Camping isn’t always the most comfortable of things, and getting a bad night’s sleep will quickly make a fun weekend away into a miserable trip that will leave you asking why you thought you could every survived outside for 48hours.

Getting a good night’s sleep starts with having a decent sleeping bag: the Softie Expansion 5 from British company Snugpak has a unique expanding system called the ‘EEP’ (Elasticated Expander Panel), this little addition provides the user with the option of making the bag wider when required. Some of those ‘mummy bags’ can get very hot or a little too claustrophobic, so having the option to get a little more wriggle room is appealing! With a comfort rating reaching as low as -15°C, you will be toasty warm even on the coldest nights. To use the EEP, all you need to do is unzip the jumbo zip baffle to make the bag wider. There are lots of added features in this bag, including a built in LED torch that can be attached and detached from the bags hood. The ‘mummy’ shape means it is tapered at the bottom to reduce size, the ‘Reflectatherm Technology’ reflects and retains heat, the chisel shaped foot allows enough room for your feet, whilst the Thermal Suede provides a Snug Foot lining. If you are anything like me the area around your feet has its own micro-climate making them perpetually cold, so this was a nice touch!

The Expansion 5 also has an ‘Anti-Snag’, ‘Softie Insulation’, a ‘Snugfit Hood’ to help keep out drafts, and clips that allow you to adjust the length of the bag. The whole thing can be wrestled into the stuff bag, with compression straps when you are done. Once packed down, however, it is still quite a large piece at roughly 15 x 10 inches! That means it will be taking up a serious amount of space in your pack, making it more difficult to travel with. However, it is not a heavy as it looks at only 2400g.

This is a thoughtfully designed bag - the ‘Elasticated Expander Panel’ makes it flexible for variable weather conditions as well as more comfortable. It is best suited for short trips in autumn, winter and spring. RRP £122.50

4.5 out of 5

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Pros

Elasticated Expander Panel

Detachable LED Torch

Cosy

Snug Foot Lining and Chisel shaped foot

Snugfit Hood

Clips to adjust the length

Cons

Bulky