Winter sleeping bag for outdoor use

Help with buying a sleeping bag

Ea sleeping bag is not just an empty shell with a full body, but our mobile sleeping place when we are out and about. As sleep is known to be very important, the sleeping bag should not only be comfortable, but also meet the relevant criteria. We answer the most important questions about this.

Which sleeping bag is best suited for sub-zero temperatures:

• Which sleeping bag do I need?
• What does the temperature range mean for sleeping bags?
• Why a down sleeping bag?
• Warm sleeping bag - the warmer the bulkier and heavier?
• Which sleeping bags are suitable for winter?
  A.) The warm outdoor sleeping bag for sub-zero temperatures
• Special: Sleeping bag comparison
  Alpine Loacker Down Pro 4 & Deuter Astro Pro 1000
• Conclusion

Which sleeping bag do I need?

As in so many cases, there is no straightforward answer to this question. To find out what kind of sleeping bag you need, you should consider several points:

Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you need the sleeping bag for a specific season or for the whole year?
- Do you want to use your sleeping bag outdoors or only indoors in a hut?
- Do you need to wear your sleeping bag for many hours?
- Do you want it to be small and light at the same time, or do you only use it for camping in a car or van?

Since sleep is known to be very important, the sleeping bag should not only be comfortable,
but also meet the relevant criteria.

What does the temperature range mean for sleeping bags?

There are up to three different temperature ratings on the sleeping bag:

1.comfort temperature:
This value is calculated for a "standard woman" (25 years, 60 kg, 1.60 m) who is not yet cold. For example: You can sleep in a sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of 0° without freezing.

Down is much lighter than synthetic fibers and warms proportionally more than synthetic fibers.

2nd limit temperature:
This value is calculated for a "standard man" (25 years old, 70 kg, 1.73 m) who is not yet freezing.

3. extreme temperature:
This value is calculated for a "standard woman" (25 years, 60 kg, 1.60 m) under severe cold conditions. There is an increased risk of hypothermia here.

Temperature range according to season:
- Summer sleeping bags: comfort temperature above 12°C
- Three-season sleeping bags: comfort temperature down to 0°C
- Winter sleeping bags: comfort temperature below 0°C

Warm sleeping bag - the warmer the bulkier and heavier?

"Yes and no. This depends very much on the materials used. Sleeping bags are either filled with a synthetic fiber or with down.

Down is a small, delicate feather with a soft keel and very soft and long, arranged feather branches, which is found under the cover feathers of birds. Down is much lighter than synthetic fibers and is proportionally warmer than synthetic fibers. Compared to down, synthetic fibers require a lot of 'extra' material to reach the same comfort temperature as down. This means that a sleeping bag filled with synthetic fiber will always be heavier in order to achieve the same insulating properties as down.

Cold temperatures: no problem with a thick down sleeping bag. 

Why a down sleeping bag?

Down is used for thermal insulation thanks to its ability to provide warmth with almost no weight.
High-quality goose and duck down provide the best thermal insulation in relation to volume and weight. The soft filling is very light, supple and highly compressible. As already described in point two, this results in the following advantages: Down sleeping bags are lighter than synthetic fiber sleeping bags with the same insulation performance, they are more compressible and can therefore be packed much smaller.

The following rule applies:
If warmth, weight and pack size are important, you should only use down sleeping bags.

The sleeping climate in a down sleeping bag is much more comfortable because the fluffy feathers are very breathable and can also absorb body moisture. The only disadvantage of down is that it loses its insulating effect when it gets wet. The down collapses and clumps together. If you use your sleeping bag in winter in sub-zero temperatures, this should not be a problem. As a general rule, you should not use down sleeping bags in the rain without shelter. The same applies to heavy dew.

What can you do about it? Shake out your sleeping bag properly in the morning after getting up and leave it to dry, preferably hanging in the warmth/sun.

When warmth, weight and pack size play a role

Special - Sleeping bag comparison:

Alpin Loacker Down Pro 4 seasons down sleeping bag & Deuter Astro Pro 1000 down sleeping bag

*PFC - What are PFC？
PFC is an abbreviation for per- and polyfluorinated chemicals - also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) or PFT (perfluorinated surfactants). This group of substances comprises more than 3000 different substances. PFCs do not occur naturally. Chemically speaking, the organic compounds consist of carbon chains of different lengths in which the hydrogen atoms are completely (perfluorinated) or partially (polyfluorinated) replaced by fluorine atoms. PFCs are hardly degradable and therefore remain in the environment for a very long time. Some PFCs accumulate in the environment and in organisms and are also harmful to human health.

Conclusion

What criteria should you use when buying your ideal sleeping bag?

In principle, it's simple: the sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of zero degrees, the smaller pack size and the lower weight is the 'better one'. If it also has a robust and water-repellent ripstop nylon, you are on the safe side.

You can find care instructions for down sleeping bags in our blog post written especially for this purpose: Care recommendations for down sleeping bags

Never freeze again: With the Alpin Loacker Down Pro 4-season down sleeping bag