Down sleeping bag guide

The advantages and disadvantages of a down sleeping bag

Why are down sleeping bags so popular? Of course, today you can replace the high-quality goose down, which are preferred for down sleeping bags, with synthetic fibers. However, no synthetic fiber achieves these good, heat-retaining insulation values ​​like the original natural product. In addition, only real goose down are so bulky, delicate and feather-light, you feel in one Down sleeping bag like floating on a cloud. Goose downs have the special property of being able to store heat perfectly, and they are also able to absorb and release moisture. However, goose down is not suitable for high humidity, extremely sweaty people or for permanent rain, since their moisture absorption is limited. If the down is exposed to high humidity then they can clump together. In addition, wet downs take a long time to dry again. In winter it can be at one Down sleeping bag Condensed body moisture even causes the down filling of the sleeping bag to freeze. Often you can remedy this situation by sewing a sleeping bag, which is waterproof. However, the feather-light, bulky sleeping comfort is no longer fully available. Down sleeping bags also have the advantage that they have a very low weight, have in their narrow-cut form a very tiny pack size and are therefore good and easy to stow away everywhere.

Attention: Do not buy goose down filling from living pluck!

As a „human animal lover“ one should make sure that the goose downs do not come from live plucked geese but only from animals that are slaughtered anyway. The living pluck is inhumane and extremely painful and traumatic to the animals. The down should not come from a tormenting living pluck, should be in a patch in the Down sleeping bag be noted or supplied as a certificate upon purchase. Buy yours Down sleeping bag So only from renowned and certified down producers who rely on this aspect! Furthermore, the path from the raw material through the careful preparation of the down and their permanently guaranteed quality assurance up to the release of German test institutes for the customer should be explained in a transparent and comprehensible way.

Where are down sleeping bags used?

They are preferably used for trekking and outdoor tours of all kinds such as climbing, mountaineering, hut tours, biking, etc. The humidity in the hiking and biking areas should be within normal limits, but for areas with high humidity or high rainfall, down sleeping bags tend to be inappropriate. Furthermore, they find their use on tours, where only little and light luggage should be used.

Is the filling 100% down?

No, a 100% down filling would be too sensitive to pressure and humidity. Therefore, the filling of a down sleeping bag always consists of a mixture of down and feathers at the same time. The feathers offer the lighter down support and hold. An ideal mixing ratio would be a filling composed of 90% down and 10% smaller feathers. Is the proportion of feathers higher, so for example, mixing ratios of 70:30 or even 50:50, so the weight of the down sleeping bag increases many times and the delicate padding of the down is impaired as well as the insulating air cushion, which is just a high down percentage guaranteed.

How are down sleeping bags constructed?

If you only fill the down and feathers in the shella down sleeping bag, so they slip depending on the movement only a few places on the sleeping bag. The consequence would be that other places remained without any filler. These unfilled places would create unpleasant cold spots. In order to prevent this, various subdivisions are incorporated in the down sleeping bags. These are the so-called „chambers“, the height, size and shape of which is matched to the desired bulk volume of the sleeping bag. The roundish, rectangular or trapezoidal chamber shapes are called „Chamber“, „Trapezoid Chamber“ or „H-Chamber“.

Which down sleeping bag shapes are there?

The „mummy sleeping bag“ modeled on a lying human being is usually used at low temperatures because it is tight-fitting and thus guarantees optimal heat storage.

The so-called „sleeping bag“ can be opened and closed with a zipper all around and serves as it were in the open state at the same time as blanket, It offers the largest and widest space to comfortably lie in it. He has a medium heat insulation.

The other category of „hut sleeping bags“ is versatile. For example as Sleeping bagat not too low temperatures, as a seat or bench underlay, for overnight stays in the open air, etc. In many hostels or club huts such hut sleeping bags are even required.