Sleeping Bags

Your Guide To Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are either synthetic or down filled.  There is really no benefit of one over the other as both types of bags have their pros and cons.  As an example, synthetic bags are easy to clean and low maintenance, whereas down bags need to be cleaned and stored differently and with more care as down can be affected by their environment as well as by their natural oils, which build up over time.  However, down bags are generally warmer, lighter in weight for their warmth rating, and thus more compact.

In terms of temperature ratings, sleeping bags only really provide a rating based on the average person in average conditions.  Their temperature ratings do not take into account other factors relating to the individual, such as whether a person is a warm or a cold sleeper, whether that person will be camping outside, in a tent, or in a cabin, and whether or not that person will be using a self-inflating mat, a sleeping bag liner or both.  Even a person’s height and general size can make a massive difference in determining what type of bag will be appropriate.  Children for example, are much smaller in size, and when put into a standard size sleeping bag, have a vast amount of space left over.  The air within this space takes longer to heat up and will therefore fail to retain as much warmth as it would for a full sized adult.  Children should therefore use warmer bags in conjunction with some of the other methods mentioned above. 

How Bags Are Rated

Temperature ratings can be displayed in one of two ways, in degrees or in seasons.  Both of these methods of explaining temperature are useful, but because a temperature rating can be influenced by so many factors, more often than not, a seasonal rating is more informative.  Seasonal ratings basically state that a bag will be appropriate for either one, two, three or four seasons, with four seasons obviously being the warmest type of bag and in some ways the most useful as it will keep you warm in almost any environment. 

However, three season bags are probably the most popular due to their overall versatility.  A good quality three season bag will provide most people with the right amount of warmth for whatever they are planning on doing.  A three season bag will be appropriate for any season except winter.  Most people don’t camp outside in the dead of winter any way, and if they do, it is unlikely that they will be on a long and arduous hike.  Because three season bags are slightly cooler than the four season ones, they are often lighter in weight and smaller in size when packed away.  These are benefits, which will aid the traveler as well as the hiker.

When a rating is measured by degrees it is simply stating that an average person should stay warm inside the sleeping bag at the allocated temperature for that bag.  Most ratings in this case would range from +10 degrees down to -5 degrees centigrade, with a few going even further down to -10 or -15 degrees.  Most people, unless they are mountaineering, will not need anything of this sort.  There are a few methods, however, of increasing the warmth of a sleeping bag so it can be used in more situations and in different environments.

Warming Up

Getting warmer in a sleeping bag is not always that difficult.  Warmth can be increased if the environment is right.  For example, in a tent, extra body warmth serves to increase the overall temperature.  Also, in a tent with two people, sleeping bags can be zipped together, which will definitely increase warmth, but more often than not, the sleeping bags must be made by the same company and have the same zipping system in order to perform this function.

Other ways of keeping warm are sleeping bag liners, self-inflating mats, and wearing thermal underwear. 

Wearing thermal underwear is of course an obvious way to keep warm.   Thermal underwear comes in a few different types of fabrics, the most popular of which are wool and polypropylene.  Wool is generally better for activity, due to the fact that it is a natural fiber which breathes and can regulate body temperature.  Polypropylene is a better material for simply keeping warm.  The synthetic nature of polypropylene ensures that all body warmth becomes trapped and therefore serves to increase warmth without the effort of activity. 

Another simplistic way to generate more warmth is by adding a liner to the sleeping bag.  Liners come in various fabrics, with each fabric performing differently.  For example, cotton liners are more or less used by campers who are going into cool to warm climates.  In winter, cotton is not preferable due to its hydrophilic nature, which means that it loves water.  It soaks it up and doesn’t dry, keeping the sleeper cold and wet.  In winter, this can have really drastic affects. 

Silk liners are fantastic.  They are incredibly small, light in weight and have a wonderful feeling of luxury about them.  They also serve to prevent bed bug infiltration.  So they are perfect for travelers.  Silk liners are also much more expensive, so travelers looking to save money should just stay with cotton.

Both cotton and silk liners should be expected to increase temperature rates inside the bag by 2-5 degrees centigrade.  It does however depend on the person.  Warm sleepers may find that the temperature rate increase is more significant than that of cold sleepers.

Outside of standard liners like cotton and silk are ones which have been created solely for the purpose of generating a great deal of warmth.  Liners like these are made of a synthetic material called Thermolite, a material which is usually found within the lining of sleeping bags.  So really, it is like a lining for your lining.  Thermolite liners guarantee an increase in warmth usually by about 8 degrees.  This is far more superior to other liners in relation to warmth generation, but liners such as these should only be used in cold climates in conjunction with sleeping bags or in warm climates by themselves.

Choosing A Bag

Based on the information given above, it should now seem a bit easier and less confusing in deciding what type of bag is best for you.  Just keep in mind the factors relating to individual circumstance as well as those relating to nature.  By properly assessing the situation and preparing with the right additions to your sleeping bag, you will be able to ensure that your journey is a comfortable one.