Keep Out The Cold With a Down Sleeping Bag

Going on vacation to camp is one of the most relaxing activities in American culture. Getting away from the cell phones, the workplace, and the emotionally draining rat race is often a welcome comfort. Being at one with nature and using only the bare necessities is fun and exciting until you realize, you are going to have to sleep outside. This is where some people can get a little nervous about things like rain or cold and being comfy enough on ground that has many uses with sleeping not being one of them. Fortunately we live in the 21st century when camping gear can bring back the comforts of home, namely sleeping bags instead of comforters and sheets. Some people choose to camp in a tent trailer which is a little more luxurious than just sleeping on the ground. Others like the thrill of sleeping on the ground. This is were a good sleeping bag will come into play along with a good foam pad.

If you haven’t been camping in the past couple decades or at all you will be surprised to hear about the wide arrays of down sleeping bag that are available. Engineers who design and manufacture sleeping bags have found ways to make them durable, water resistant and downright comfy. Either looking for yourself or looking for sleeping bags for kids, down may be the choice for you. The following information will give potential campers insight into the products available as well as why down makes an excellent material for sleeping in the out of doors.

What is down and why do they make sleeping bags out of it?

Individuals may have heard of down comforters, down coats and other items made from the material. Down is actually a type of feather that comes from birds. Some down used in manufacturing comes from geese and is termed goose down and other types are extracted from various species. Manufacturers also use synthetic down which is similar in structure and properties to natural down. These are very soft and uniquely shaped feathers that are underneath the main layer of feathers in birds. Its properties enable down to efficiently trap air and prevent heat loss in birds. This is why it is so popular as an insulator in blankets, coats and sleeping bags. Synthetic down is man made and offers much of the same thermal properties as its natural counterpart.

The benefits to using down for bedding and outdoor sleeping items are that it can retain heat and is ultra soft. The drawbacks to natural down however are that when it becomes wet or damp it loses these properties and can take a very long time to dry out. Synthetic down is susceptible to the same things except it does not take as long to dry.

A company that has a good reputation and an ample supply of down sleeping bags is Marmot Mountain Works. It’s a company that has been around for about 3 decades with stores in Northern California and Washington as well as a strong web presence. For example the company offers a down sleeping bag for sale on its site called the Medicine Bow which is capable of keeping its occupant warm in 20 degree Fahrenheit weather. The outer fabric is made from durable nylon and it features down insulation. Total weight is 2 pounds 14 ounces when packed up and it has a mummy design allowing for coverage of the wearer’s head and shoulders. It retails for about 200 dollars on the companies site www.marmotmountain.com.

Call them crazy but some people like to camp in the snow and need a bag with a little more muscle. A model that is a 0 degree down sleeping bag as well as a goose down is a product of the same names made by High Peak. This is a slightly younger company than the first one mentioned and they specialize in outdoor camping equipment. Many of its products can be found online at Amazon, Overstock or other web retailers. Its zero degree models use just the very tip of the goose down feather maximizing the amount of heat retention the bag can muster. It is also a mummy style bag made of nylon outer fabric and goose down feathers for insulation. It retails for 140 dollars new on Amazon.com.

This material used in camping gear will be a bit more expensive than alternatives however nothing will keep you warmer than bird down. Many of the sites may feature a down sleeping bag sale where bags can be purchased at a discount. Online retailers like the ones mentioned above will also have better pricing than brick and mortar locations. Whatever you decide, whether you’re in a 4 man tent, 6 man tent, or sleeping with no roof over your head, keeping you warm should not be left to inferior materials.

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