Find out why Daniel Neilson chose this as his Best Buy when he reviewed 10 sleeping bags made for colder weather.
I designed this sleeping bag myself. Well, with considerable advice from PHD themselves, but it was made to my specifications. PHD is an exceptional little company making some of the world’s best custom down equipment (the best if you believe Sir Ranulph Fiennes – which I do). Everything is handmade in England, so the quality is second to none, and the small workforce means that they can make sleeping bags, and jackets, with an exceptionally high down fill-power (I’m currently trying out a 1,000 fill jacket – the highest available). As a result it makes the products very light and very packable.
I went through the design process with Peter Elliot at PHD.The starting point was the temperature rating – in this case around -10°C. The Tech-Light was the obvious choice between the three-season Lightweight range and the serious expedition Hi-Tech range. I then chose a 450g of 900 fill down quality (up to 1,000 fill saves weight but adds a fair bit onto price). I could then choose the outer fabric (Drishell), the inner, stuff pattern (extra foot, extra top, extra base), zip length, type of hood cord, length and width, and also decided if I wanted a security pocket. Each affects the price. The one I chose came out at £511 and weighed 957g with the stuff sack and it’s quite amazing, although I’d probably choose a longer zip next time. It’s top tier pricing, but the level of choice is unique and the quality superb.
