gear that takes you there
Sleeping Systems
Having a comfortable night’s sleep is, for many outdoor enthusiasts, of paramount importance. There are those who seem to be able to survive for days on end using a wafer thin ¾ mat of extremely dubious insulative value (note they even use this mat when camping) but for most of us, this is not an option. We want to enjoy our time out! Sleep monsters are all very well in AR but why would one want to see a pink shopping trolley wheeling along next to you (I kid you not) as you amble along your trail of choice!
The components of a sleeping system are threefold:
1. You (obviously)
2. Sleeping bag (+liner)
3. Sleeping mat
1. The individual doing the sleeping:
When sleeping we do not all generate the same amount of heat. There are people who sleep warm and people who sleep cold. Typically, guys sleep warmer than girls. I happen to fall into the warm sleeper category. You probably know where you fit in this range and bearing this in mind, It’s a good idea to invest in kit that will cater to your own specific requirements. For example: If you know you sleep cold and are going to use a sleeping system (predominantly) in winter conditions in the Drakensberg or Cederberg, don’t go and buy a 2.5cm thick 3 season mat and combine it with a -5°C rated sleeping bag because most likely, you’ll get cold! You’d be better off buying a sleeping bag rated to -10°C along with a mat that is 4 season rated.
Having said this, there are things you can do to ensure you sleep warmer, if you find yourself in a cold place. Here’s a short list:
· Make sure you’ve gone to the loo before bedding down. Getting up in the middle of the night is not a good idea as you’ll lose heat doing this and also, it’s not very pleasant having a pee (or worse) when it’s -3 and there’s a howling wind blowing!
· Make sure you’re well fed and well hydrated before going to bed (this is not a contradiction of the above!). You are the one generating the heat. You need fuel to do so.
· Don’t breathe into your sleeping bag to heat it up. By doing this you increase the relative humidity inside the bag. Adding moisture to the system is counter-productive as it will ultimately cool you down and could affect the efficiency of your sleeping bag fill, especially if this happens to be down. Andy Kirkpatrick has written (some time ago) a very nice article called the Art of Not Suffering in which he addresses these kinds of issues. Well worth a read: http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/the_art_of_not_suffering
· Sleep in one complete layer of Thermals. Synthetic thermals (Not Cotton) will aid in moisture management next to skin and you will definitely sleep warmer.
· Wear socks and a beanie to add warmth to your extremities. I have a pair of ancient fleece socks for this purpose and instead of a beanie, I use a buff.
2. The Sleeping Bag:
If purchasing a sleeping bag, there are some issues which will immediately confront you:
1. How much am I willing to spend?
2. How much am I willing to carry?
3. How cold will it be where I’m going?
Without going into the intricacies of bag design (there are better qualified folks for this) it is true that Down sleeping bags are generally more expensive in the short term but over time, because down lasts so long, they ultimately end up being cheaper than their synthetic counterparts. Down is also still the most efficient form of insulation out there, even though there have been significant improvements in Synthetic fill options for sleeping bags! This obviously affects two things mentioned above, your wallet and how much you carry. If you’re visiting warmer and wetter climates then down may not work for you. By warm, I mean temperatures above 5 to 10°C. However, you may need a very small, lightweight bag that is as versatile as possible in which case you’ll need a sleeping system which can cope with a fairly wide range of temperatures. Down would then be a potential candidate. Don’t expect, though, that you can comfortably use a single sleeping bag for +10°C all the way down to -20°C.
Adding a liner is an absolute essential no matter what bag you buy. The major benefit to using a liner is that it keeps your sleeping bag cleaner on the inside. This means you wash the thing less often which also means your bag lasts longer. Cotton liners are fine for warm conditions but synthetics (eg Pertex™ /Thermolite™) and silk are much better for colder conditions.
Another benefit is that you’ll sleep warmer: some liners are able to increase the rating of your sleeping bag by 5-10°C (ie a -5°C rated bag can now be pushed to -10 or even -15°C).
Regarding the conditions (temperatures) you’ll be using the bag under, all sleeping bag manufacturers give a thermal rating to their bags. There is no standard measure so be aware that ratings vary between manufacturers.
3. The sleeping Mat:
For a comprehensive primer to picking the right sleeping pad see http://www.on-the-edge.co.za/profiles/blogs/how-to-pick-a-sleeping-...
Some useful links:
www.backpackinglight.com (they have excellent reviews although focused on the ultralight backpacking market in the USA)
www.backpacker.com
http://outsideonline.com
Finally, This is not an exhaustive assessment of sleeping systems and I have, for brevity’s sake, left a lot out. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask: Just go to The Edge page (on www.on-the-edge.co.za) and send a message with your question. If we can’t answer, we’ll find someone who can! In my opinion it’s always best to consult as many folk as possible before purchasing something for the simple reason that opinions and experiences vary!
