The importance of the sleeping bag when hiking
The sleeping bag is important for different reasons:
Recovery: a good sleeping bag is like a good mattress. It will bring you comfort and warmth and you will spend a night up to your expectations. In short, your sleeping bag must be able to put you in the optimal conditions to recover from a big day of walking. All specialists will tell you, nothing worse than a bad night after a trying day.
The time spent in the sleeping bag: you will spend more than a third of your time there or even more (let's not forget either that outdoor nights are also longer than at home because you have to adapt to the rhythm of the sun).
Do not apprehend the night:
Finally, the moment you slip into your down can be a real pleasant moment of your day.
Hiking sleeping bag and climatic conditions
First question to ask yourself before buying a sleeping bag: what will it be used for?
- night in refuge?
- night in a tent in summer or winter?
- night under the stars?
- bivouac of altitude?
- in what climate (hot, temperate, cold)?
Depending on your destination and the climatic conditions encountered, the choice of bag will be made (almost) naturally.
Browse the specialized stores and you will see 3 notions appear:
- Comfort temperature: temperature where you sleep in a comfortable way (like at home what!)
- Temperature limit: temperature from which, the user will feel a feeling of cold (yes, you know, when you start waking up in the middle of the night and you have old chills in the back)
- Extreme temperature: temperature from which survival is compromised.
These notions, directly from the EN 13537 standard,will give you the indications to guide you in your purchase. We quickly understand that only the notions of comfort temperature and limit are interesting.
Clearly, if you plan a night in a tent in the middle of summer at 1200 meters above sea level, and you estimate the temperature of the night at 10 ° C, a sleeping bag in comfort temperature at 12 ° C and temperature limit at 5 ° will be perfect.
Natural or synthetic down?
Before any purchase of a sleeping bag, the question is whether you will opt for natural or synthetic down? So here is a small topo on the advantages and disadvantages of the 2 options.
Down: | |
benefits: | Disadvantages: |
> unparalleled warmth and softness. Insurance of a sweet night like at home! > very good compressibility in the compression bag (better always get it out as soon as possible). |
> maintenance, > storage (better to store it uncompressed at the risk of losing the bulking and therefore its performance against temperature) > its poor resistance to humidity > the price (often much higher than the synthetic sleeping bag) |
We find more and more synthetic sleeping bag in the shelves:
Synthetic | |
benefits: | Disadvantages: |
> easy maintenance (machine), > home storage in its compression bag > good moisture resistance |
> much less efficient in cold conditions. |
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We will quickly understand that the down sleeping bags / feathers will be chosen for more committed hikes / treks, with an incomparable footprint / heat ratio (not to mention the weight).
On the other hand, no need to ruin yourself if you sleep in a shelter (the temperature is relatively good) or at the campsite the blue waves.
Here is a summary table that can give you some ideas for your future choice of sleeping bag depending on what you want to do with it:
synthetic | Extreme synthetic | down | |
Overnight at the campsite by the sea | X | ||
Night in medium mountain refuge (1000 m altitude) | X | ||
Night in high mountain refuge (more than 2000m) | X | X if you are really cautious | |
Bivouac in tent medium altitude | X | X | |
Bivouac under high mountain tent (more than 2000m) | X | X | |
Winter bivouac in tent | X | ||
Bivouac mountain under the stars (provide the sursac) | X |
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Shape and size
Unless you want to sleep with a teddy bear bigger than it is, we will prefer a sleeping bag to his size. The larger the sleeping bag, the greater the volume of air to be warmed by the body.
The ideal is therefore to opt for a bag that best fits the shape of the body. This is what the "sarcophagus" bags (wider at the shoulders than at the feet) offer, unlike rectangular bags still called "cover bags".
The bags "sarcophagus" are all equipped with a hood, a significant detail when we know that 30% of the body's heat losses are through the head. The disadvantage of the bag that marries the silhouette is its confining side that some do not support.
For fans of the Ultra light, new sleeping bags have just appeared:
- elephant's foot: This is a sleeping bag from which the upper part has been removed. It therefore covers only the legs and pelvis. You will therefore be forced to use your day clothes to cover your upper body (preferably down jacket).
- The kilt: again to gain weight the entire dorsal part of the sleeping bag has been removed (this part is the least protective, since crushed during the night). You are therefore in direct contact with your floor mattress.
Some tips for using a sleeping bag
There is no point in having a good sleeping bag if the insulation with the floor leaves something to be desired.
It will therefore be imperative to isolate your body / down from the ground to avoid thermal bridges. Use floor mats or bulking mattresses. This is as important, if not more so, than the choice of bag.
To gain a few degrees, you can also slip into a silk or cotton bag before putting on your sleeping bag. Another significant advantage is that you will soil your sleeping bag less quickly.
You can also bring technical wool underwear for example (absolutely avoid synthetic).
In the absence of a floor mattress, a survival blanket placed on the ground can limit heat loss.
Covering your sleeping bag with a survival blanket thinking of increasing your performance is to be avoided because of the condensation that this will cause.
A cap on your head and a silk or cotton bag will bring you extra heat if you use your sleeping bag at its limit temperature.
Contrary to what one might think, multiplying the thicknesses of clothing once lying in your sleeping bag does not necessarily improve comfort. In addition to the feeling of being enthrched, you may reduce too sharply the volume of air inside the bag, the air remaining a very good insulator.
What is a floor mattress used for when hiking?
