allways hope to find a 2 season in the sale next year.

Why is it whenever I try and find a piece of kit to do everything it turns out it doesn't quite do everything and I end up buying a second bit of kit to supplement it?   At this rate I'll have one of everything RaB makes and a bank statement to prove it. 

I am having some trouble with the bottom zip that I eventual managed to tease out and I think it seems to be starting to loosen so it might be ok.

It's also very comfortable which could be argued is one of the more important aspects of a bag.

[WalkingNick]

Great news Wintonian...waiting for mine to arrive...tomorrow hopefully. Also going to buy the Thermarest Xtherm to go with it unless people tell me different...I know the exped is supposed to be great but reviews by outdoorgearlab rated xtherm the best winter pad. Any thoughts??
Also agree with you...will end up buying a cheap 2 season bag as suspect the Ascent 700 will be too hot. Still a great price though.

[wintonian]

I am pondering the Xtherm and it would in all probability go with the Ascent 700 better than the Xlite with only an 80/90g penalty, plus it appears to be a much saner colour. However it is more expensive than the Xlite it seems (as one would expect) so if I can price match the Xlite in Go! down to something silly, or at least a lot cheaper than the Xtherm I will go with that I expect. 

The problem with the Exped's for me is the tubeing is orientated down the longitude and as a side sleeper I immediately see a design flaw! Mind you for those who sleep on their backs, upside down and anywhich other way it does look like a good (and cheaper) solution.

Also I shall probably get a large as I also move about a bit and would never get to sleep if I had to lay bolt ridged on the thing so I didn't fall off.

So that won't be Zephyros 1 to put it all in then - good job I'm not entering the ultra-lightweught competition!

[WalkingNick]

Rab Ascent 700 arrived today...great service from Rock and Run...everything in order..looking forward to using it. Thanks for the tip Wintonian. Now for the Xtherm

[wintonian]

It's a rather good little bag isn't it?

Are you about to climb in it for the night to test it out or can you resist the temptation? 

[WalkingNick]

If I had the Xtherm I'd be outside testing it all