I’ve been waiting for ages for the chance to try out my new Gelert sleeping bag and finally the English weather complied; a sunny weekend was predicted and a camping trip was planned!

I’d chosen the Gelert 3 Season Xtreme Lite 1200 Sleeping Bag due to the fact that it’s lightweight and suitable for three seasons. I mostly use my sleeping bag when hiking, so for me the main considerations were the weight, the size and the warmth.

The bag is 1.5kg and can be stuffed into a compression sack to a size of 27cm x 22cm, so it’s definitely small enough to fit into a backpack. My only issue was that I wasn’t sure how strong the stitching on the bag is, because as soon as we started to pull the compression straps tight the stitching started to strain and on one strap it actually popped so we stopped pulling!

Warmth was not a problem though: the hood and its drawcord, along with a baffle just below the neck, meant that it was really snugly and warm.

Another feature which I liked was the secure internal pocket for small objects like phones and passports. I usually end up shoving these valuables in the bottom of my sleeping bag, so it was nice for them to have a specific place to go.

It’s a plus that the sleeping bag is suitable for three seasons and has a comfort temperature of -5.4 to 0.5°C, which means that it can be used in a number of different countries when travelling – definitely a plus if you’re always on the go.

After a cosy night’s sleep I’ll definitely be taking the Gelert sleeping a bag on my next trip. I don’t know whether the stitching is a design fault, or I just got unlucky, but on the whole I think the price of £39.99 is reasonable for the overall quality of the bag.

A big thank you to the Gap Year Travel Store for the Gelert 3 Season Xtreme Lite 1200 Sleeping Bag. All views are my own.