Hispar Half Bag

Our expedition half bag (pied d'elephant) to insulate legs and feet. Combine with expedition down clothing. Camp down to -7°C and bivvy down to between -15°C and -25°C.

Typical Operating Temperature

-7°C / 19.4°F

Weight

350g / 12oz

Price

€463.90

This looks amazing. I can see the Hispar bag working incredibly well up to 7000m in combination with the Hispar combi and a Hispar jacket.
Ben Kane

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Outer Fabric

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Features

Outer fabric: water-resistant Ultrashell. An excellent balance of weight, water-resistance and breathability
Inner fabric – Ultralight MX
Rare 950 fillpower European Goose down
Box wall construction to allow full loft
Oval foot-piece for comfort
Reflective strip for night location
Stretch draw-cord with cord lock
Stuff sac – 13 x 21 cm*
Option:
- Waterproof Dri-LX outer fabric shell (+175g)‡

^*Please note: We make our stuff sacs big enough to allow fairly easy stuffing rather than reducing the bag to the tightest minimum.

‡Please note: The optional waterproof Dri-LX outer provides an extra seam-sealed outer shell to the bag. While a shelled half bag is not designed to be used alone in heavy rain (water will find its way in) the shell does protect the bag when it is used outdoors without a tent.

Description:

Camp down to -7°C and bivvy down to between -15°C and -25°C.*

A real mountain half-bag for Alpine winter climbs or quick, lightweight ascents in Patagonia or the lower Himalayan peaks. The Ultrashell outer fabric adds a real measure of security in uncertain weather. Camp down to -7°C and bivvy down to between -15°C and -25°C.*

Half-bags are back

Half-bags (Pied d'elephant to oldies) are coming back. They've been out of fashion for many years in the trend towards using lifts and huts to make quick comfortable ascents, when a bivouac was a mistake, not a plan.

But the logic behind half-bags is still valid. If you're wearing a warm jacket already, all you need to spend the night out is something to keep your legs warm and there's no lighter way to do that than to use a half-bag. Check out the weights of PHD's half-bags and see for yourself.

When there's no hut in the right place for your climb, or it's full, or you just don't like the crush
When you want to wander along your GR, free to sleep inside or under the stars as the fancy takes you
When you want a lightweight backup in case weather, miscalculation or accident catch you out

...A half-bag is the lightest answer.

The optional waterproof Dri-LX outer provides an extra seam-sealed outer shell to the bag. While a shelled half bag is not designed to be used alone in heavy rain (water will find its way in) the shell does protect the bag when it is used outdoors without a tent, for example in a snow-hole or under a tarp.

*Note on Temperature Ratings

We have given two separate TOTs (Typical Operating Temperatures) for this half-bag.

'Camp' is for the times people might want to use it for lightweight camping instead of taking a sleeping bag (an appropriate jacket and ground insulation is assumed): this is a standard TOT, meaning you should be able to get a good night's sleep under normal circumstances.
'Bivvy' gives a range of temperatures from the usual doze level down to the point beyond which you're liable to be awake and getting cold. Again an insulated jacket is needed.

All these figures assume you are wearing normal clothing inside the half-bag. Any insulated kit like down trousers and down socks will improve the TOT.

Dri-LX (weight: 64 gsm)

At just 64gsm, Dri-LX is our lightest 2-layer breathable waterproof rip-stop nylon fabric. Its remarkably low weight not only makes for a lighter load, but also reduces pack size. Its excellent waterproofing qualities are in part due to how it can be taped at the seams to create a waterproof shell for sleeping bags and clothing.

Ultrashell (weight: 40 gsm)

One of the lightest of PHD's coated materials. This ripstop nylon provides complete wind block and good water resistance at minimal weight. Ultrashell gives an excellent upgrade to performance with very little weight penalty.

Superlight MX fabric (weight: 32 gsm)

A mini-ripstop nylon with excellent tear strength, MX is the pick of the superfine 15 denier downproof materials. We have tested lighter fabrics, but most have had significant drawbacks, while our confidence in MX is based on several years of extensive use in both our ultralight and our high mountain gear.

950 fillpower down

A newcomer to our range. European goose of rare quality. A high value alternative at the top levels of performance. More on our down insulation.

Construction

This bag has an insulating straight wall baffle system throughout (no straight-through stitching). Straight wall is the lightest of all baffle sytems. In cross section it looks like this:

More on sleeping bag construction.

"The light weight, small pack size and high insulation performance of the Hispar half bag make it a winner for anyone who brings a down jacket to camp. Those who like to bivvy will enjoy the flexibility of movement and lack of messing around with snagging zips. This bag comes with my highest recommendation."
Ed Benton, HikersBlog.

"This looks amazing. I can see the Hispar bag working incredibly well up to 7000m in combination with the Hispar combi and a Hispar jacket".
Ben Kane

"I used the Hispar half bag at the weekend and it worked a treat. Many thanks for your hard work."
Sarahlee Siswick

Works well with