The Robens Gully 1200 is a durable and affordable winter sleeping bag. At 220cm long and with no shorter version available, this bag is certainly aimed at taller campers. A wide mummy shape makes things very spacious, so if you prefer to have ample freedom of movement then you are likely to enjoy this bag. However, with so much room I would have preferred to have seen the internal waist drawcord included in some of Roben’s other sleeping bags, which allows you to adjust the internal space if required.
Ratings: 3.5/5 | Price: £209.99 | Available from: Alpine Trek | Weight: 1.98kg (Only available in size Long). | Fill: 1200g 600FP mix of Thermo Hybrid RDS duck down and MicroThermo Ball synthetic. | Shell: 50D polyester Taffeta | Zip: 2 way, 2/3 length. | Length: 220cm | Rating: Comfort -9°c | Sizes: Long | Women’s version: No.
More info: robens.de/en-gb/
I was very happy with the durability of the materials. 50D polyester taffeta is used for the lining – highly resistant to tears or scrapes. The insulation is hybrid, with a duck down/MicroThermo Ball synthetic mix on the top of the bag, and MicroThermo Ball used on the bottom. MicroThermo Ball is a polyester insulation intended to mimic the properties of down. As a synthetic insulation it is waterproof, so Robens have used this to insulate the bottom half of the bag, along with the footbox and hood – the areas of the bag most likely to get wet. Overall, I thought it did a good job. I have had my feet crammed against the inside of a (heavily condensated) tent, and while the outer material ended up soaked, I didn’t have issues with cold feet. This insulation mix also allows the bag to loft rapidly after being compressed for long periods.
The Robens Gully 1200 comes with plenty of features. The hood includes a zipped cushion pocket, which I found worked really well. There are two very large internal pockets which are great for keeping electronics warm inside with you. The hood is easily adjustable, and there is an adjustable draft collar running the length of the zip.
At 1.98kg this is the heaviest bag in this test, but I still found this manageable for winter backpacking. It is also the least expensive and I suspect the most durable in the long-term.