The components of a sleeping system are threefold:
1. You (obviously)
2. Sleeping bag (+liner)
3. Sleeping mat
1. The individual doing the sleeping:
When sleeping we do not all generate the same amount of heat. There are people who sleep warm and people who sleep cold. Typically, guys sleep warmer than girls. I happen to fall into the warm sleeper category. You probably know where you fit in this range and bearing this in mind, It’s a good idea to invest in kit that will cater to your own specific requirements. For example: If you know you sleep cold and are going to use a sleeping system (predominantly) in winter conditions in the Drakensberg or Cederberg, don’t go and buy a 2.5cm thick 3 season mat and combine it with a -5°C rated sleeping bag because most likely, you’ll get cold! You’d be better off buying a sleeping bag rated to -10°C along with a mat that is 4 season rated.
Having said this, there are things you can do to ensure you sleep warmer, if you find yourself in a cold place. Here’s a short list:
· Make sure you’ve gone to the loo before bedding down. Getting up in the middle of the night is not a good idea as you’ll lose heat doing this and also, it’s not very pleasant having a pee (or worse) when it’s -3 and there’s a howling wind blowing!
· Make sure you’re well fed and well hydrated before going to bed (this is not a contradiction of the above!). You are the one generating the heat. You need fuel to do so.
· Don’t breathe into your sleeping bag to heat it up. By doing this you increase the relative humidity inside the bag. Adding moisture to the system is counter-productive as it will ultimately cool you down and could affect the efficiency of your sleeping bag fill, especially if this happens to be down. Andy Kirkpatrick has written (some time ago) a very nice article called the Art of Not Suffering in which he addresses these kinds of issues. Well worth a read: http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/the_art_of_not_suffering
· Sleep in one complete layer of Thermals. Synthetic thermals (Not Cotton) will aid in moisture management next to skin and you will definitely sleep warmer.
· Wear socks and a beanie to add warmth to your extremities. I have a pair of ancient fleece socks for this purpose and instead of a beanie, I use a buff.
2. The Sleeping Bag:
If purchasing a sleeping bag, there are some issues which will immediately confront you:
1. How much am I willing to spend?
2. How much am I willing to carry?
3. How cold will it be where I’m going?
Without going into the intricacies of bag design (there are better qualified folks for this) it is true that Down sleeping bags are generally more expensive in the short term but over time, because down lasts so long, they ultimately end up being cheaper than their synthetic counterparts. Down is also still the most efficient form of insulation out there, even though there have been significant improvements in Synthetic fill options for sleeping bags! This obviously affects two things mentioned above, your wallet and how much you carry. If you’re visiting warmer and wetter climates then down may not work for you. By warm, I mean temperatures above 5 to 10°C. However, you may need a very small, lightweight bag that is as versatile as possible in which case you’ll need a sleeping system which can cope with a fairly wide range of temperatures. Down would then be a potential candidate. Don’t expect, though, that you can comfortably use a single sleeping bag for +10°C all the way down to -20°C.
Adding a liner is an absolute essential no matter what bag you buy. The major benefit to using a liner is that it keeps your sleeping bag cleaner on the inside. This means you wash the thing less often which also means your bag lasts longer. Cotton liners are fine for warm conditions but synthetics (eg Pertex™ /Thermolite™) and silk are much better for colder conditions.
Another benefit is that you’ll sleep warmer: some liners are able to increase the rating of your sleeping bag by 5-10°C (ie a -5°C rated bag can now be pushed to -10 or even -15°C).
Regarding the conditions (temperatures) you’ll be using the bag under, all sleeping bag manufacturers give a thermal rating to their bags. There is no standard measure so be aware that ratings vary between manufacturers.
3. The sleeping Mat:
For a comprehensive primer to picking the right sleeping pad see http://www.on-the-edge.co.za/profiles/blogs/how-to-pick-a-sleeping-...
Some useful links:
www.backpackinglight.com (they have excellent reviews although focused on the ultralight backpacking market in the USA)
www.backpacker.com
http://outsideonline.com
Finally, This is not an exhaustive assessment of sleeping systems and I have, for brevity’s sake, left a lot out. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask: Just go to The Edge page (on www.on-the-edge.co.za) and send a message with your question. If we can’t answer, we’ll find someone who can! In my opinion it’s always best to consult as many folk as possible before purchasing something for the simple reason that opinions and experiences vary!
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