Intense 3-season Mummy Sleeping Bag With Drawstring Shoulder Stuff Bag Reviews

Most of our trips, treks and expeditions will require you to have a sleeping pocketbook. Choosing the correct sleeping bag can be a chip daunting when faced with the huge array on sale, just the main focus for your decision will be on the filling so the amount of fill depending on the lowest temperature you are likely to experience.

Sleeping numberless keep you lot warm by trapping the warm air around you; your body creates heat and the warm air is trapped in the filling the same equally a duvet on your bed. Air is a poor heat conductor just a bully insulator.

Mountain sleeping bags are mummy-shaped, mostly with a zip and drawstring that keeps the height tight around you.

The sleeping bag can't insulate you from beneath considering your weight is compressing the material, so on common cold terrain the purse is actually merely as good every bit the insulation provided from your mat.

There are ii primary types of insulation that the sleeping bag may use - synthetic and downward.

Down insulation (the small-scale down feathers from ducks and geese) is lightweight, durable and packs downwardly well, but it'southward more expensive. Wet down volition not maintain warmth though, plus it'due south difficult to dry once wet. Dry down is a contempo innovation that coats the filaments of the feathers in a hydrophobic coating and helps go along the bag from getting damp.

Also in that location's an upstanding consideration since downwardly is an creature by-product and there is enough of evidence of inhumane treatment of the animals (ducks and geese). The ethical down standard is well worth reading when you are choosing a bag that uses ethical down.

Constructed insulation is usually a flake heavier and bulkier, but will dry out ameliorate than downwards and do maintain some warmth fifty-fifty when damp. Recent innovations are more than lightweight though and products like Primaloft, Thermolite, Climashield and Quallofil are examples of high-end synthetic insulation.

Constructed fill up comes in two types, short fibres and long filaments. Short fibres mimic the construction of a downward plumage but they intermission down quite apace with apply and so don't last long. Continual filaments are durable and provide expert insulation just they don't compress well.

The determination on which filling is right for you lot will, therefore, be decided past things like:-

• Weight and majority on long trips Down is lighter and compresses well.
• Clammy - might information technology become wet with no chance of drying? A synthetic purse drys ameliorate and keeps it's warmth when damp.
• Common cold - in very cold temperatures, a down bag has the best weight to warmth ratio
• Cost - downward is more than expensive simply probably the better investment long term considering information technology'south a durable purse. Synthetic bags are cheaper generally.

More on Downwardly Insulation

Down insulation is available in unlike qualities, this depends on which bird it came from and what proportion of it is downward vs feathers. Eider duck down is usually the best, goose down the next all-time and duck down slightly less and so.

The proportion of downwardly to plume may be specified every bit a percentage. For case, 90/10 would be 90% down, 10% feather; the higher the first number the improve.

The downwardly is too often given a 'Fill Power' rating. This is a measure of how much the down puffs upwardly and traps the air that will insulate you. If information technology puffs upwardly more, you lot need less of it to do the same chore. Again, the higher the number the better, numbers of 750 or college are good. Just to confuse things, tests results to the Usa system will come out college than the European system. See this video of a Usa fill up power exam.

You should as well cheque whether the downwardly is responsibly sourced. Down clearly comes from birds and therefore the mode in which the birds are reared and how the downwards is nerveless is of relevance. At one extreme, geese may have the down feathers plucked from their chest region whilst they are still alive. Some down is sourced from birds slaughtered for their meat and is gathered from the dead bird during processing.

Some manufacturers such as Tundra merits to just apply down that has already been naturally moulted past geese that are reared for breeding purposes. The European Down and Plumage Association accept a code of practice, and Patagonia have also now produced a standard that they have committed to follow on the ethical sourcing of down for their wear. Nosotros all accept a duty to question manufacturers so that they are put under pressure to ensure that downward is responsibly sourced.

Sleeping bag temperature ratings

Different people will feel warmer or colder in exactly the same sleeping bag in exactly the same conditions. Notwithstanding, there is a measurement organisation that you can use to help guide you lot. Not all manufacturers volition utilise this system but if the sleeping pocketbook has EN13537 written on it next to the rating, then they are. See this Explanatory video on youtube.

The rating arrangement does not give one number for the bag, it gives a range. These are summarised equally follows:-
Upper Limit - the highest temperature at which somebody would be able to sleep in the bag with the zip open and their arms and head out. Hotter than this and they will be sweating and unable to sleep.
Condolement Temperature - the temperature at which somebody would sleep comfortably.
Lower Limit - the temperature at which somebody would withal be able to slumber for 8 hrs without waking upward due to the common cold.
Extreme - the minimum temperature at which somebody would survive for vi hrs without hypothermia.

The virtually useful temperature rating to employ would probably be the Comfort rating. If you read what the sleeping bag is rated as and so make a determination based on your how much you feel the common cold.

