The Perfect Bag For Life On The Road

Life on the road can wear you down - even when the location provides you with some of the most incredible landscapes in the world as your backdrop - so a good night's sleep is vital. Mountain Designs Adventure Ambassador Harrison Candlin and his partner Madison have been using the Travelite 700 sleeping bag while they tour the western states of America, enjoying the warmth and comfort provided every single night.

Lightweight By Name And By Nature

Honestly nothing is more important than getting a good night's sleep when backpacking, car camping or anything in between. It can truly make or break a trip. While we've only used the Travelite 700 sleeping bag in the USA in the summer months, it can still get really cold at night. We have experienced a few nights well below zero even in June and July, so it's reassuring to have a reliable sleeping bag to comfortably get you through the night. And when it comes to minimising load and travelling light, this bag is easily up to the task.

The Travelite 700 is an exceptionally warm sleeping bag to snuggle into at night, and a small, lightweight load to carry by day.

Travelite 700 Down Sleeping Bag

We've been using the Mountain Designs Travelite 700 down sleeping bag every single night on the road and in the backcountry. This bag is the warmest of the Travelite series and the name says it all. It can compress down to a small size and in fact, I'd say it is much smaller than other bags I've owned with a similar temperature rating. With RDS 650 fill power down insulation, it has a superior warmth-to-weight ratio and the bag is rated down to -3C for comfort. It is soft, comfortable and to be completely honest I've never been cold in this bag once.

The Travelite 700 has been perfectly suited for USA night temperatures so far, particularly in the high alpine where it's colder at night. We've camped in temperatures ranging from 15 degrees to -2 degrees, and the thermal regulation works fantastically. With the additional zip at the feet, you can regulate your temperature fairly easily. It's most definitely not an extreme temperature bag, but would comfortably be warm enough for an Australian winter any day (or night).

Madison tucked in tight on a cold June morning in California.

I'm a big fan of the built-in hood pocket, which I've found keeps my pillow secure from moving around during the night and ultimately results in a better sleep. A small zip on the inside of the bag reveals the perfect place to put my phone and camera batteries in at night to keep them warm so the power doesn't drain. Little things like this are make or break for me.

Durability wise, it's made from high quality material, however I have noticed one or two stitching lines come loose when the sleeping bag has got stuck or jammed between sharp objects. But all in all, if you've got a sleeping bag that you look forward to snuggling into at night when you're outdoors, then it must be quality.

Photo Credits

All images courtesy of Harrison Candlin

• Instagram @harrisoncandlin
• Website https://www.harrisoncandlin.com