Synthetic Sleeping BagA Reliable, Versatile Choice in Sleeping Gear
What is a Synthetic Bag? The loft in a synthetic sleeping bag is a man-made polymer, or plastic fiber. It is an extruded fiber, usually hollow. It can be one continuous strand or can be cut into shorter lengths. The advantage of a hollow fiber is that it traps and holds warm air from your body, providing insulating qualities. Advantages The advantages of a synthetic bag include: • Hypoallergenic Because the man-made synthetic polymers are hypoallergenic, there is no danger from allergic reactions that can occur with down. If you are allergic to duck or goose feathers, you have read far enough. A synthetic sleeping bag is your best choice. Synthetic bags retain some measure of warmth even when wet. I am not trying to say that you will stay warm and cozy, but at the very least, you may stave off hypothermia. Also, synthetics will dry quickly when exposed to sunshine—a definite advantage over down. A synthetic bag provides a better cushion under you as the fibers tend to stay in place rather than wiggle out from under you. Synthetics can be machine washed with regular detergent and dried in a commercial dryer. Low heat must be used to prevent melting of the plastic fibers. Drying is rather quick when exposed even to low heat. This makes synthetics very easy to clean. Synthetics are less expensive than down. Being composed of an easily manufactured and readily available man-made fiber keeps the cost lower than natural fibers. Disadvantages Major disadvantages of synthetics versus down are: • Heavier Synthetic bags are slightly heavier than down. They will not compress to as small a size in your pack and pound-for-pound, they are not as warm. Synthetics continue to close the gap, however, and they are approaching down in these characteristics. Because of the nature of the man-made fibers, you may notice that synthetics do not lie as close to your body as you might like. In moderate temperatures, this could be considered an advantage as it will allow a bit of air circulation. If you tend to be cold when you sleep, you may consider this a disadvantage. While synthetics are initially less expensive, they have not nearly reached the durability of down. A down bag will outlast a few synthetic ones if taken care of adequately. If you tend to camp in less than a full-coverage shelter, hike in very damp areas, or tend to frequently get caught hiking in the rain, your best choice may be synthetic. However, even in dry conditions, a synthetic sleeping bag makes a versatile, reliable choice and will provide you with a warm, comfortable good night’s sleep. Return from Synthetic Sleeping Bag to Backpacking Sleeping Bag
|
A synthetic sleeping bag is one of two options in the most important purchase you will make when assembling your ultralight backpacking gear.