Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Bag
Maintaining Your Sleeping Bag at Home
On the field there's only so much you can do to care for your sleeping bag. Just remember to keep it clean and try to keep it away from anything wet including wet and dirty clothes.
At home you can do a lot more to maintain your sleeping bag so that it can last a little bit longer. These tips cover how to wash, dry, store and repair your sleeping bag in the proper way.
Washing and Drying
- Keep your sleeping bags clean by washing it frequently but only when it is necessary. Washing too much can break down the properties of both down and synthetic fills.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instructions manual and use mild soap. You can hand wash or wash in the gentle cycle of a washing machine. If your sleeping bags are too large, bring them to a launderette and use a larger machine but never dry-clean a sleeping bag.
- When using the tumble dryer, use the lowest setting . Put a tennis ball into the machine to prevent the down from clumping. The ball will help dissipate the clumps.
- When wet, handle with extreme care. Do not dry on a clothesline. Find some place to that can support the weight of the bag so that the delicate baffles do not tear. Hanging it on the dryer is a common practice.
Storing
- Store your sleeping bag in a large cotton storage sack. Make sure the bag sit loosely in the sack. Avoid putting the bag in a stuff sack for long periods of storage because compressing it too much will reduce its loft.
- Don't store the sleeping bag in a plastic sack as the moisture will be trapped and hence provide a suitable breeding ground for mould, mildew and bacteria. Only store your bag when it is completely dry.
Repair
- Tears need to be repaired immediately especially the ones on the shell and lining.
- For temporary repairs use a duct tape or Gaffa tape. Instead on cutting the tape in a square, cut it in a circle so that it doesn't snag the fabric.
- Permanent repairs can be made with a nylon repair tape or patches that are sold in most outdoor stores.
- You can also ask a professional company that can do repair jobs for tears, separating seams and zip problems. There are quite a few of these companies around and they might even throw you a discount if you ask nicely.
On the Field
Remember that you should always keep your sleeping bag clean. Obviously washing your sleeping bag on the field would not be practical.
You might need to wash a little at times but if you use a down sleeping bag, drying would be a problem. Synthetics dry much faster and are easier to clean when you're camping. Down bags lose their insulating properties when wet while synthetics retains at least some of it.
Even so, it is better to always have a dry sleeping bag. Give your sleeping bag a daily shake to keep it fresh and ensure that the filling remain evenly distributed.
When airing a sleeping bag, never put it on bare ground, which is likely to be dirty or wet. If you can find a large, dry and clean rock, use it to dry your sleeping bag.
Keep the sleeping bag away from anything wet including your rain gear.
About the Author
Jonsky has a few more articles at hubpages including topics on
down sleeping bags
and
mummy bags
. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonsky_Sicuna
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Buying your Sleeping Bag for your Next Camping Trip
Buying sleeping bags can be a difficult task, with prices ranging from a few pounds to a few hundred. Ultimately you have to ask what you want to use it for. The sleepig bag is an important part of the kit. If you are hiking then you ideally want something that will pack tightly and is quite lightweight, such as a compact sleeping bag, although you have to be careful as these sometimes don't provide the best insulation. Temperatures drop at night more than ost people expect, even in the middle of sumer so you should make sure you're prepared. A sleeping bag traps the warm air around your body which provides the best insulation possible. The best sleeping bag is one which allows moisture to escape while keeping warm air trapped.If you are in a couple, you might prefer a double sleeping bag (there is no better central heating than the body heat of someone else.
Slepping bags are given temperature rating based upon their intended use. One season sleeping bags are designed for use in the sumer months only and aren't suitable for camping in the winer (they just won't keep you warm). Two season sleeping bags are suitable for the extended summer months (from early spring to late autumn, but aren't suitable for sub zero temperatures. Three season sleeping bags will provide warmth in temperatures which are slightly sub zero and four season bags are designed to be used all year round and will be the most expensive type of sleeping bag.
Temperature ratiings should be taken as a general rule, remember, temperatures can drop below zero in spring, particularly at higher altitudes so you should follow specfic directions of the manufacturer. The amount of heating that different people will need can vary widly, with some people requiring more warmth than others.
What you sleep on is also very important, a good ground mat provides great insulation and is very important when camping.
If you are just planning on camping in the summer, you probably don't need to spend too much, if you are looking at trecking, climbing, mountaineering etc then you really want to look at the top end, as the cheaper models simply won't keep you warm enough. You might also want to consider a "bivvy bag", as this can be useful in emergencies, or if temperatures drop lower than expected.
The fill in sleeping bags can be made of a wide range of things, most commonly goose, duck or down. Down is the warmest and often most expensive but not very good if it gets wet.
You may aso want to look out for a bag with a 2 way zip so you can stick your feet out the bottom. Double sleeping bags are also available and singles that join together to form a double. Insulated zips are also important if it gets very cold. A good ground mat is also an essential. They are only cheap and provide excellent insulation.
About the Author
Camping Now have great deals on Sleeping Bags from suppliers across the UK