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The Alpkit PipeDream 400 Review

We put the Alpkit PipeDream 400 sleeping bag - a soft design well-suited to fast and light camping - to the test.

Our rating

5

Fi Darby

Published: October 12, 2023 at 10:19 am

Pros:

Great warmth to weight ratio Suitable for chillier nights Lovely fabric and feel Hydrophobic down High sustainability factors

Cons:

Front-only shoulder baffle No women’s specific version

Our review: There's plenty to love about this three-season goose down sleeping bag, and all for a decent price.

Skip to product specifications...

Pick up the Pipedream 400 and you’ll immediately want to snuggle into it. This was one of the softest sleeping bags we tested but it was also cosy on a rainy summer night. If you camp regularly in wet weather, the hydrophobic down in this bag will give you added reassurance. Easy to compress and with a small pack size, this bag would be perfect if you prefer your camping fast and light.

Alpkit Pipedream 400
Image: BBC Countryfile Magazine / Fi Darby

How warm is the bag?

With a good allowance and distribution of high quality hydrophobic down, this sleeping bag has been designed to take you comfortably below freezing temperatures. However, some more expensive bags feel fuller and have a more comprehensive shoulder baffle than the Pipedream’s unusual halfway design. This bag includes a well-padded zip baffle and easily adjusted hood, and the mummy shape means you’ll be warming up less air with your body heat than you would in a rectangular bag.

How comfortable?

It’s hard not to love the feel of this bag. The fabrics are light, quiet and soft and the inside doesn’t feel sticky in warmer weather. For a mummy-shaped bag it offers plenty of space but with a shorter zip you might end up with hot feet. The YKK zips are of good quality, run well and don’t snag.

Is the down responsibly sourced?

This bag is filled with 100% RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified down.

Sustainability?

This sleeping bag is made in China. The down filling has been treated with a C6 PFC (less damaging than a C8 PFC but still problematic and bio-accumulative in the environment). The outer fabric is treated with the PFC-free water repellent DWR. Alpkit is carbon neutral (their emissions do not contribute to an increase in global emissions) under internationally recognised standard PAS2060. Alpkit will ensure this product is reused through their Continuum Project.

Are other versions available?

Alpkit also have available the 2-season Pipedream 200 and the 4-season Pipedream 600. All Pipedream sleeping bags are available in regular or long and with left or right zipping.

Is it good value?

Yes. You can pay a lot more for a sleeping bag of this warmth rating and weight.

Best for:

Backpacking or bikepacking in summer or warmer spring and autumn conditions.

Similar to:

Robens’ surprisingly soft synthetic Icefall Pro 300, which is lighter but not as warm.


Facts at a glance: Alpkit PipeDream 400

  • RRP: £239.99
  • Shape: Mummy
  • Fill: 400g fill weight, 750 fill power hydrophobic (DownTek) goose down
  • Weight: 865g
  • Packed size: 19cm x 14cm
  • Comfort rating (European standard 13537): Comfort temperature –4.2°C (lower temperature -10.8°C)

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Looking for more options? Check out our roundup of the best sleeping bags for every camper in 2023, tried and tested by the experts at Countryfile.

Fi Darby

Outdoor writer and navigation specialist

Fi is an outdoor writer based in Devon. She grew up on the Malvern Hills, her first camping experience was as a young girl at Guide camp, and she still knows how to pitch a traditional ridge tent today. From tarp shelters to canvas mess tents, Fi hasn’t let a tent beat her yet. Fi gained her Hill and Moorland Leader qualification in the days when it was still Walking Group Leader, and for the last 20 years has worked with young people and adults teaching expedition and wild camping skills through Scouting, the Ten Tors Challenge, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and wild camping workshops. She loves to bivvy on beaches and wild camp on Dartmoor, but her best sleeps come when she can find somewhere to hang her hammock. Fi loves camping so much her sleeping bag has a name.
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