Thursday, March 19, 2009

Down Sleeping Bags Provide Superior Comfort And Warmth

By Mike Reston

The technology behind sleeping bags today has sure improved upon the old cowboy bedroll idea. These you can stay warm in the coldest of circumstances using some high tech designs and materials. Here are some ideas to help you buy the right sleeping bag:

You will have those times where it gets cold at night when you are camping. That is why when you are looking to buy a sleeping bag you must think about the coldest temp you will encounter not the warmest. In the summer or warm climates you only need to look for a +35 degree rated sleeping bag to take along.

For the higher altitudes in the warm summertime, or the spring or fall months, the bags probably need to be a +10 to +35 type rating. The wintertime adventure seekers need to look at the range of -10 to +10 for the rating on bags. Now for the ones going on the long cold weather expedition type trips, they will need the warmest bags of all with the -10 or lower type rating.

These ratings are only approximate figures for warmth on these bags from the manufacturers. All people get at different levels of warmth when they sleep, no one is the same. Say you are one that likes a heavy blanket to sleep with, you may need a sleeping bag about 10 degrees higher than norm in rating. But what if you are constantly throwing the blankets off, you then may need a bag that is about 10 degrees lower in norm in rating.

Of course the most crucial part of all sleeping bags is what kind of insulation they have. You have basically two choices in insulation today: either synthetic or you can choose down. Both down and synthetic have upsides and downsides to them. The down is great though for how warm it gets compared to the weight it is.

Down is great for insulating, but it is also light and compresses easily. Now you know how the geese stay warm, and can fly even in the winter! Down is also known for being extremely durable and keeps on insulating for years and years.

There are many bags though made from synthetic materials that are top rate too. Synthetics are being made better than they used to be. These bags may weigh a bit more than the down versions do but you will see that the synthetic ones will be better in damp weather. If down get damp or wet it doesn't keep you warm, it loses the insulation ability at that point.

So for those wet condition type trips definitely reach for the synthetic sleeping bags. Another thing to remember is that while you will find people allergic to down the synthetic has a reputation of being hypoallergenic. Down will cost you more than the synthetic, which is more reasonably priced. You can have your budget and your fun!

About the Author:

No comments: