 The
right "sleep system" can make or break a backcountry or camping
trip. Your backcountry "sleep system" can consist of as much
as a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, bivy sac, tent and camping pillow. When
it comes to having a good night sleep away from home, a sleeping bag is
arguably the most important part of this system. When selecting the sleeping
bag that is right for you, there are many factors to consider. The most
important of these are:
- Temperature Rating
- Insulation
- Shape
- Weight
- Size
Temperature Rating:
 The
temperature rating of a sleeping bag is an indication of the coldest temperature
in which that sleeping bag is designed to optimally perform. For example,
a sleeping bag that is given a temperature rating of 15 degrees, will
ideally keep you warm if you are sleeping in temperatures that do not
drop below 15 degrees. Do not proceed with your sleeping bag decision,
until you have chosen your preferred temperature rating. Consider the
coldest temperatures you will encounter when using your bag, and don't
choose a bag with less protection than the appropriate temperature rating
offers. If you tend to be a "cold sleeper," even in the comfort
of your own home, it's not a bad idea to go with more insulation. A couple
of things to keep in mind: Temperature ratings are assigned by the manufacturer
of the sleeping bag, and are not an exact science. Several variations
will ultimately affect your overall warmth while sleeping outside.
A tent or a bivy sac can raise the
temperature as much as 10 degrees. This is very important to remember
if you never sleep under the stars.
A sleeping pad will also drastically affect your temperature, since they
not only provide comfort, but an additional layer of protection between
you and the ground.
Women not only prefer "women's specific" bags for their size
and shape, but also for the added insulation in certain areas of the bag.
Women tend to sleep colder than men, so women's bags will often include
extra insulation in the foot box and the chest area. Regardless of whether
or not the bag is gender specific, women generally prefer a warmer bag.
What you wear or don't wear in your sleeping bag can affect your overall
warmth. Don't be fooled into wearing too many layers of clothing when
you crawl into your bag. Let the sleeping bag do its job - wearing a parka
to bed isn't necessarily going to keep you warmer. A nice layer of dry,
weather appropriate long underwear will serve you best and maximize the
temperature rating of your bag.
Specific sleeping bag features are added or removed to adjust the bag's
rating. Insulating fabrics, draft collars and tubes, mummy hoods, drawstring
and zipper placements all affect the bag's warmth.
Remember that knowing when and where you use your sleeping bag will help
you decide on the best temperature rating for you. We have organized our
sleeping bags into general categories that will help you sift through
the huge selection. Before settling on a category, remember all the different
factors that affect the rating of the bag.
These categories are not industry
standards:
Summer
Season: 30 Degrees and up; summer use
Three
Season: 10-30 Degrees; spring, summer, fall use
Winter
Season:
-10-+10 Degrees; winter use
Extreme
Winter/Extra Warmth: -10 Degrees and below; winter and expedition
use
Insulation:
The insulation of a bag will be your next, most important consideration
when selecting your bag. Sleeping bags are filled with either down insulation
or synthetic insulation. Both categories have their pros and cons, although
down sleeping bags are generally more desirable and therefore more expensive.
 Down
is a natural fiber found under the feathers of geese and ducks. Although
deserving of an entire article of its own, down has a few defining characteristics,
which are important to consider. This article will not go into the details
of down, but be aware of "fill power" when considering a down
sleeping bag. Fill power is the number of cubic inches one ounce of down
will displace. Generally, the higher the number, the better the down.
Down sleeping bags have high warmth to weight ratio. This means that you
can increase the warmth of the bag without adding a lot of weight. Down
bags are also extremely compactable, so even bags with very low temperature
ratings will compress to a small size. Down, although expensive compared
to its synthetic counterparts, has a long lifetime. A sleeping bag, filled
with high quality down and cared for properly may be the only sleeping
bag you will ever have to purchase. And the down side to down? You may
be in trouble if your sleeping bag gets wet while in the backcountry.
Down can take an extremely long time to dry, and must be washed carefully.
