When heading on an alpine backcountry expedition, ensuring your sleep systems can handle the alpine elements is vital for your safety and comfort. Besides a chilly sleep, high winds, unpredictable snow fall and subzero temperatures can be dangerous, so ensuring your alpine expedition snow gear is up to scratch will keep you on your adventure, without any hiccups. Ensuring your sleep systems can fit inside your expedition pack is an important factor when choosing your lightweight alpine expedition pack. Paddy Pallin has a wide range of expedition sleeping bags, alpine tents and lightweight packs for your expedition adventures.

FAQs

What should I look for in an alpine expedition tent?

Alpine expeditions commonly encounter snow, high winds and rugged terrain, meaning your tent needs to be able to withstand the most extreme alpine elements. Four season lightweight tents from brands including Mont and Salewa are ideal, as they can withstand colder conditions, and include strategic venting to ensure airflow. Alpine tents should generally be free standing with securing lines and pegs for additional security. Though slightly heavier, alpine expeditions can commonly encounter rocky or frozen ground. Lightweight alpine tents should include a heavy duty fly, with some tents requiring fly set up first, then the inner tent pitched afterward. If searching for an alpine expedition tent for extreme weather conditions, a tunnel tent is ideal. These narrow alpine tents can withstand strong winds and snowfall. The final important tent feature is vestibule size. In extreme conditions, you may be forced to cook in your vestibule, so ensuring you have a large vestibule will make the times you’re relaxing in your tent even better!

What durable lightweight packs for alpine touring does Paddy Pallin stock?

Paddy Pallin stocks a range of packs for expeditions, including larger 100L packs for those needing to carry a little extra. Alpine specific packs from Patagonia, Wilderness Equipment and Osprey have additional features, including collapsable storage space and compression straps to adjust your pack size. Alpine specific backpacks also commonly include ice-axe storage, removable padding, lid and frame and top rope carrying systems. If backcountry touring is your adventure, durable lightweight packs for heavier gear by Osprey and Wilderness Equipment can take you further. Utilizing a breathable suspensions system or robust cushioning, backcountry expedition packs have extra storage features, including walking pole loops, ski straps and top lids that can convert to day packs. Lightweight alpine daypacks are also available, coming with a range of adjustable features, these climbing packs and alpine packs are designed specifically for the alpine adventurer.

What does Paddy Pallin recommend for the top of the line Alpine Sleep System?

If you’re a grumpy hiker after a bad sleep, decking out your expedition sleeping gear will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle any alpine adventure. Beginning with a lightweight camping mattress, we recommend a high R-Value mat to keep you warm enough in extreme environments. Inflatable yet quiet sleeping mats for cold climates generally have the greatest weight to warmth ratio, and brands including Sea to Summit, Mont, Therm-a-rest and Nemo make lightweight sleeping mats for any application. Lightweight sleeping mats made of foam are a great addition if you’re looking to layer sleeping mats in alpine environments. The next important aspect for an alpine expedition is your lightweight sleeping bag. As alpine environments are some of the coldest places on earth, a down sleeping bag is often the best choice. Down is not warm when wet, but has the highest warmth to weight ratio, and can also be hydrophobically treated incase of moisture exposure. Brands like Western Mountaineering and Mont have created top of the line sleeping systems for the ultimate lightweight traveler. Always make sure your alpine sleeping bag is warmer than the predicted climate by looking at the comfort ratings, not the extreme temperature ratings. To maximize comfort and sleeping bag longevity, sleeping bag liners are a good addition to your expedition gear. Lightweight silk liners and cotton sleeping bag liners offer a silky sleeping experience. Some sleeping bag liners provide extra warmth, and can add up to 10°C onto your sleeping bag rating. An up and coming camping gear addition is the sleeping bag quilt. Designed to be used as a blanket function, or hooked together for a sleeping bag feel, camping quilts are born from the school of thought that there’s no point having insulation underneath you. This is due to insulation being compressed when you lay on it, so it functionally is not performing. Quilts can also be secured around the sleeping mat to ensure no drafts can disturb your slumber. For a lightweight option, don’t look past a lightweight camping quilt. 

What alpine equipment brands does Paddy Pallin stock?

Paddy Pallin stocks a huge range of Alpine expedition equipment and backcountry touring gear. Check out our range of Sea To Summit, Wilderness Equipment, Nemo, Mont, Western Mountaineering, Osprey, Salewa and Patagonia equipment. Remember, Paddy Pallin has a huge range of outdoor gear, specifically for alpine equipment and some that are adaptable for a range of uses. If you need questions about mountaineering expeditions or alpine touring answered, we suggest heading into one of our stores and chatting to our friendly and greatly experienced staff. If you can’t make it in store, give our friendly Customer Service team a call.