It is often thought that having a good sleeping bag ensures a good night in the mountains.
It's not true. To spend an excellent night, you need a good sleeping bag BUT also a good mattress that will ensure comfort and especially insulation.
Comfort is the first thing we think about,of course. Beyond compensating for the vagaries of the terrain (rocks, holes), it will allow you to sleep comfortably in all positions (we think in particular of the position "lying on the side" which is difficult to hold without regularly having ants in the arms)
Insulation: floor mattresses will therefore insulate you from an often cold floor and avoid direct contact. Floor mattresses work in the same way as clothing layers. They trap a mass of air between your body and the cold ground. This layer of "dead" air becomes an insulating barrier (in reality this air is trapped in a multitude of alveoli thus avoiding the transfer of cold).
The different types of floor mattresses
Mattresses "foam"
These basic hiking mats feature dense foam filled with tiny closed air cells. It is the ancestor of floor mattresses but it still has many advantages. This type of mattress bends or rolls according to the models.
Its main weaknesses are the size and the little comfort offered. On the other hand, for small budgets or one-off use, this is clearly the best solution.
benefits:
- light
- Low price
- Very resistant
- Correct insulation
Disadvantages:
- Very uncomfortable (the position "lying on the side" is difficult.)
- Bulky (for those that we fold) to very voluminous (for those that we roll).
Self-inflating mattresses
Launched in particular by the brand Therm-a-Rest ®, these mattresses combine foam insulation and valves that fill with air automatically by opening the valve (hence the name of auto-inflators). You will only need to finish the inflation to the mouth to get more or less firmness.
These mattresses are generally not very thick (between 2 and 4 centimeters) and therefore provide less comfort compared to inflatable mattresses (often between 5 and 8 centimeters). The part against the ground is as a rule strong enough to withstand the vagaries of the terrain.
For the part in contact with your body, choose a mattress with a pleasant envelope to the touch and avoid smooth envelopes (nothing more unpleasant than having the feeling of slipping on your mattress all night).
benefits:
- Comfortable
- Good insulation
Disadvantages:
- A bit cumbersome
- Weight greater than an inflatable mattress
- Quite fragile
Inflatable floor mattresses
These mattresses are therefore inflated directly with the mouth (and yes, if you are hiking, you will have to keep a little breath to inflate your mattress in the evening).
Long reserved for traditional camping, these mattresses are currently imposing themselves on the outdoor market thanks in particular to light to ultra-light products (less than 400 grams). So they are starting to supplant self-inflating mattresses, because they are lighter, much less bulky and significantly more comfortable.
Some models also go very far in insulation with micro-fiber synthetic or even down type trims.
These mattresses are as a rule quite thick (between 5 and 10 cm) and ensure excellent comfort, including the "lay on the side" position. Weight issues, the lighter the mattress, the more expensive it will be,weights varying between 400g and more than 1 kg. The main disadvantage of these mattresses: the fragilityé. It will only take one thorn to make your mattress unusable.
benefits:
- Very comfortable
- Very space-saving (fits easily into the backpack)
- Very light (for the most expensive models)
- Highly insulating (especially the most expensive models)
Disadvantages:
- fragile
- High price
Some mattresses come in "short" or 3/4 models. of about 1.20m. These sizes are very useful in mountaineering or expedition to save weight.
Choose a floor mattress suitable for your use
It is often difficult to choose your future floor mattress as the offer is great (depending on the type of mattress, weight, price, etc. ….). The choice will be made naturally according to the use you are going to makeof it.
Hikes without portage (mechanical or animal portage).
Choose comfort with fairly thick self-inflating mattresses. Do not start on the lightest (and therefore the most expensive) models, because the weight criterion is secondary in this type of hikes.
Occasional hikers
Inflatable or self-inflating mattresses are quite expensive (or even very expensive). For an occasional or rare practice, a basic foam mattress will do. Your nights will be a little more "difficult" but this is also the joy of the nights in the mountains.
Regular hikers / star hike.
You are looking for a compromise between size and comfort. So opt for an inflatable model or a self-inflating model. The prices are higher than a traditional foam mattress, but the investment is definitely worth it. Your nights will be really better in terms of comfort.
Long-distance and/or ultra-light hikes:
You are looking for the lightest mattress possible. Three options are possible:
- a basic foam mattress
- a very light inflatable model
- a self-inflating model format 3/4 (to gain even more weight and volume)
Winter hikes and expeditions
The winter bivouac requires more insulation. The ideal is to have a first foam protection on which we add an inflatable mattress. Opt instead for the latest generation of inflatable mattresses with a high insulation index, with the risk that the price will be significantly higher. Be careful, it is also necessary that the chosen model is solid, because if the model lets you go at the beginning of shipment, the situation may be difficult to manage.
The variety of floor mattresses is so great that it is absolutely necessary to try and see the equipment before buying. This will let you know:
- on what mattress thickness you feel comfortable (if you have a rather light size, a mattress thickness of 2-3 cm may be enough for you).
- what is the width that suits you best (shoulders and pelvis should not protrude from the mattress)? What is the optimal length (a little more than your size, a mattress 3/4)?
- how your mattress swells and deflates and its clutter.
Also look in detail at the "R-value": the higher the value, the more the mattress will isolate you from the floor. The R-values are indicated on the product data sheets. They range from 1.0 (low insulation) to 9.5 (very good insulation).