Northern Dancer
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SLEEPING BAG TEMPERATURE RATING SCALE
There was a time I just picked up a sleeping bag, usually on sale, and away I went. Not a good thing to do. But then again, those were the days I really wasn't knowledgeable about or necessarily cared about it either. I DO NOW! I thought at one time shivering through the cold nights was just the way sleeping out was done.
As a four-season camper I have -----> you guessed it, four sleeping bags. One for the summer, one for canoe tripping, one for spring and fall, and one for cold weather [winter] camping. Each is a different design and texture to meet my sleep needs.
I just bought a new spring/fall sleeping bag and it said on the label> minus 15 degrees Celsius or 5 degrees Fahrenheit, fits up to a person 6 feet, 2 inches tall. It also had the material it was made with and the washing/cleaning instructions - good to know. [Why do companies say "United States" or "Canada" and then you read the label and it says made in "China"? Just sayin.]
So was this a good buy? Maybe - but until I test the manufacturer information "in field trials" it's just industry gobbledygook. [Nice word to describe how they talk to us.] I need to know if the temperature rating is as good as they say it is AND if I'm going to be comfortable sleeping in it.
THE STANDARD FOR THE TEMPERATURE RATING FOR THE INDUSTRY is "EN" [European Norm] or "ISO" [International Organization for Standardization]. Most United States-based sleeping bag manufacturers have adopted either the EN or ISO testing methods, which is helpful for consistency and accuracy. [But they don't put the test method on the sleeping bag label.] Some of course will have developed they're own methods. BOTH EN AND ISO TESTS INCLUDE USING A HEATED MANIKIN [or possibly "womanikin"] wearing a long *underwear top and bottom, *a hat, and a *closed-cell foam sleeping pad. [*Important items to consider as part of your sleep system.]
The general range for different seasons looks something like this > Summer/low elevation sleeping bags: 32 degrees Fahrenheit and above, 3-season sleeping bags: 20 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and Cold-weather/winter bags: 20 degrees and below. [My winter bag is minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit without an outer bag.]
But no matter what - do your homework, make it a fun project to compare, and look for sales. Yadda. yadda, yadda.
There was a time I just picked up a sleeping bag, usually on sale, and away I went. Not a good thing to do. But then again, those were the days I really wasn't knowledgeable about or necessarily cared about it either. I DO NOW! I thought at one time shivering through the cold nights was just the way sleeping out was done.
As a four-season camper I have -----> you guessed it, four sleeping bags. One for the summer, one for canoe tripping, one for spring and fall, and one for cold weather [winter] camping. Each is a different design and texture to meet my sleep needs.
I just bought a new spring/fall sleeping bag and it said on the label> minus 15 degrees Celsius or 5 degrees Fahrenheit, fits up to a person 6 feet, 2 inches tall. It also had the material it was made with and the washing/cleaning instructions - good to know. [Why do companies say "United States" or "Canada" and then you read the label and it says made in "China"? Just sayin.]
So was this a good buy? Maybe - but until I test the manufacturer information "in field trials" it's just industry gobbledygook. [Nice word to describe how they talk to us.] I need to know if the temperature rating is as good as they say it is AND if I'm going to be comfortable sleeping in it.
THE STANDARD FOR THE TEMPERATURE RATING FOR THE INDUSTRY is "EN" [European Norm] or "ISO" [International Organization for Standardization]. Most United States-based sleeping bag manufacturers have adopted either the EN or ISO testing methods, which is helpful for consistency and accuracy. [But they don't put the test method on the sleeping bag label.] Some of course will have developed they're own methods. BOTH EN AND ISO TESTS INCLUDE USING A HEATED MANIKIN [or possibly "womanikin"] wearing a long *underwear top and bottom, *a hat, and a *closed-cell foam sleeping pad. [*Important items to consider as part of your sleep system.]
The general range for different seasons looks something like this > Summer/low elevation sleeping bags: 32 degrees Fahrenheit and above, 3-season sleeping bags: 20 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and Cold-weather/winter bags: 20 degrees and below. [My winter bag is minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit without an outer bag.]
But no matter what - do your homework, make it a fun project to compare, and look for sales. Yadda. yadda, yadda.
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