Camp down to -30°C and bivvy down to -40°C.*
Our extreme expedition half bag (pied d'elephant) to insulate legs and feet. Combine with suitable expedition down clothing to save weight and reduce pack-size. The use of pied d’elephant or Halfbags for lightweight bivis and camping is well proven in the mountains. Here we’ve added a neck length fabric “extender” to cocoon your body, arms and hands to reduce cold air ingress.
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.
- Deep winter bivvying and snow-holing when paired with a suitable jacket
- 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. Don’t forget, the down jacket needs to be warm enough to sleep in.
