Lightweight Tent, Sleeping Bag, Mattress for Solo Camping

LRinrinB on 22/06/2025 - 08:53
Last edited 23/06/2025 - 12:24 by 1 other user

Hello all,

I'm new to solo camping and would like suggestions on lightweight but affordable tent, sleeping bag and self-inflating mattress.
I don't have a car (and don't know how to drive so hiring one isn't an option) so will be carrying everything in my backpack. I'm aiming to keep the backpack under 10kg.
I would be camping mostly in any seasons except winter I think.

At the moment I've found

Mattress: Sea to summit with R value of 4+ weight approx 0.8kg
Tent:Naturehike cloud up1 20d -1.5kg
Sleeping bag?

Any advices are welcome. Thank you so much.

Sports & Outdoors Sleeping Bag Tent

Comments

    • RinrinB on 22/06/2025 - 11:07

      I've done extended solo backpacking amd loved it. I've never camped solo though and excited about it. Thank you for the suggestions!

      • rumblytangara on 22/06/2025 - 15:01
        +1

        Ignore those suggestions, like most of that guy's posts. Unless you want to have a totally miserable time and possibly go hypothermic. That tent isn't even going to be rainproof.

  • sumyungguy on 22/06/2025 - 09:20
    -2

    Roman Palm Lite is one of the lightest sleeping bags

    • RinrinB on 22/06/2025 - 11:06

      Are you referring to the one from Decathlon with temp rating +15C? Thank you.

      • sumyungguy on 22/06/2025 - 11:44

        Somewhat cheaper here; and consider packing a silk or synthetic liner as it adds another layer and is also good for hostel beds

    • rumblytangara on 23/06/2025 - 10:00
      +3

      What is it with all these people who obviously have zero experience camping giving advice on this thread?

      That "Roman Palm Lite" is a 15C bag (this is probably a limt rating and not a comfort rating) and is unusable for anything short of a warm summertime. It's a bag for sleeping over at a friend's place or a YHA, nothing more. Outdoors in anything cooler you will be freezing your nuts off. A silk liker will do bugger all for a bag this thin.

      700g is not light for a bag like this, there are many better bags that are lighter. But again, the super lightweight options like this one at 0C and 600g will be 90% down fill, and will cost a bomb.

      Don't focus on weight if you don't have the cash. Focus on what you need to be comfortable. You probably want a 5-7C bag or thereabouts for non-winter conditions because sleeping outdoors in possibly misty conditions is absolutely nothing like sleeping in a bedroom on a mattress surrounded by insulated walls.

      If you're looking at Decathlon, the Forclaz bags rated to 5C at 1kg+ would be a minimum sensible option for cooler but non winter months unless you're in Queensland.

      I was out camping in autumn and was pretty comfortable… in my -7C sleeping bag. And literally everyone else on that trip was also using a subzero rated bag.

      • antojamo on 23/06/2025 - 13:05

        Western Mountaineering are awesome bags but they advertise the limit rating, not comfort. Comfort for the Summerlite is 5c

      • sumyungguy on 23/06/2025 - 13:48
        -2

        Only spitballing lightweight (cheap) options because OP mentioned all seasons except winter and in some places that's not especially cold; yet brutal in others. Of course OP needs to spec equipment to match intended conditions, which we're oblivious to.

        • rumblytangara on 23/06/2025 - 14:03
          +1

          Do you have any serious outdoor camping experience? Because the bag you recommended is the kind of thing I'd give my kid for school sleepovers.

          This is the kind of gear that along with what SYLBT suggests results in an absolutely miserable night out at best, and an emergency rescue at worst. I know this because when I was young and dumb, this is the kind of bag that I used. Once and never again. If I saw some guy try turn up on one of my trips with gear like this, I would boot him, and then explain why- that he was going to ruin the trip for everyone and possibly result in an aborted trip or an evac.

          Scratch that, I wouldn't even use that bag for my kids. My kid has a warmer sleeping bag for his sleepovers.

          Seriously, if you don't have the experience then giving no advice is better than giving dangerous advice straight from Google.

          • sumyungguy on 23/06/2025 - 14:30

            @rumblytangara: Thing is Mr God of Camping, in my locale the average daily minimum outside winter is above 16° so we only ever need the lighweight stuff.

            • rumblytangara on 23/06/2025 - 14:30

              @sumyungguy: And that POS Roman sleeping bag will not even deal with 16C with anything resembling comfort. That is not what the "15C" rating means.

              OP is clearly not talking about camping in Far North Queensland if he's talking about sleeping mats with R values of 4. He's talking about sleeping on properly cold ground. But… you don't know what that means, do you?

              Again- Mr Avoids The Inconvenient Question At All Costs - do you have experience with camping? Backpacking camping, not sleeping in a caravan camping.

              • sumyungguy on 23/06/2025 - 14:41

                @rumblytangara: Dude, this is OzBargain; you need to head over and rant on r/CampingGear

                • rumblytangara on 23/06/2025 - 15:17

                  @sumyungguy: You are great at not answering the question. Which is an answer in itself.

                  Maybe you are looking for r/givecluelessadvice

                  But thanks for trying to get some internet stranger into a really shitty situation.

                  • sumyungguy on 23/06/2025 - 15:32

                    @rumblytangara: I have a literal PhD in cycling touring camping but also a Masters in trying out the cheapest equipment I can find that's not going to kill me.

                    • rumblytangara on 23/06/2025 - 15:36

                      @sumyungguy:

                      also a Masters in trying out the cheapest equipment I can find that's not going to kill me.

                      So your methodology is to suggest shite gear to strangers and see if it kills them? That's the big brain way of doing it. Bonus points!