See "Taking Care of your Sleeping Bag."
Synthetic
sleeping bags are filled with plastic threads - again, we're skipping
the technical details here. There are a number of variations in synthetic
bags - different materials have different names and various grades. Synthetic
materials continue to improve, and in today's bags you can find a lightweight,
compactable bag for a lot less money than its down counterpart. But, generally,
synthetic materials are heavier, bulkier and don't drape as well as down.
Synthetic materials will also degrade over time, so you may end up purchasing
two synthetic sleeping bags over time, for the price of one down bag.
On the up side, though, they insulate while wet, dry faster than down,
are non-allergenic and can be less expensive.
If weight and bulk are not important
considerations for you, it may not be necessary for you to spend the extra
money on down. If you anticipate encountering situations where you may
end up with a wet sleeping bag, a synthetic bag, especially one with water
resistant fabrics, is the far superior choice. But when it comes to weight
and bulk, there is no competition for down.
Shape:
This category is far less important and needs no further technical research.
You have two options when considering the shape of a sleeping bag - rectangular
or mummy. Mummy bags are superior to rectangular bags because they contour
to your body and cover your head, both lending more warmth and comfort
to the bag.
 Mummy
sleeping bags, when zipped and cinched, cover your entire body. On cold
nights, you can cinch the hood down to only allow a hole for breathing.
They are narrower in the foot box and through the length of the legs,
widening at the top to allow room for your torso and shoulders, and then
narrowing again in the hood. Mummy bags may feel restrictive to anyone
with claustrophobic tendencies, but manufacturers are starting to advance
their mummy designs to include stretch fabrics and designs, expandable
draft tubes, uneven fill placement for gender or use specific bags, and
mating zippers. The mummy bag category deserves some comparison-shopping
because they vary tremendously in their design features.
Rectangular sleeping bags are rectangular
in shape. They may not indicate "rectangular" in their description,
but rather will lack "mummy" as a descriptor. These bags will
typically, (unless it is cotton filled and purchased at Wal-Mart), include
a cinch cord at the top of the bag to pull in the edges on a chilly night.
More often than not, they will also include some sort of hood, even if
that is just added length on the bottom side of the bag. Since rectangular
bags don't taper to the shape of your body, you may lose some insulating
properties found in snug mummy bags. Restless sleepers may sleep better
in a rectangular bag, since there is more room to move.
Weight:
Another category that doesn't need a lot of explanation is weight. Everyone
is looking for higher quality, lighter weight, less expensive. Although
it is hard to find this ultimate combination, carefully consider the issue
of weight if you plan to carry your sleeping bag on your back. Contrary
to logic of the past, heavier and bulkier does not mean warmer. More often
than not, extremely warm and expensive bags are lightweight, highly compactable
and designed to hold up in extreme conditions. Do not make weight a major
consideration if you do not plan on carrying your sleeping bag in a backpack,
because lightweight fabrics and fillings are usually accompanied with
a heavyweight price tag.
Size:
In the history of sleeping bags, size is a fairly new category. Today,
you can choose between short, regular and long, as well as wide and women's
specific. Short sleeping bags typically fit heights up to 5'10",
regular bags fit heights up to 6'0" and long bags fit heights up
to 6'6". Size is important, not just for the obvious problem of being
too tall to fit in a bag, but also the problem of being too short for
a bag. Too much unused, dead space in a bag will detract from the insulating
properties of the bag. Plus, there is no reason to carry the extra length,
(weight), if you don't need it.
Some of these categories may be more
or less important to you when considering your bag, but being aware of
all the current features of sleeping bags will help you pick the perfect
bag. Although the information above covers the major categories for consideration,
don't forget about the distinctive features that make each sleeping bag
manufacturer and each sleeping bag unique. Fabrics, colors, stuff sacs,
zippers, etc - this category of outdoor gear makes major advances every
year. And, don't forget, a sleeping bag can make or break a backcountry
or camping trip - so choose carefully!
|
