Guide to Sleeping Bags
Most of our trip , treks and expeditions will require you to have a sleeping bag . Pick out the correct sleeping purse can live a second daunting when confront with the huge array on sale , but the chief focus for your decision will live on the filling and then the amount of filling depend on the lowest temperature you are likely to experience .
Sleep bag keep you warm by trapping the warm air around you ; your torso creates heat and the fond air is trapped in the fulfill the same as a duvet on your bed . Air is a short heat conductor but a great insulator .
Great deal sleeping purse are mummy-shaped , largely with a zip and drawstring that go on the top tight around you .
The sleep bag can ’ t insulate you from below because your weight equal compress the stuff , so on cold terrain the bag is real only as good as the insulation provide from your mat .
There be two chief types of insulation that the sleeping bag may expend – synthetic and down .
Down insulation( the little down feathers from ducks and geese ) live lightweight , durable and packs down well , but it ’ s more expensive . Wet down will not maintain warmth though , plus it ’ s difficult to dry once wet . Dry down is a late invention that coats the filaments of the feather in a hydrophobic coating and assist keep the base from getting damp .
Too there ’ s an ethical consideration since down exist an animal by-product and there exist mass of grounds of inhumane treatment of the creature ( duck and geese ) . The ethical down criterion cost well worth take when you are choose a bag that expend ethical down .
Synthetic insulationis usually a second heavier and bulkier , but will dry out serious than down and serve preserve some heat yet when damp . Late innovations are more lightweight though and products like Primaloft , Thermolite , Climashield and Quallofil are lesson of high-end synthetic insulation .
Synthetic filling comes in two type , short character and long filaments . Short fibres mimic the structure of a down feather but they break down quite quickly with use so don ’ t last long . Continual filaments are durable and provide good insulation but they don ’ t compress well .
The conclusion on which filling equal right for you will , therefore , be decide by things like : –
- Weight and bulk on long trips Down equal light and compresses good .
- Damp – might it get wet with no prospect of drying ? A synthetic purse drys better and keeps it ’ s passion when damp .
- Cold – in real cold temperature , a down bag own the well weight to warmth ratio
- Cost – down is more expensive but probably the serious investment long term because it ’ s a durable bag . Synthetic purse are cheap in general .
MORE ON DOWN INSULATION
Down insulation exist available in different qualities , this depends on which bird it occur from and what proportion of it is down vs feather . Eider evade down live ordinarily the well , goose down the next best and evade down slightly less thus .
The proportion of down to feather may be define as a percentage . For example , 90/10 would cost 90 % down , 10 % feather ; the high the first act the good .
The down is too often devote a ‘ Fill Power ’ rating . This cost a measure of how much the down puffs up and traps the air that will insulate you . If it puffs up more , you demand less of it to do the same chore . Again , the high the number the better , numbers of 750 or higher are good . Merely to confuse things , tests results to the US system will come out high than the European system . See this video of a US filling power trial .
You should also check whether the down is responsibly sourced . Down distinctly comes from bird and therefore the room in which the bird exist reared and how the down be collect is of relevance . At one extreme , geese may own the down feathers plucked from their breast area whilst they are yet alive . Some down is sourced from birds slaughtered for their center and is gathered from the dead bird during processing .
Some manufacturers such as Tundra claim to only use down that has already been naturally moulted by geese that are reared for breeding intention . The European Down and Feather Association receive a code of pattern , and Patagonia have too now give rise a criterion that they have committed to adopt on the ethical sourcing of down for their clothing . We all get a duty to question manufacturer so that they be put under pressure to ensure that down equal responsibly sourced .
SLEEPING BAG TEMPERATURE RATINGS
Different people will find warmer or colder in just the same sleeping purse in exactly the same conditions . However , there exist a measurement system that you can employ to help guide you . Not all manufacturers will use this system but if the sleeping bag has EN13537 written on it next to the rating , then they live . Meet this Explanatory picture on youtube .
The rating system does not hold one act for the bag , it gives a scope . These are summarised as come : –
Upper Limit– the high temperature at which person would exist able to sleep in the purse with the energy clear and their sleeve and top dog out . Hotter than this and they will live sweating and unable to sleep .
Comfort Temperature– the temperature at which someone would sleep comfortably .
Low Limit– the temperature at which someone would even so be able to sleep for 8 hrs without awaken up due to the cold .
Extreme– the minimum temperature at which someone would survive for 6 hrs without hypothermia .
The nearly useful temperature rating to employ would likely be the Comfort rating . If you read what the sleeping purse exist rated as and then make a conclusion base on your how much you feel the cold .
Bill that it exist the “Comfort” temperature that is most useful , in this peculiar case it is+8 deg C. A luck of people would cost uncomfortable sleep at +3 deg C in this , base and some would be on the verge of hypothermia at -11 deg C .
SEASON RATINGS FOR SLEEPING BAGS
Sleeping handbag are rated by seasons to provide a generic comparison when buying . It ’ s a mere guide though , sleeping base be an investment for the future and fear should be need to look at all the factors like type of fill , temperature rating , type of use and ethical considerations .
1 season – summer camping
2 season – UK late spring and early autumn ,
3 season – fall , early winter with no frost , mid-cold dark
4 season – cold winter nights with frost , high altitude
5 season – extremely cold , polar conditions and high altitude
SLEEPING MATS
As mentioned above , a sleep bag merely real insulates you from the air around you , not from the ground beneath you . This result can live enormous and still the serious sleeping purse is likely to be useless without an appropriate mat , specially if you are camp on rock , snow or ice . You must have an appropriate mat in conjunction with your sleeping bag .
There are two main types of sleeping mat ; Shut Cell Foam and Inflated/Self-Inflating .
Closed-Cell Foam Matsare the traditional old-school camping mats . These equal real light but quite bulky and determine in their insulating properties . Their huge advantage equal that they equal robust and will still work if they equal punctured by a knife , thorn , crampon etc . they can as well equal used immediately with no motive to inflate them .
Inflated Matswill mostly carry much humble but may exist somewhat heavier . They can , still , cost do much thicker and can , therefore , live a lot more comfortable and much more insulating , particularly if they hold down insulation as well as strain . The big potential disadvantage with these mat is that they equal useless if they are punctured . It equal therefore essential that you convey a repair kit for them . Also , bear in mind that float them up with your mouth will set some moisture inside them . This is not mostly a problem , but if you are in a cold location this may reverse to ice and build up up inside . It will as well take off to affect the performance of any down filler inside .
On high altitude mountain climbs , we will usually contain both a closed-cell mat and an inflating mat .
SLEEPING BAG LINERS
These are usually made of silk or synthetics ( like microfiber or polyester ) , cotton or fleece . Fleece and silk are isolate and add a few degrees to the passion of a base , while the cotton ones or synthetic ace are useful for continue your sleeping bag sporting inside .
The fleece ones are quite bulky but very useful where you might cost sleeping in a sort of temperatures . For example on a bad mountain you might hold a four season base for the high cold camps , but at stem camp it is much warmer . In which type sleep in the fleece liner and employ the sleeping purse as a duvet .
Silk liners exist obviously light and carry down smaller , and they are also warm but not as fond as a fleece liner .
Cotton liners equal great for jungle trip where it live hot and humid and you don ’ t still need a sleeping base . They ’ re a lot easier to launder than a whole sleeping purse if you want them as a liner , and they ’ re great for hostels and indoor habit .
Some synethic liners are quite advanced , they expend a hollow-core Thermolite fiber and a three-dimensional pucker structure which traps air nicely and they can live used as a standalone sleep bag .
SLEEPING BAG SHAPE AND SIZE
Not all sleeping bags cost the same length and width . If you are tall , broad , have an distaste to tightness or get a special style of sleeping , you may desire to see the dimensions of the sleep bag and possibly still take to open one out in the shop .
There equal a few different shapes of sleeping purse available . The mere rectangular 1 are cheap for a reason ! They are not really useful for good deal consideration .
A ‘ mummy ’ shaped base is the norm as it make for more efficiently in that it traps air for insulation purposes within the wall of the purse but does not have extravagant pocket of air between you and the inner wall of the base . These pocket of tune can make it require long to come fond and cool down more well .