                    • oooooooo ahhhhhhh on 25/06/2025 - 11:51

                      @sumyungguy: You always get a bag for colder than you expect, if its too warm you can easily open the side zip up.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 22/06/2025 - 09:45

    The Therm-a-Rest Mattresses that we have have been brilliant.
    Pros: compact size, reasonably light, very comfortable, self inflating, reasonably puncture resistant, non-slip surface so sleeping bag doesn't constantly slide off during the night.
    Cons: pricey compared to some imitators.
    Other considerations: can get replacement valve parts and puncture repair kits readily.

  • MS Paint on 22/06/2025 - 09:49
    +1

    Solo Camping

    Sounds intense.

    • Protractor on 22/06/2025 - 11:12
      -1

      It is. Only the fittest survive. You gotta work it HARD

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 22/06/2025 - 09:52
    +3

    Have you sorted out cooking?
    We've had a Trangia kit that has been excellent. Metho for fuel, everything packs down conveniently.
    With food, water, tent, bag, mattress, your 10kgs is going to blow out.
    Good gear, light weight, economical - you get to choose 2 only.

    • RinrinB on 22/06/2025 - 11:10
      +1

      Thank you very much.
      I think I'm looking for good gear, light weight and reasonable price (mid range). It doesn't have to be cheap, but definitely not high-end.
      What would be a reasonable weight to carry in your opinion? 12kg?
      Thanks fot the recommendation on Trangia kit. I'll look into it. 🙂🙂

      • Protractor on 22/06/2025 - 11:13

        Don't forget the SPAM rations
        EDIT
        Tentworld is also worth a look.Current EOFY sale

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 22/06/2025 - 14:09

        See if you can borrow some gear to lay out at home. Then pack and check weight. I think you'll be surprised how quickly it mounts up.
        There are minimalist tents etc, but don't forget things like first aid gear, a multi-tool, as well as a map, & compass. You can't rely on Google Maps without phone coverage. Avenza app and pre-loaded maps are good, but you'll need a powerbank to keep the phone going = more weight.

      • rumblytangara on 22/06/2025 - 23:13
        +1

        Trangias take absolutely forever to boil water and you need to carry too much metho to fuel them. I didn't think people used them anymore!

        Get a cheapo gas burner to use with cartridges. There's a generic tripod design which folds out and costs several tens of dollars. Fits into a small billy. Aluminium windshield to concentrate the heat.

        If you're going to focus on weight savings, the dollars really stack up fast. Don't focus on weight unless you have a big budget. Just don't carry dumb car camping stuff like cast iron pans or dedicated camping lanterns.

        The Naturehike tent you mention is a well regarded, inexpensive and reasonably light staple. (I don't think I could go back to a 1 person tent though.)

  • sien on 22/06/2025 - 11:01
    +1

    Be really careful of solo camping and hiking.

    Really try and go camping with other people.

    It makes it much safer and much easier.

    If you are going to do think about some kind of personal device that can get to other people with an alarm.

    • Protractor on 22/06/2025 - 11:14

      Especially in Victoria

  • Doug Dinsdale on 22/06/2025 - 12:11
    +3

    A Personal Locator Beacon is the most important thing you need to buy/hire and take.

    The Bibbulmun Track Foundation in W.A. has some good advice on gear and preparation.

    https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/trip-planner/equipment-hir…

  • 82norm on 23/06/2025 - 09:15
    +2

    For cooking, boiling water, highly recommend a Furno Stove, $30 at Anaconda, small butane gas will last a few days easy. Extremely compact and just works. Absolutely must have kit.

  • gjk on 23/06/2025 - 09:26
    +2

    Nature Hike makes relatively good budget gear which is quite often on sale at Amazon. Make sure you look at the temperature rating of any sleeping bag to determine if they are advertising comfort range or limit range.

  • anthp on 23/06/2025 - 11:56

    Agree with @rumblytangara. You may regret following some of the advice here. A Roman sleeping bag rated at 15C isn't going to keep you comfortable in Spring and Autumn except in the tropics. And a Trangia while very reliable is probably the heaviest and slowest cook system you can find outside of a fire drum. Agree with those suggesting a canister stove. PLB is an excellent idea too. If you're going really remote, a two way communication device is even better. https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/c/outdoor-recreation/satellite-…

    For a sleeping bag, a quilt combined with the insulated mat you're looking at will keep you warm year round and you can open the quilt out like a doona on warm nights. https://ultralightgear.com.au/collections/quilts/products/wa…. This one weighs less than the Roman sleeping bag, packs up smaller and will actually keep you comfortable year round.

    You could probably find a mat weighing half as much as the one you're looking at if you're prepared to use one of the non-self-inflating types. https://ultralightgear.com.au/products/exped-ultra-3r-ultral…

  • Meho2026 on 23/06/2025 - 12:18
    +1

    It’s always a toss up between weight, price and quality.
    The Naturehike tents are good to start with because they are affordable and lightweight but not so durable.
    In good weather you can leave out the ground sheet and pegs to lighten the load.
    I use a Snowgum Blade tent in summer, they sell factory second ones discounted.
    Ive had a Klymit static V2 sleeping mat for years, it inflates in 10-12 breaths.
    I’ve tried various brands of inflatable pillows, they never last so now just buy a cheap one eg Kmart.
    Sleeping bags are a whole other issue. A quality, lightweight, cold weather bag is very expensive but probably worth the investment if camping in 5 degrees or less.
    The temperature ratings of sleeping bags are generally inaccurate and misleading.
    A cheaper lightweight option is ok in summer. I use a cheap lightweight Denali brand that compresses small but for cold snaps, combine with thermal long johns, long sleeves and a beanie

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