Buying a sleeping bag
Being comfortable and warm at night is crucial for enjoyment of the outdoors, so a good sleeping bag is a vital piece of equipment. It's hard to appreciate a beautiful dawn when you've spent most of the night shivering in an inadequate bag.
First and foremost, a sleeping bag must keep you warm. The filling is of importance here, but so is design. The closer fitting a bag, the warmer it will be so the best shape is a tapered one. An adjustable hood is needed too, as much heat is lost through the head. However, for comfort, you also need a bag you can stretch out and curl up in rather than one that feels like a strait-jacket. The big decision to be reached is about the filling. There are three choices: waterfowl down, polyester fill and fibre-pile. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Down has the best warmth for weight ratio, packs up smallest and is long lasting, but loses all warmth when soaked, is slow to dry, hard to clean and is quite expensive. Polyesters such as Hollofil, Quallofil and Polarguard are quick drying, resistant to damp and reasonably priced but bulkier and heavier than down for equivalent warmth and are shorter lived. Fibre-pile is warm when wet, quick drying, long lasting and inexpensive, but again bulkier and heavier than down for equivalent warmth. Where weight is critical, down is the best choice, For shorter trips or car camping, polyester is suitable, whilst for bivouacing or snowholing where your bag is likely to get damp, pile is worth considering. Whatever the fill, sleeping bags come in various weights with season or temperature ratings. Be warned, these are guidelines only. Cold sleepers may need an extra 'season' to ensure a warm night, whilst warm ones may be able to get away with a lighter bag than that suggested for the time of year. You can of course 'stretch' the warmth of a bag by wearing clothes in it and all bags will perform better if used with an insulating mat underneath. We stock sleeping bags from top manufacturers including Snugpack, RAB and Vango.
Season Rating
This tells you, roughly, at what time of the year the sleeping bag can be used comfortably. However, the season rating cannot be too specific as toleration of cold varies from person to person.
1 season use in summer
2 season use from late spring to early autumn
3 season use through spring, summer and autumn
4 season Low level use all year round
The above refers to general use, not high level mountain
use.
Materials
The Filling: Its purpose is to trap air and prevent its circulation. The air is heated by your body and because it is retained around you, provides the warmth necessary to keep you comfortable whilst you sleep.
Down: Nature's own is still the best insulating material. It is lightweight with excellent loft (fluffs up well to trap air) and is extremely compressible to give a small pack size. Down has excellent "drape" properties, settling around the body and eliminating the drafty gaps sometimes left by stiffer synthetics. However, down is a poor performer when wet, unlike some polyester fibres which resist moisture well. Also, down bags are expensive.
Synthetic: Heavier, bulkier and with a much shorter life-span than down, yet cheaper, easier to clean and the best choice for wet conditions where it still offers reasonable insulation. Synthetic fillings are made up of polyester fibres of various construction. The most common is 'hollowfibre' where short tubular fibres have a hollow centre for trapping air, giving good insulating properties and reducing weight. 'Kontrol', from the UK manufacturer John Cotton is a latest innovation giving small pack size but high loft capabilities. NB: The weight of filling in a bag is not an accurate indicator of its thermal performance as the quality of fillings vary. A high-quality filling may cost a bit more but gives a better warmth to weight ratio.
Shell Fabrics: These hold the filling in place. A close
weave on the outer helps repel water/wind penetration as well as keeping
the filling in. Probably the most common fabric used today is a lightweight
nylon which also offers low bulk. In some instances this will be Ripstop
on the outer. This means it incorporates a reinforced, fiber mesh to
prevent tearing and, because of the increased strength gained, an even
lighter material can be used. Some nylon shells are coated to make them
more water resistant, yet still allow the body to 'breath'. 'Pertex'
fabric also does this. In addition it wicks moisture away from the body
to keep you dry. Occasionally cotton is used as a lining, as this is
very comfortable to sleep in but the penalty is extra bulk and weight
and it is slower to dry. In some bags, a metalised layer is incorporated
between the filling and shell to reflect back body heat. This can improve
the performance of a bag by up to 15%.
Construction
There are various methods of keeping the filling in place.
Stitched Through: Quilting holds the filling in channels
or baffles. However, you get cold spots along the stitch lines so this
method is unsuitable for cold weather bags.
Double Layer Offset: As above but using 2 layers. Offsetting the quilting
helps eliminate the problem of cold spots.
Profile: A 'no stitch through' construction which produces 30% extra
loft. Special resins enable the insulating fibres to support themselves
inside the bag, without the need for any quilting. This means no stitch
lines, and hence, no cold spots.
Features
Zips: Allow for easy access and, as all our zips are of the '2-way' type, there is an option to open the foot of the bag for ventilation on warm nights giving more flexibility to the upper temperature rating. As a zip creates a cold spot, all of them have a zip baffle - a tube of insulation that backs the zip and ensures you stay warm inside. All of our zipped bags are available with either left or right hand zips. If you wish to zip 2 bags together, get one of each. Otherwise, we recommend a left hand zip for right hand users and a right hand zip for left hand users. Our zips have an anti-snagging feature to prevent them 'catching' either the baffle or the bag edges.
Hoods: All our sleeping bags have tailored hoods adjusted by drawcord.
Neck Baffles: This insulated collar is to be found on most of our sleeping bags. A drawcord brings this snugly around you ensuring no cold drafts down the back of the neck.
Box Foot: Here, the foot section is created by a circular piece of insulated fabric, creating a 'mummy' shape which gives plenty of room for the feet.
Stuff Sacs: All of our sleeping bags come with a stuff
sac for easy transport. Most incorporate compression straps to reduce
pack size. Remember to stuff your bags into the sacks rather than rolling
them.
IMPORTANT
When not in use, your sleeping bag should be stored
loose. Continual compression is bad for the filling and will reduce
the life of your bag.
Sleeping Bag Liners
Sleeping Bag Liners can add up to 15 degrees of warmth to your sleeping bag, making it possible to use your sleeping bag in colder weather. In warm weather, a liner alone makes a comfortable alternative to a sleeping bag. Most liners are much easier to clean than sleeping bags, and all liners are made of soft materials that enhance your comfort. A liner can also double as a sheet when travelling.