A new Kendal-based manufacturer of rucksacks, tents and sleeping bags.
This review is part of our New Brands Gear Guide.
By Chris Townsend
Based in Kendal, Summiteer says: “We are manufacturers of high quality, ethical and environmentally conscious equipment – with our morals being at the centre of everything we do.”
Sticking by this credo, the company stopped production of its sleeping bags – then the only products in the range – for a while until it could confirm the ethical source of the down. Production has now resumed and there are four sleeping bags in the Glow Worm range with comfort ratings from +5 to -15°C. This episode is described in an interesting and honest blog on the Summiteer website.
This year Summiteer is launching a crowdfunder for a range of three rucksacks made from recycled plastic bottles. The largest, the 55+10 litre Elephant, looks good for backpacking and weighs just 1.1kg, while the 32-litre, 720g Rexpak should be a fine daypack for year-round use. All the rucksacks will be made in Summiteer’s workshop in Cumbria. The company’s first tent – the Haven, a two-pole tunnel weighing 1.95kg – came out in spring 2018. This silnylon tent looks good for solo and two-person use.
summiteerequipment.com
Tested: Summiteer Glow Worm 600 Sleeping Bag
£139 / 1214g
I’ve tested the Glow Worm 600 sleeping bag and found it comfortable and warm. It has a comfort rating of 0°C and a lower comfort rating of -5°C. I was warm at -7°C wearing only light clothes. With shaped hood and foot and a long side zip, the bag is well-designed. It’s not that light for the warmth at 1214g but the cost of £139 is low for a down bag of this quality.
