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Vango Ultralite Pro 200 sleeping bag

Written by Fiona

July 31 2017

A recent attempted hike of the Fisherfield Munros required a lightweight but summer warm sleeping bag. I packed the three-season Vango Ultralite Pro 200 sleeping bag in my rucksack.

Features include:

  • Trilateral construction for an “independently floating” layer of insulation that is not compressed by stitching so it reduces cold spots and increases core temperature.
  • 4T synthetic insulation that improves warmth-to-weight ratio by trapping air in its patented channel structure.
  • Thermal Embrace System: Elasticated thread sewn into the inner fabric, which makes the sleeping bag gently conform close to the body to increase insulation.
  • Durable and water resistant 20D, 33g/m², nylon Polair Active fabric.
  • Thermal-Reverb, which is an aluminised layer that reflects radiated body heat back to the user for maximum warmth
  • Insulated, adjustable shoulder baffle.
  • 3D hood with multi-cord closure
  • Arrow Foot: Shaped foot area allowing feet to relax into their natural position
  • 3D insulated zip baffle to minimise heat loss through the zip. T
  • Full-length two-way Auto-Lock Zip with Zip Guard.
  • Internal pocket – Provides convenient storage for small items
  • Four-strap compression stuffsack.
  • Weight: 1.1kg.
  • Length: 205cm inside.
  • Temp rating: -1C (comfort 4C) to 20C.
  • £95
  • Vango Ultralite Pro 200 sleeping bag

Tent pitched halfway to the bothy on the walk in.

On test: Vango Ultralite Pro 200 sleeping bag

I needed a lightweight sleeping bag to carry with me for a night or two of wild camping while attempting the Fisherfield Munros. I confess it makes my very grump if I have to carry more than I need to in pack on my back.

I take the minimum that is safe to do so, although I am always keen to get a good night’s sleep and I know what I need to stay warm and dry in fickle Scottish weather.

The bag needed to be lightweight but warm enough for a summer’s wild camp. The Vango Ultralite Pr 200 looked perfect on paper.

It packs down quite small. It’s not the smallest nor the lightest sleeping bag I have tested but at £95 and made of synthetic insulation it was about the size I would expect. I stuffed it into the bottom section of my Osprey rucksack. There was no more room for anything else but that was fine.

The Vango bag packed into my Osprey pack.

The features include all sorts of fancy innovations and claimed details. Mainly, the testing is in the sleeping.

It was not a cold night but I do get cold at night and the bag kept me perfectly warm. I felt like it was the ideal temperature for most summer camping and maybe even for a chillier spring or autumn nights. It will depend on how cold you get and what the temperature dips to overnight. The bag is rated -1C (4C comfort) to 20C, which is quite a wide range and I would probably use it in anything down to 6C. (I get cold!)

I felt immediately comfortable when inside the bag. The fabric is lovely on the skin and the bag hugs the body really nicely. It felt like I had a very lightweight duvet all around me. In fact, if I had not known I would have thought that bag was filled with lightweight down. It felt floaty and cosy all at once.

The shoulder baffle keeps in the warmth and the hood is a good extra. I slept with my head in the hood and resting on a dry bag filled with my clothes.

Sadly, my Therm-a-Rest punctured in the night so I had very little comfort on the ground but I was saved a bit by the lovely new sleeping bag insulation. If the bag had not been so warm and puffy my night would have been a lot worse.

The length of the bag is great for me and I did notice I had lots of room for my feet. I have size Uk.8.5 feet and sometimes I find my feet constricted in the end of mummy style bags but not in this one. I could easily turn over in the bag and that aided my sleeping.

The two-way zip is also a useful extra, especially if you want to let in some air during the night.

My only grumble was when I tried to repack the bag. It took a lot of hard work to stuff it into the bag. In the end, I asked the G-Force who is much stronger than me to sort the bag. It might be that I was tired and I do have a weak wrist so maybe it was simply my personal weakness but synthetic bags are not as easy as down bags to get back into the bag.

Once in the bag the compression straps helped to reduce the size of the bag so it could be stowed in my rucksack once again.

I think this is a well-priced bag in terms of three-season warmth and weight.

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