There are sleeping bags out there for
everyone, and we are all so different. Some people can't sleep
in a mummy bag, while others can sleep in anything. Some
backpackers won't be gentle enough with a fragile high-tech bag,
while others can make their gear last forever.
Which sleeping bag is best?
There will never be one answer. Not only are we all different in our
personal needs, but different places and weather mean we may
need two or three different bags. Let's look at some of the
options.
Down Sleeping Bags
Down is still the lightest insulation. Backpackers have been
waiting for decades for a new synthetic material that,
ounce-for-ounce, insulates as well as down, but it hasn't
happened yet. Down bags are also much more compressible than the
synthetic ones, meaning they take much less space in the pack. A
down sleeping bag can be rejuvenated by throwing them in the
dryer with a shoe to "fluff" them up. I've seen a 30-year-old
down bag with virtually all of its original loft after a
treatment like this.
It sounds like a down bag is the ultimate lightweight sleeping
bag, doesn't it? It is - in the right place and used the right
way. Down's primary drawback is that it is almost worthless when
wet. Unlike synthetic fill bags, down bags lose almost all of
their insulating ability when wet. If torn, they also lose their
insulation more easily.
The point here is to be careful how you use a down bag. Once,
during a week of rain, camping under a tarp in the Rockies, I
managed to keep my down bag dry. I had to be very careful, but
obviously it can be done.
How light are down sleeping bags? My down bag weighs just 17 ounces, or
19 ounces with the stuff sack. A stuff sack isn't always
necessary - I can stuff the bag directly into my pack or put it
in a half-ounce bread bag.
The zipper only goes half-way down (to save weight). The bag
appears fragile, and I have babied it over the years, but it may
be tougher than I thought. I've used it from sea-level to 16,000
feet in all types of weather (I camp under a tarp much of the
time). It still has all of its loft and appears new. It's a
mummy bag, but it has always been comfortable for me (I'm 6'3",
165 pounds). Though it's only rated down to 40 degrees, I have
been warm in it below freezing many times.
The lofting ability of down (and therefore its warmth per ounce)
is measured by its fill power rating. A 650 fill power or above
is a minimum for a decent bag in my opinion. The number
indicates the amount of actual down, as opposed to feather and
quill. To be more precise, it measures the cubic inches that an
ounce of a particular batch of down will fill.
Synthetic Sleeping Bags
A good synthetic sleeping bags will take abuse well, and keep
insulating even when wet. Well-designed ones are getting close
in weight to down bags. They do still take a lot more space in
your pack, however. The insulation also breaks down and loses
its loft after a few years.
Down is lighter and more compressible. Synthetic bags are so
worry-free - at least while they are relatively new. It is truly
a tough choice. If you regularly get wet, go with a good
synthetic bag.
- There are three basic styles: mummy, semi rectangular, and
rectangular. They get less confining in that order. They also
get heavier, meaning less warm, ounce-for-ounce, in that order.
Use a mummy if you are comfortable in one.
- You generally get what you pay for with sleeping bags. The
best are expensive. My own down bag cost over $200 almost ten
years ago.
- Make sure the bag is long enough for you. This is especially
important with mummy style, because your head needs to be inside
the hood of the bag to use it properly.
- Try bags with a left-zipper and right-zipper, to determine
which is more comfortable for you.
- If you plan to zip your bag together with your partners, one
will have to be a right-zipper and the other a left-zipper.
- A two-way zipper lets you ventilate your feet, so you don't
sweat into the bag as much.
- A differential cut, meaning the inner lining is smaller than
the outer shell, allows fuller lofting of the insulation, which
means more warmth.
- An insulated draft collar can help to seal in the warmth and
keep out the cold around your neck and shoulders.
- Rip stop nylon, polyester, or other rip stop materials are the
standard for good sleeping bags. The "rip stop" feature is
especially important with the more fragile super-light fabrics.
- On a mummy bag, a shaped hood should cup the head naturally.
- A draft tube covers the zipper to seal out cold air usually
provides enough additional warmth to justify the weight.
- A water-resistant outer shell is a good idea, especially if
you will be sleeping under a tarp.
- Dark linings absorbs heat from the sun's rays better - helpful
if you need to dry out your bag.
Remember nylon bags are light but they are noisy and slipper to
sleep on especially if your hunting.
How Light?
You should be able to find good down bags rated to about
freezing, which weigh two pounds or less. A good synthetic
fill bag rated to freezing should only weigh five or six ounces
more. Rated to zero Fahrenheit there are down bags that
weigh less than four pounds, and synthetic bags that are a
little over four pounds.
If the grommets break on your tarp, or if you are using a piece of
plastic or nylon that doesn't have any, you can still tie lines
to it. Take a small rock and push it against the plastic,
grabbing it from the other side. Tie the cord around this and it
should hold just fine. In fact, done right, this is more
reliable than a grommet in my experience.
For emergency night travel, you can make a simple torch. Use the
pitch from pine trees wrapped around the top of a stick with
strips of cloth, or just smeared on it. Wounded pines often have
large gooey masses of pitch on their trunks. Hot pitch will
drip, so hold the torch away from you. This sap is also a good
fire starter.
Most tents don't need a ground cloth. If you use one, it should
be slightly smaller than the tent bottom, or it will catch rain
and hold it against the tent. If it is too large, use the ground
cloth inside the tent instead.
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