Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Something to sleep in
If you feel constricted in a sleeping bag, it's fine to go
camping with your comforter or blankets, and a sheet. Some
manufacturers now make comforter-style sleeping bags so
you can have all the comfort of home in your tent. You may
find, however, that your comforter takes up a lot of room in
the car, and carrying them for any distance is impractical.
Natural or synthetic?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right
bag for you. Whether you're off for a mountain adventure or
beach-side break, think before you buy.
Down sleeping bags
Synthetic sleeping bags
Either natural goose or duck
feathers are usually used to
line down sleeping bags. The
quality of down sleeping bags
is measured on a “Fill Power”
system, which peaks at “900
Fill Power” —the warmest.
Materials such as polyester fill,
which is used to stuff household
comforters, are used in synthetic
sleeping bags. Properties are
different to natural down bags,
as shown below.
Warm.
Cooler.
Loses its shape when wet.
Loses insulating properties when wet.
Takes a long time to dry.
Maintains its shape when wet.
Maintains most of its insulating
properties when wet.
Dries relatively quickly.
Lightweight.
Heavy.
Compresses to a very small size.
Long periods of compression may
reduce the insulation's ability to loft.
Takes up less space when stored.
Not affected by storage.
Expensive.
Inexpensive.
