Sleeping Bags - Self Inflating Mats - Sleeping Bag Liners

Here at globetrekker we stock a wide range of down sleeping bags, tapered sleeping bags, synthetic sleeping bags, trail sleeping bags, trekking sleeping bags, mountain sleeping bags, alpine sleeping bags, jumbo sleeping bags, compact sleeping bags and palm sleeping bags.  We carry sea to summit sleeping bags, sportztrek sleeping bags, black wolf sleeping bags, roman sleeping bags and explore planet earth sleeping bags.

Sleeping Bag Types

Something to consider when buy sleeping bags online or buy sleeping bags in brisbane is what you are going to be using the sleeping bag for, sleeping bags can be divided into three broad categories.

• Trail - Trail sleeping bags are ideal if you are away for only a few days at a time or when space in your rucksack is not so important. A good trail sleeping bag should be reasonably light and not too bulky depending on what time of year it will be used. If you are away for only a few days then you can allow for a slightly bulkier bag giving increased warmth. Usually synthetic filling is used to keep cost down.
• Trekking -Trekking sleeping bags are designed for longer trips where the total weight and pack size are more critical. They will make use of down or performance synthetic fillings to reduce the weight and bulk whilst maintaining a high level of warmth to weight.
• Mountain - Mountain sleeping bags may be specialist lightweight models for alpine use where the main aim is to keep bulk and weight to an absolute minimum. Equally they may be the extra warm bags required for temperatures in excess of -15°C. If you are intending to use a sleeping bag in extreme low temperatures for extended trips a vapour barrier liner will improve performance.

Sleeping Bag Fillings Down vs Synthetic

Synthetic

Synthetic fillings are less expensive to produce than Down and less prone to losing their insulating properties when wet. Below are four typical fillings used across our range of sleeping bags:

• Hollowfibre sleeping bags – a collection of Polyester fibres. The most basic but reasonably durable and easy to clean.
• 4 hole Hollowfibre sleeping bags – based on the original Hollowfibre but with 4 holes through the centre of each Polyester fibre instead of one giving a greater surface area to trap warm air and providing more insulation for less bulk and weight.
• Quallofil 7 sleeping bags – again a development of Hollowfibre, this material has 7 holes through each fibre, which reduces the weight of the bag further without compromising the level of insulation given.
• Micraloft sleeping bags – sometimes called MTI loft, this material is made of very thin siliconised Polyester fibres which are layered up in very fine layers enabling manufacturers to build bags with many warmth giving layers while keeping the weight and bulk of the bag down to an absolute minimum.

Down

Down filled sleeping bags are generally warmer and lighter than the equivalent synthetic sleeping bags and are still considered best for winter and expedition use where low weight and bulk are important. Care must be taken with all down sleeping bags as if they become wet they lose a great deal of their insulating properties. Another factor with down bags is that they must be washed with great care to prevent damage. They are more expensive but generally more durable and will last longer than synthetic sleeping bags. Down comes in the following varieties:

• Duck down sleeping bags – less fine than Goose down but considerably less expensive. Down works by the feathers trapping a layer of air which is then heated by your body heat.
• Goose down sleeping bags – very fine and provides approx. 25% more insulation than the equivalent weight of Duck down.
• Hi-Loft down sleeping bags – This type of down is made from very fine Goose down and provides yet more insulation by trapping more air than any other filling. Used in some expedition bags where bulk and weight are critical.

Temperature ranges

As of the first of January 2005 a European standard was introduced to standardise the temperature ratings on sleeping bags the standard describes four temperature ratings for sleeping bags thusly:

• Upper Limit — the temperature at which a standard man can sleep without excessive perspiration. It is established with the hood and zippers open and with the arms outside of the bag.
• Comfort Rating — the temperature at which a standard woman can expect to sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.
• Lower Limit — the temperature at which a standard man can sleep for eight hours in a curled position without waking.
• Extreme — the minimum temperature at which a standard woman can remain for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia (though frostbite is still possible).

For the purpose of these measurements, a "standard man" is assumed to be 25 years old, with a height of 1.73 m and a weight of 73 kg; a "standard woman" is assumed to be 25 years old, with a height of 1.60 m and a weight of 60 kg.

Generally the temperature advertised when trying to sell sleeping bags is going to be the lower limit temperature so if you know that you don't deal with the cold very well or if you just want to err on the side of caution then it would probably be for the best that you got a bag slightly warmer then you need it to be. 

Seasonal Ratings

A lot of sleeping bags are also advertised with a seasonal rating which gives a much more generalised sort of rating than the temperature range ratings, they are generally based on colder european seasons so don't take them as described for the Australian seasons.:

• One Season sleeping bags – Basic Summer bags designer for use in warm weather or indoor use.
• Two Season sleeping bags – General purpose bags for use from late Spring through into the early Autumn.
• Three Season sleeping bags – Spring / Summer / Autumn bags for use down to freezing point and just below.
• Four Season sleeping bags – Winter sleeping bags for use at low temperatures and in harsh conditions.
• Four Season plus / Five Season bags – Specialist bags for expedition use.

Sleeping Bag Design Features

Sleeping bags come with a number of features features, below will be a simple guide to the main features:

• Shape – most modern sleeping bags are mummy shaped with cowl hood and a taper towards the foot; these features allow the maximum amount of warmth to be trapped inside the bag.
• Shoulder baffle – another warmth saving feature. It allows the bag to be closed around the neck and shoulders with a draw cord (trapping more warm air) without restricting the face and head.
• Zips – allow ventilation and ease of access. Most manufacturers make bags with left and right zip options allowing two (twin) bags to be zipped together. If you are right handed you are best to buy a bag with a zip on the left and vice versa as it is easier to do it up and down across your body.
• Compression Bags – many sleeping bags come with a compression bag which is fitted with straps to enable you to squash the bag up smaller than it would normally go. These bags are also available to buy separately.