Warmth rating in sleeping gear

[doobury]

As a rapidly ageing old geezer i was wondering how do manufactures work out the season rating on sleeping gear and what does it mean in the real world? Is there a sure-fast method that cuts through all the BS that companies give to make you part with your hard earned cash and if so what are the de facto standards in sleeping gear that all other gear can be measured against (e.g. a particular brand versus another brand)?

I await with baited breath...

 

[rik_uk3]

As a rapidly ageing old geezer i was wondering how do manufactures work out the season rating on sleeping gear and what does it mean in the real world? Is there a sure-fast method that cuts through all the BS that companies give to make you part with your hard earned cash and if so what are the de facto standards in sleeping gear that all other gear can be measured against (e.g. a particular brand versus another brand)?

I await with baited breath...

Difficult question and the answer(s) are subjective to be honest. One man's -10 is another man's -5. What time of the year do you camp, do you want down or synthetic, do you sleep in clothes, do you sleep 'hot' or 'cold'

 

[Shewie]

Hi doobury welcome to the site

I`m not sure how the manufacturers come to their ratings but somebody will tell you on here. I suspect there are ways of measuring heat loss etc in a lab enviroment as well as products being field tested. Many of the outdoor gear companies now have volunteers who test their prototype stuff to breaking point, this research will then be developed along with lab information to produce the final product.

Do you have any sleeping gear in mind as somebody on here will either own it or will have tried it at some point.

Personally I rate Snugpaks gear very highly but others on here have their own views also.

Although I`m only 12st wet through I sleep quite warm in most conditions, tried a Softie Elite 4 a while since and loved it so I`ve just got myself one.


Rich

 

[doobury]

Christ, you guys don't hang around do ya! As for the conditions well i was hoping for a general spring, summer, autumn, winter kind of thing(the labels are a bit subjective as the seasons all kinda meld into one now), and as for kit type well a basic comparison between the natural and man-made substances would be nice with a mind to the pro's and con's between them.

Mighty tall order i set and i know it will be subjective with bodyweight, fitness and the all to factor in but any information is better than no information.

 

[demographic]

The way I got round it all was to get an expedition rated bag years ago and if its too hot I stick my feet out or don't zip it up

 

[Timinwales]

hum subjective is the word,
but heres my two penneth, over all I prefer down to synthetic seems to loft better, pack smaller, and last longer...down side it costs more by quite a bit.

I've two down bags at the mo, a mountain hardware one think it's a banshee rated to -18 brilliant bag have used for a few years now mainy in Scotland but all year round, the big prob with it is I hardly get to use it because SWMBO really took a shine to it, while she's no winter camper she has used the bag early spring to late Autumn with no worries (and she sleeps cold).

The other bag is a ME dreamcatcher 750 rated to -10 I've not used this in the winter yet (this year will be it's first) however so far so good.
Both are reasonable weight wise, ans pack down to a decent size to make them packable.

Synthetic I still have an Ajungilak kompact super? or something like that anyhow originally a 4 season bag very warm indeed excellent build and ten years on still used by my lad as a 3 season bag, a bit heavy and a bit bulky but excellent value for money.

I'm sure different folk have different preferences and experiences with sleeping bags and to be honest a big issue with me is bag size at 6'7'' I'm kind of limited by which bags are big enough, needless to say those that are usally cost a fair bit so try for size before you buy.

I hope theres something of use in this ramble,
cheers Tim

 

[scanker]

I'm fairly sure there's a number of factors assumed in the production of the ratings including (from memory) you're a healthy active male (women sleep a good few degrees colder than men), have recently eaten a hot meal, are sleeping with some clothing on and I think also it assumes you're sheltered in a tent and using a decent insulating mat.

 

[Mastino]

Here you go, excellent paper on warmth ratings, EN standards, TOG, SINTEF etc.

http://www.mammut.ch/mammut/uploadedFiles/Sleep Well_Pt1_E.pdf

 

[Island Forager]

Listen to "demographic". He speaks wise words.
All the general production sleeping bag companies (not including things like Rab etc) are full of cr8p. Dont waste your time building up for something which will probably dissapoint you. Work out what you can afford to spend and how much space you are working with. If space is your priority, then down is the way to go (not too good if it is likely to get wet, but down warms up very quickly). If space is not a priority, then synthetic is good and a lot more animal friendly than down. Those of you who are familiar with the terrible way that down is collected (not from the abandoned nest in the reed rushes of local ponds, as the manufacturers would have you believe) will know what I mean. Remember though, with down bags, you should hang them up when you are not using them to let air through the down, so bare that in mind if you are limited on space at home.
The key thing is that even if you overshoot and get a really warm bag you can always use the bag as a duvet if you need to, if things become a bit warm, or sleep on top of it if they get really warm!! Dont do what a lot of idiots do (these are the ******* that I say "have all the gear and no idea") and buy something because it is compact, because they want to the smallest, high performance bag on the market. The same sort of people who only need a basic version of something for what they intend to use it for, but go out and buy the best available.
I have 2 bags at the moment. One 2 season bag from a well known manufacturer, which to be honest is total cr8p and blatently does not keep you warm and another 3 season bag from a well known company, which just about keeps me warm with a few layers of clothes on (and I am a warm person). I will be getting another one shortly and intend to get a military arctic one (synthetic, because I dont agree with how down is collected from birds).
One thing a lot of people forget about sleeping outside is that the best thing to do is to buy a decent beanie/hat/thermal hat etc as you lose stacks of heat from your head. Wearing a decent hat can make a huge difference. Something with Thinsulate or something similar is usually a good idea. Black's have a decent selection, if a little overpriced.

Basically, think about what you need size wise and price wise. There are very few bags I have found which offer a sensible level of comfort and conform to their supposed "warmth / season rating". Besides, if you go for overkill, at least you wont have to buy another bag for another temperature, so you save a bit of money!!!