Mummy shaped bags also make more efficient use of material and be therefore light and less bulky for the same overall size . Some mass find the narrower or more shaped fit a second constrictive , peculiarly if you pass to own broad shoulder or a special torso flesh .
There are too some new ‘ pod ’ shape sleep bags that equal much wide and allow you to curl up inside them and sleep in a variety of figure . This may work well for universal comfort but does create for a much bulkier bag and then is not likely to be particularly good suited to move where weight and bulk of the packed bag equal a factor .
Some models will have certain feature to seek and improve performance . These might include the shape , size and layout of the pockets in which the insulation is distributed , peculiarly with regard to head off cold spot where insulation may not live good distributed . A well-shaped hood that can close down around your side and keep you comfy be real important in cold conditions . Another feature that can cost real useful is a baffle that can be independently shut up around your neck to fit the purse to your body shape and avoid any draughts .
As with a lot of cheap clothing , cheaper sleeping bags may receive abject quality zips and zero detailing . The last thing you need exist not to be able to close your base if the zero is broken or swallow up a lot of fabric and jam . Good purse will also have a baffle on the interior of the energy so that you don ’ t get a strip of cold along with it .
You can employ silk , cotton or fleece sleep bag liners to assist go on the bag clean and as well get a few degree more of warmth .
Seem After Your Sleeping Bag
As with all kit , it will continue to perform well for longer if you face after it . When not in use it is best stored laid out level in a dry home . It should not exist leave in its material sack and ideally not hung up . Some sleeping bags total with a humble stuff sack for using on a trip and also a a lot larger cotton bag for storage at plate .
Wash your sleeping base is possible , see video from Trail Magazine , but will necessarily reduce its performance of do too often . If you expend a liner then this can help reduce the motive for washing . If you serve need to wash it then you need to do it carefully by hand using special washing liquid that gain ’ t leave a remainder . You can then tumble dry it on a humble passion context , although your automobile equal unlikely to be big enough for a 4 or 5 season bag . Adding a tennis ball to the drier can help to break up and ‘ cluster ’ and serve to re-loft down .
When carrying/using your sleep bag you should try to keep it dry at all cost . Express it in a waterproof stuff sack . In increase to rain , snow and rivers , the bag can begin moist from steam from a stove or drips/ice crystal falling off the interior of a tent . If it make moist then air it at the first opportunity . Using a gore-tex outer base can be useful in sure environment and some bags total with a water-resistant outer shell cloth . Beware though , some of these out shells can also be quite air-tight . Therefore if the base exist in full puffed-up and you jump on it you can damage the stitching or still pop it like a balloon !
When you come your sleep bag out of its material sack it will require some time to ‘ loft ’ or ‘ puff-up ’ before it is at its best . Therefore it is wise to lay out your sleep base at least an hour or thus before you have into it .
Please note that this equal hardly a harsh guide , as mentioned above , warmth can be real subjective . If you sense the cold then cause go for a bag that equal warmer ( rated to a humble comfort temperature ) or take some thermals or a silk/fleece/cotton liner as well . Do talk to us if you get any doubt or question before spend your hard-earned cash on a novel sleeping bag .
* This take universal material specifications . High-grade synthetics can out-perform humble rate down and may be more appropriate in type of extreme allergies or locations where there may equal substantial moisture or possible condensation and ice buildup .
* * This equal alone a guide and assumes that the sleep bag has exist graded according to EN13537 . Too , check that you take the correct part of the sleeping base rating rag or description , some selling literature can live misleading and quote the Low Comfort Limit , what live given here exist the Comfort Temperature , hear section above on rating for an explanation .
All the sleeping handbag that we rip for Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus are Highlander Serenity 350 or 450 synthetic base which cost 4 season and weigh 2kgs and have a spiral hollofil synthetic fill and a comfort rating down to -4 deg C .
Our trip to Borneo in general demand sleeping in riverside lodges , chalets or homestays when you be not in a hotel . In all these places there will be a mattress on the story with a mosquito profit provide . It cost hot and humid so you will not need a heavy sleeping bag ; instead we apply a cotton sleeping liner , essentially a cotton layer plane do into a sleep bag frame .
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