What sleeping bags are there and how to make the right choice?
Each of us dreams of breaking free from the reinforced concrete shackles of stuffy cities and spending at least a day in nature. If you have been outside the city with an overnight stay, then you know firsthand how practical and necessary a sleeping bag is. To choose a sleeping bag that is best suited for you, the first step is to figure out what to choose from. In other words, let's turn to the classification of sleeping bags.
Sleeping bags can be ranked among themselves according to the type of design, according to the filling material and according to the temperature regime of use. All of the above criteria are important and should be taken into account in a comprehensive manner. Only in this case, your sleeping bag will always give you a restful sleep in a comfortable environment.
Types of sleeping bags by type of design
The sleeping bag can be made either in the form of a cocoon, or according to the principle of a blanket. The blanket sleeping bag always has a long zipper. If you unfasten it, the sleeping bag turns into a blanket, if you fasten it, it turns into a cover. Sometimes these models are supplied with hoods. It is convenient to use such a sleeping bag during trips to a picnic or to the country, at home instead of a classic blanket, but for hiking in the mountains (especially multi-day ones), a cocoon sleeping bag is better suited. It has an elongated shape, smoothly expanding from the legs to the shoulders, and always ends with a hood.
Types of sleeping bags by material of manufacture
There are several main types of sleeping bag fillers: padding polyester, silicone fiber and down. It is the type of filler that primarily affects both the weight of the sleeping bag and its cost.
The synthetic winterizer is cheap to manufacture, it is used for sleeping bags with a lower temperature limit of up to 0 degrees (one synthetic winterizer layer) or up to -20 degrees (2-3 such layers). Weight varies between 1.5-3 kg. Sleeping bags filled with padding polyester are not expensive, but they are not durable either. After 2-3 seasons, they begin to lose their thermal properties. Nevertheless, most often you can find them on sale.
Silicone fillers are more elastic, more reliable and more expensive than padding polyester. Each reputable travel brand has its own manufacturing technology, therefore, individual indicators of temperature of use and weight.
Down sleeping bags use goose and eider down as a filler. Such bags are devoid of any drawbacks, they will last for ten years, but their prices are always the highest on the market. Weighing no more than 1 kg, downy sleeping bags can withstand temperatures below -25 degrees.
Outside, sleeping bags are usually covered with nylon, and only in cases with down sleeping bags dry-loft technology is used, which allows the material to keep moisture out and, if necessary, evaporate it out.
Types of sleeping bags by temperature range of use
Each branded sleeping bag has not one temperature indicator, but three at once.
The upper temperature limit (maximum) is the number of degrees at which a person will sleep comfortably in an open sleeping bag. For example, if this figure is +15, it is not advisable to travel to Crimea with such a sleeping bag for the summer, because at this time of the year, night temperatures on the peninsula are usually not lower than +20 degrees - you simply cannot sleep inside such a sleeping bag due to overheating.
Optimum temperature (comfort) - the number of degrees at which it is optimal to sleep in a closed sleeping bag. The value varies, but usually falls within the range of -10 to +10 degrees.
The lower temperature limit (extreme) is the number of degrees within which the sleeping bag is able to protect a person from hypothermia. Naturally, if the air temperature at night is close to the extreme value of the sleeping bag, there can be no question of any comfortable sleep!
Important subtleties
If a sleeping bag is chosen for a woman, then it is recommended to raise all three temperature values by 4-5 degrees. In other words, when spending the night in the same conditions, a woman's sleeping bag should be several degrees warmer. This is due to a simple physiological feature: men generate more heat, therefore, it is easier for them to keep warm. After all, any sleeping bag does not warm, but retains the heat of the human body.
In order for the sleeping bag to be the best fit for you in size, its full length (with a hood) should exceed your height by 20-35 cm. The width of the sleeping bag reaches its largest in the shoulder area, but men with a tall figure are advised to try on the sleeping bag directly in the store. It may turn out that, with a suitable length, the sleeping bag is narrow at the shoulders.
Relax with pleasure
Now each of you will be able to independently choose a sleeping bag, which will become a reliable companion both at a country picnic and on a hike. And if finances allow, purchase two models of sleeping bags at once: a light summer one and the most insulated winter one. Any of them will serve you for many years and will give you many pleasant dreams.