Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag
Revealing the truth about sleeping bags
– don’t always accept what’s on the label!
A User’s Guide
by
The Equipment Library
Introduction
There are many brands and styles of sleeping bags available to choose from
when it comes to preparing for school camps, hiking and trekking.
Every person has a different body composition, metabolism and physique. All
of these attributes contribute to the level of comfort one experiences when
sleeping in a sleeping bag.
It is always good to consult your friends and family about their experience to
assist you come to your final decision.
Always remember that what appears on a lot of labels of sleeping bag is a
maximum temperature rating. Often many are not tested to determine their
true temperature rating, so some caution need to be exercised when
selecting a product without professional advice.
This guide will provide you with information that will guide you to make that
vital final decision.
About Author
Anton Stanitzki has a background in retail outdoor store management,
extensive hiking and trekking experience in Australia and Nepal, along with
15 years adventure activity leadership.
This wealth of experience has enable him to have completed most of the top
hiking locations around Australia, including numerous Overland Track
Trips(TAS), The South West Walk (TAS), The Six Foot Track (NSW), Frazer
Island (QLD), Hinchinbrook Island (QLD), Larrapinta Trail (NT), Mt Feathertop
(VIC), Alpine Walking Track (VIC), and extensive hiking in Wilsons
Promontory(VIC).
This led to the founding The Equipment Library to offer parents, hikers and
trekkers a chance to share in his expertise, experience and knowledge.
Determining your Needs
When considering the purchase or hire of a sleeping bag there are four
key questions you must ask yourself:
Do I need a synthetic or down sleeping bag?
What size and shape are best?
What climatic conditions in which will the sleeping bag be
used?
Who am I purchasing it for, male or female?
Synthetic or Down – What’s the difference?
Today there are two main types of Sleeping Bags and both offer different
properties and benefits.
Synthetic Sleeping Bags
Quite simply a synthetic sleeping bag will cost less to purchase, will be a little
bulkier and heavy, but have a number of distinct advantages.
They will keep the user warm, even if wet.
Are easier to care for.
Better for people who suffer from dust mite allergies.
Down Sleeping Bags
If you are looking at a long-term investment then a down bag will be a better
option. It will be more costly than a synthetic product but if cared for
correctly will last for 10 years or more.
The benefits of duck or goose down is it offers the highest warmth to weight
ratio product available, is highly compressible therefore saving space and
weight. However is loses its warmth when damp or wet.
For further information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_bag
What size and shape are best?
Sleeping bags come in a number of different shapes and sizes. Here we
shall look at how to choose the right size and shape.
Size of a sleeping bag is closely linked to the user’s height and weight.
The primary function of a sleeping bag is to trap heat generated by the
user and store this warm to control body temperature and comfort. A
sleeping bag that is too big will take longer to reach optimal
temperature and inversely if too small body movement will be
restricted therefore minimising normal sleeping patterns.
Sleeping bags come in three distinct shapes: Rectangular, Tapered
Rectangle and Mummy shapes.
Rectangular sleeping bags are general in purchase and are best suited
to warmer periods such as summer and early spring and autumn.
Tapered rectangle bags are a slimmed down version of the above,
generally tapered from the hip to foot region. This allows them to be
lighter and generally a little warmer that a rectangular counterpart.
Tapered bags are best suited to cooler and cold conditions.
Mummy shaped bags are slimmer all over with a highly tampered leg
and foot area. This means that the bag will warm up quicker, is lighter
and are a much snugger fit. These are ideal for winter conditions.
What climatic conditions in which will the sleeping bag be used?
As a guide it is best choose a sleeping bag that is a little warmer in
rating than the conditions you are anticipating. Why? Quite simple, it is
easier to cool down than it is to warm up. If your sleeping bag is not
warm enough you will have poor sleep, use more energy and will not
feel rested. If your sleeping bag is too warm, you can open it up a little,
reduce the amount of sleep wear you are wearing or open the bag
completely and use it as a cover.
To simplify this consider the following table as a guide to determining
your sleeping bag needs:
Summer
Rectangle
Semi Rectangle
Mummy
*
Autumn
Early
Winter
Spring
Early
*
*
*
*
Late
Late
Who am I purchasing it for, male or female?
It is as well established medical fact that males have a higher
metabolism than females. In simple terms when looking for a female
sleeping bag you will need to choose one warmer than that of a male.
As a rule of thumb I suggest you add an additional 6 deg C to the
maximum comfort level of the bag.
What features should I look for?
There are many features you could choose when deciding on the right
sleeping bag for your needs, but let’s look at the key features that
should be considered. I suggest these four are the most important:
Hood and neck line draw cords
Draft tube
Separate side and foot zipper
Compression bag
Understanding the EN 13537 Standard
This is becoming more common in the Australian marketplace. Most of
the larger outdoor stores use this. There are essentially three rating
levels: Comfort, Limit & Extreme.
To simplify this discussion, disregard the Extreme rating. This is a
survival rating and will not provide any level of comfort for the user.
T Comfort provides a temperature rating for an average adult female,
so if your user feels the cold, has a lean physique, or is not an active
person this will not provide a comfortable sleep. I suggest that you
deduct 7 deg C from a comfortable rating.
T Limit defines the maximum lowest temperature an adult male will
have a comfortable sleep. As with the above statement it is necessary
to consider the user. I recommend that for an average male you should
deduct 5 deg C for a true comfort rating.
The table below is what you will often see when choosing a sleeping
bag. This is a standard way of displaying this rating system.
Need more information:
Please feel free to contact The Equipment Library if you have any
questions, would like further advise or would like us to advise you on a
suitable product for your requirements.
Phone: 0413-470-930
Email: [email protected]