Case of a sleeping pocketbook rating tag

Note that it is the "Comfort" temperature that is nigh useful, in this particular case it is +eight deg C. A lot of people would exist uncomfortable sleeping at +iii deg C in this, handbag and some would be on the verge of hypothermia at -eleven deg C.

Flavour ratings for sleeping bags

Sleeping bags are rated past seasons to provide a generic comparing when buying. It'due south a unproblematic guide though, sleeping bags are an investment for the future and intendance should exist taken to look at all the factors similar type of fill up, temperature rating, blazon of use and ethical considerations.

1 season - summer camping ground
2 season - United kingdom late spring and early on autumn,
3 flavor - autumn, early winter with no frost, mid-cold nights
4 flavor - cold winter nights with frost, high altitude
5 season - extremely common cold, polar weather condition and high altitude

Sleeping Mats

As mentioned in a higher place, a sleeping bag only really insulates you from the air effectually you, not from the ground beneath you lot. This issue can be enormous and fifty-fifty the best sleeping handbag is likely to be useless without an appropriate mat, especially if y'all are camping on stone, snowfall or ice. Y'all must have an appropriate mat in conjunction with your sleeping bag.

There are 2 primary types of sleeping mat; Closed Cell Foam and Inflated/Self-Inflating.

Airtight-Cell Foam Mats are the traditional one-time-school camping ground mats. These are very lite but quite bulky and limited in their insulating backdrop. Their huge advantage is that they are robust and will still work if they are punctured by a pocketknife, thorn, crampon etc. they can besides be used immediately with no need to inflate them.

Inflated Mats will more often than not pack much smaller but may be slightly heavier. They can, however, be fabricated much thicker and can, therefore, be much more comfortable and much more insulating, particularly if they incorporate downward insulation as well every bit air. The large potential disadvantage with these mats is that they are useless if they are punctured. Information technology is therefore essential that you behave a repair kit for them. As well, behave in mind that blowing them upwardly with your oral fissure will put some moisture within them. This is not generally a problem, simply if you are in a cold location this may plough to ice and build up inside. It will also starting time to touch the functioning of any down filler inside.
On high altitude mountain climbs, nosotros will usually carry both a closed-cell mat and an inflating mat.

Sleeping bag liners

These are usually made of silk or synthetics (like microfiber or polyester),  cotton or fleece. Fleece and silk are insulating and add together a few degrees to the warmth of a purse, while the cotton ones or synthetic ones are useful for keeping your sleeping bag clean inside.

The fleece ones are quite bulky but very useful where you might exist sleeping in a multifariousness of temperatures. For case on a big mountain you lot might have a iv flavour bag for the loftier cold camps, but at base of operations military camp it is much warmer. In which case sleep in the fleece liner and use the sleeping handbag as a duvet.

Silk liners are patently lighter and pack down smaller, and they are too warm but not as warm as a fleece liner.

Cotton wool liners are neat for jungle trips where it is hot and humid and y'all don't fifty-fifty need a sleeping purse. They're much easier to launder than a whole sleeping bag if you want them equally a liner, and they're great for hostels and indoor use.

Some synethic liners are quite advanced, they apply a hollow-core Thermolite fibre and a 3-dimensional knitted structure which traps air nicely and they can be used as a standalone sleeping bag.

Sleeping bag shape and size

Not all sleeping bags are the aforementioned length and width. If you are tall, broad, take an aversion to tightness or take a particular way of sleeping, you lot may desire to check the dimensions of the sleeping bag and maybe even ask to open one out in the shop.

At that place are a few different shapes of sleeping purse available. The unproblematic rectangular ones are cheap for a reason! They are not really useful for mount atmospheric condition.

A 'mummy' shaped handbag is the norm as it works more efficiently in that it traps air for insulation purposes within the wall of the bag simply does not take excessive pockets of air between y'all and the inner wall of the bag. These pockets of air can get in take longer to go warm and absurd downwards more than hands.

Mummy shaped bags also brand more efficient use of material and are therefore lighter and less bulky for the same overall size. Some people find the narrower or more shaped fit a chip constrictive, particularly if you happen to have wide shoulders or a item body shape.

In that location are as well some new 'pod' shaped sleeping numberless that are much wider and allow you to curl upward inside them and sleep in a variety of shapes. This may work well for general condolement but does brand for a much bulkier handbag and so is not likely to be particularly well suited to travel where weight and bulk of the packed bag is a factor.

Some models volition take sure features to try and meliorate performance. These might include the shape, size and layout of the pockets in which the insulation is distributed, particularly with regard to avoiding cold spots where insulation may not be well distributed. A well-shaped hood that can close down around your face up and keep you comfy is very important in cold atmospheric condition. Another feature that can be very useful is a baffle that can be independently closed upward around your neck to fit the pocketbook to your body shape and avoid any draughts.

Every bit with a lot of cheaper clothing, cheaper sleeping bags may have lower quality zips and zip detailing. The last thing you lot want is non to exist able to close your handbag if the nix is broken or swallows up a wad of fabric and jams. Adept numberless will too have a baffle on the inside of the null so that y'all don't get a strip of cold forth with it.

Y'all can use silk, cotton fiber or fleece sleeping handbag liners to aid go on the pocketbook clean and also go a few degrees more of warmth.

Looking Later Your Sleeping Bag

As with all kit, it will continue to perform well for longer if you wait after it. When non in use it is all-time stored laid out flat in a dry place. Information technology should not exist left in its stuff sack and ideally not hung up. Some sleeping bags come with a modest stuff sack for using on a trip and besides a much larger cotton fiber purse for storage at home.

Washing your sleeping bag is possible, meet video from Trail Magazine, but will inevitably reduce its performance of done too oftentimes. If you lot employ a liner then this can help reduce the demand for washing. If you do need to launder information technology and then yous need to do information technology carefully past hand using special washing liquid that won't exit a balance. You can and so tumble dry out it on a low estrus setting, although your machine is unlikely to be large plenty for a 4 or five season bag. Adding a lawn tennis ball to the drier can help to interruption up and 'clumps' and help to re-loft downwardly.

When carrying/using your sleeping bag you should try to keep information technology dry at all costs. Carry it in a waterproof stuff sack. In addition to rain, snow and rivers, the bag tin get damp from steam from a stove or drips/ice crystals falling off the within of a tent. If it gets damp then air information technology at the beginning opportunity. Using a gore-tex outer handbag can exist useful in certain environments and some bags come with a water-resistant outer beat material. Beware though, some of these outer shells can also be quite air-tight. Therefore if the bag is fully puffed-upwardly and y'all bound on information technology you can damage the stitching or even pop information technology similar a balloon!

When you get your sleeping bag out of its stuff sack it volition need some fourth dimension to 'loft' or 'puff-up' earlier information technology is at its all-time. Therefore it is wise to lay out your sleeping bag at to the lowest degree an hour or so earlier y'all get into it.

Suggested Sleeping Numberless for some of our trips

Please annotation that this is just a rough guide, as mentioned higher up, warmth tin be very subjective. If yous feel the common cold then practice go for a bag that is warmer (rated to a lower comfort temperature) or take some thermals or a silk/fleece/cotton liner as well. Do speak to usa if you lot have whatsoever doubts or questions before spending your hard-earned greenbacks on a new sleeping bag.

Trip	Accommodation	Insulation Blazon*	Condolement Temperature**
Borneo treks	Lodges, homestays	Cotton liner (self made)	x deg C
Mount Kenya	Huts and tents	Synthetic	-five to -ten deg C
Nepal treks	Lodges	Synthetic	-v deg C
Mount Toubkal	Mountain refuge, tents	Synthetic or Down	-5 deg C (winter) , 0 deg C (summer)
Mountain Kilimanjaro	Tents	Synthetic or Down	-10 deg C
Ojos del Salado	Tents and hut	Down	-15 deg C
Elbrus South Route	Mount hut	Constructed or Down	-5 deg C
Elbrus Due north Route	Tents and hut	Down	-20 deg C
Island Peak	Lodges and tents	Downward	-15 deg C
Mera Height	Lodges and tents	Down	-15 deg C
Mountain Aconcagua	Tents	Down	-20 deg C
Mount Everest	Tents	Down	-forty deg C or lower

* This assumes general material specifications. High-grade synthetics can out-perform low grade down and may exist more than appropriate in case of extreme allergies or locations where there may be significant moisture or potential condensation and ice buildup.

** This is but a guide and assumes that the sleeping pocketbook has been graded according to EN13537. Also, ensure that yous read the right part of the sleeping pocketbook rating tag or description, some marketing literature tin can exist misleading and quote the Lower Comfort Limit, what is given here is the Comfort Temperature, see section higher up on ratings for an caption.

Sleeping pocketbook rentals

All the sleeping bags that we rent for Mountain Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus are Highlander Repose 350 or 450 synthetic bags which are iv season and weigh 2kgs and take a screw hollofil constructed fill up and a comfort rating down to -4 deg C.

Sleeping in Borneo

Our trips to Borneo generally involve sleeping in riverside lodges, chalets or homestays when yous are not in a hotel. In all these places there will be a mattress on the flooring with a mosquito net provided. Information technology is hot and humid so you lot will not want a heavy sleeping pocketbook; instead nosotros use a cotton wool sleeping liner, basically a cotton bed sheet made into a sleeping bag shape.

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Source: https://www.adventurealternative.com/sleeping-bag-guide/

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