Sleeping Bag Ratings

[Antarcher]

Why is it that when I get in my -5 degrees rated sleeping bag, i am freezing my tits off at +10 degrees. I can't understand how they rate the way they do when it is no where near that level. That's my gripe for the week, time to go hunt another deer.

[Poppy]

Don't laugh but I have found over the years of many types of sleeping bags that the only way to keep warm is not to wear clothes in the bag (go the full Monty).
Apparently its to do with your body warming the air space in the bag.
Wearing clothes hinders this.
Also does your bag have stitching through the thickness of the wall if it has get a new bag from a reputable dealer.
Or is it stitched in separate compartments (called box section) this is the prefered type.
Also sleeping directly on the ground will rob you of heat. Use a camp stretcher or at least a piece of heavy canvass.
Hope this helps with your Tits
Cheers
Paul

[adam]

What poppy said, sleeping bags arn't designed to be slept in with cloths as the clothing fights against the bag rating.

I go nude on cold nights in my minus something bag and its much warmer then wearing cloths.

Have you washed your bag before Ant, how old is it.

[Bazza]

I've camped out in -4 in my swag. I have a thermal liner and two sleeping bags. One is older than the hills, the other is not so old, but neither have an actual rating. The thermal liner is really good.
As far as I know, the rating on the bag is the keeping you alive rating, not the comfortable sleep rating.

[chugga]

Funny that i have a sleeping bag rated as mild +10 and I slept in it last week at Newnes and it kept me warm at -3!! It cost me $22 at Kmart so I think i got a bargain. :)

[jindydiver]

I can't believe that the "cloths stop you warming the bag" myth is getting a run here. The idea of a sleeping bag, or warm cloths for that matter, is to keep the heat where it does you the most good INSIDE YOU. By going nude inside the bag you are leaving all the insulation work up to the bag alone and you need to heat the whole airspace inside the bag up to body heat temp.

What sort of bag do you have Ant? You can take between 5 and 10 degrees off a bags rating when you use it if it isn't made of a windproof material and you are sleeping in a breeze. Also if it is down and you use it inside a swag or with a blanket or tarp directly laying in it the weight will compress the down (losing loft) and lower the insulations value. Also, do you roll over often during the night? Down bags take a little while to loft back up after each roll and the compressed section (which is on top after each roll) allows heat to escape the bag.
Does your bag have cuffs around the chest to prevent air pumping out when you move? Do you use the hood? do you wear a beany?

There are heaps of variables involved in how well a bag works, the problem being that the rating quoted can only be a guide and unless you know how the tests were conducted (if they even were) you can't know how it relates to YOU and how you sleep.

[Antarcher]

My bag is a great oudoors one and cost $120. It is not down and does not sewing right through it. It also has a retractable hood. I have been cold in on my lounge in my swag, in my car wherever. I guess it is plain schizer

[Luke]

No bag is ever rated warm enough for me :P... I've tried the full monty approach on some occasions, the full 3 layers of clothing, plus doonahs, plus bags, plus swag (all at one time :o) on others and STILL gotten cold.

Next bag I buy will be minus 37 rated or nothing :confused:


:D

[Paul R]

As Jindy said the being nude in a sleeping bag for more warmth, is a myth. One of the basic keys to keeping warm is layering. The more layers you have the warmer you will be. Sleep in some thermals, you'll be much warmer. I think the myth originated from the way some emergency services warm hypathermia victims while in the field.

Unfortunately when it comes to ratings there is no regulated standard measuring system that companies use, so there are some dodgy ratings around. Fortunately the bigger well known companies have a reputation to uphold and so their ratings are usually very accurate. That being said though everyone has a different tolerance to cold, some people feel it a lot more than others and what works for your mate, may not work for you.

The ratings on the majority of bags these days are the extreem rating while wearing undercloths. This means that you will survive at those temperatures, but you will not be warm or very comfortable. The comfort rating is always 5 degrees more than the extreme rating.

Another point to consider is that if the bag has a hood, the extreme rating is with the hood on and done up correctly. If you don't wear the hood the rating goes up by another 5 degrees.
Also as Jindy mentioned you have to consider things like the wind, is the bag wet and the loft of the down if it's a down bag, etc, etc.

[fallowhunter]

G`day, was out hunting the other day and came across this sleeping bag. I reckon it would have to be pretty darn cold for me to use.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n226/fallowhunter/194171406_bacd7589351.jpg

Cheers Steve

[jasonfish]

Anyone know where to get a good Extra long bag from? im 200cm & nothing seems to fit!! :)

[Jeremy87]

Dam it i just typed up a massive speal and then closed the wrong window down, bugger. Oh well what i was saying was that roman do a range called the big man series (also come in a big man hood good name hey). But for shorter blokes then there are a few more options avialable. The features you should look for are a good insulator like peranese down if you can afford it or a good quality microfibre, microfibre bags are also easier to keep clean. Tapered bags reduce the air gaps around your feet but can be uncomforable if you move alot in your sleep. Retractable hoods will make a world of difference as they will prevent the air escaping as will insulative pockets that run along the inside of the zips. the palm series by roman give you all these things in a compact lightweight bag (1kg zero degree bag) and go for between 100 and 140 bucks depending of the temp of the bag and where you get it from.

The sleeping nude things sounds a bit rich to me. What you have to remember is there is no such thing as cold only heat or the lack of it. Everything wants to even out (or reach equalibrium). physical structures act as temperature gradients. On a cold winters night inside your body is warmer than your skin, your skin is warmer than the air in your clothes, the air in your clothes is warmer than the air in your sleeping bag, the ari in your sleeping bag is warmer than the air in your sleeping bag insulation, the air in your sleeping bag insulation is warmer than the air in your tent which is warmer than the air outside your tent which is warmer than space. Reducing the volume of air you body needs to heat to stay at your desired temperature(thermostasis) means you need to generate less heat and can lower its metabolic rate. By sleeping in the nude then you cut out one of these temperature gradient and increase the initial volume of air your body needs to heat. It is true that the air in your sleeping bag will be warmer but that is now the same temperature as the air on your skin. on cold nights i sleep in thermals with thick socks and a beanie, really cold nights i'll throw an extra layer of clothes on.

[whisk]

One other thing that I found gets you MUCH warmer in the sleeping bag is having a full stomach of high-calorie food, and a warm drink before bed. The thermic effect of breaking down the food in your stomach adds a good 5-10deg to the rating of the sleeping bag - can't emphasize enough the difference it makes.

I only found this out after many freezing nights, then wondered why some nights I was toasty...

[jasonfish]

Roman hey, Cheers Jeremy87 i will look into them. ;)

[Luke]

Does rum count as high calorie food? :confused::P

[adam]

Well going nude works for me, personal experience tells me Ill keep doing it as its proven itself more then once.

Try it Ant it can't hirt and make sure you stick it out for 10 minutes before chickening out.

Adam

[Poppy]

Myth Busted It also works for me to ( Birthday suit PJ's)and its been tested many times too.
Paul

[Bazza]

No bag is ever rated warm enough for me :P... I've tried the full monty approach on some occasions, the full 3 layers of clothing, plus doonahs, plus bags, plus swag (all at one time :o) on others and STILL gotten cold.

Next bag I buy will be minus 37 rated or nothing :confused:


:D


Try a thermal liner. Worked a treat for me.

[woody]

A big feed of cabbage or garlic will help keep the air inside your sleeping bag warmer......lol

[howie]

I made a polar fleece cover for my bow to keep the dust off, I made it big enough so I could also sleep in it. Make one up, it keeps you warm during the night and keeps the dust off ya bow during the day. Howie