Of all my trekking gear, I’m most fan of my sleeping bag. And why shouldn’t I be : it has kept me warm through rain, wind and snow and allowed me to rest sufficiently to get my strength up again for the next day’s trek.
Equipping the right sleeping bag is crucial to the success of your trip. In this article, we look deeper into the world of the bags and try to give out some tips to keep in mind when buying a new sleeping bag.
Bagging it….
As with tents, and with all equipment purchases, the first question is always: ‘what will I be using this sleeping bag for ?’
This gives you a general idea of the circumstances you will be using your sleeping bag in.
Do you plan a summer’s night out or some serious winter camping ?
The first and foremost goal of a good sleeping bag is keeping you warm during the night (and if need be, day, when you have to sit out a storm).
Most sleeping bags have temperature ratings, often divided in a comfort and risk zone. There is no real standard rating for sleeping bags, but as a general rule, I always tend to ignore the risk zones. You want to stay comfortable, not walk the tightrope.
Think of the coldest temperature you might experience, then drop down another ten degrees (Celsius). That number is a safe indicator of which sleeping bag you’ll be needing.
Sleep like an Egyptian…
Sleeping bags come in all sizes and shapes…and they do so for a reason.
In general, two major shapes can be found: rectangular or mummy-shaped bags.
Rectangular bags give you more space to move about during your sleep. They don’t really restrict movement during sleep. Since they have larger openings, there is also more room for the heat to escape. They don’t keep you as warm as their mummy counterparts, and are the ideal summer sleeping bags.
Mummy sleeping bags fit around the body and often have a hood as well. They are indeed ideal for colder camping. Since almost half of your body heat escapes via the head, hoods can indeed make the difference. Fitting your body closely, there is minimal heat loss and your body doesn’t need as much energy to warm the sleeping bag.
Does size matter ?
There have been discussions on the need of female-specific sleeping bags, bags in different sizes and the like. Do you need them ? In short: yes !
The answer can be found in the way sleeping bags work in combination with your body.
By heating up the air in between your body and the bag, you get warm yourself. All the bags does is keeping the heat in. The more there is in between you and your bag, the more energy your body needs to warm the air.
On the other hand, if the bag fits too tight, the insulation inside gets pushed together, loosing a part of it’s ability to keep the warmth. Pick a bag just a little bit larger than you are: it gives a bit of extra space to stretch, toss and turn, but will still keep you warm.
Birds of a feather…
Another important decision you need to make is whether you go for a synthetic fill or a genuine down feather bag.
Down feather sleeping bags are more expensive. Period.
Another disadvantage to down feather fillings is that a wet sleeping bag is a cold sleeping bag: the feathers stick together and will not insulate as much anymore until they are dry again.
They do have some advantages over synthetic bags though: not only are they warmer, they also last longer. Many people claim they are also more comfortable, although such is up to the sleeper’s taste.
Synthetic sleeping bags don’t warm as good as their feathery colleagues, but are cheaper and often lighter as well. Although I recommend not getting any sleeping bag wet, they do work better until wet conditions.
Ten Tips to Bag it…
To finish off, I’ll leave you with a series of tips to keep in mind when buying your sleeping bag:
1) Some models come with in-built pockets. It seems a great idea, until you sleep a night on your keys or you crush your watch under your weight.
2) Get a bag lining for your sleeping bag (silk for down, cotton for synthetic). It doesn’t only add a few degrees of warmth to your bag, you also have to wash it less often.
3) Remember: each time you wash your sleeping bag, you loose a temperature degree
4) For serious winter camping, get a model with a shoulder/neck collar to seal the warmth in
5) You don’t need to sleep in the nude, a simple, comfortable layer of thin clothing warms as good as simply skin. But if you want to….feel free
6) Check if your zippers can be opened from the inside of the bag as well, or you’ll be giving a rather hilarious imitation of a giant caterpillar in the morning.
7) Never, ever store your sleeping bag for long periods in their carrying bag. Keep them loosely tucked away or hung up somewhere dry instead.
8 ) Stuff it, don’t roll it.
9) Combine it with a good sleeping mat to insulate from the ground up
10) Snuggle away after a long day of trekking!
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