Sleeping Bag Information

Don't let lack of a sleeping bag keep you from going camping. Remember the homemade bed rolls used for sleepovers and Scout camping trips? They still work. In case you've forgotten how to assemble one, a Girl Guide in Quebec explains how.

About.com's Camping Guide also covers making a bedroll.

Buyer's guides to sleeping bags:

REI has a current buyer's guide.

BackCountryGear.com has a helpful article on picking the right size sleeping bag.

Outside Magazine explains basic sleeping bag terms with a great diagram.

Outside Magazine also has a brief guide to taking care of a sleeping bag.

Gorp.com has more on how best to store sleeping bags.

Sleeping bag insulation:

Outside Online's "Gear Guy" discusses Climashield insulation.

The North Face has an information page about Climashield.

Author Jimmy Zambrano presents a glossary of other synthetic sleeping bag insulation.

BigSkyFishing.Com has an article about all types of "Sleeping Bag Insulation."

Backcountry Gear answers the question "Is Down Dead?"

Water-repellent fabrics

Water-resistant fabrics such as Pertex Quantum, EPIC or eVENT look ideal for down sleeping bag shells, protecting the down from condensation or even rain. However, plain nylon shells are more breathable. The longer the backpacking trip, the more this matters, since down can build up moisture night after night, causing it to lose loft and warmth.

Another possible reason to avoid water-repellent shells is the current uncertainty over the safety of fabrics like Gore-Tex, EPIC and eVENT that use a chemical called PTFE in manufacture. This is the same chemical at the heart of the debate about Teflon. Scientists in Sweden concluded that fabrics using PTFE, including Gore-Tex, do contain residues of a toxic chemical used in their manufacture, PFOA or C-8. However, no one knows if this makes such fabrics unhealthy to use. Since sleeping bags use such fabrics only on the outside, it seems unlikely that this poses any serious health hazard. Experts recommend using a liner or sleeping in a layer of clothes anyway.

The Environmental Working Group is the most active opponent of PFOA manufacture and use, with a comprehensive report on studies indicating health and environmental hazards.

An industry website has also been set up to defend PFOA.

Check sleeping bag manufacturer websites for detailed product information.

Big Agnes

Cabela's

Coleman

Feathered Friends

GoLite

L.L.Bean

Marmot

MontBell

Mountain Hardwear

The North Face (owned by VF Corp.)

REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated)

Slumberjack (owned by Sun Capital / American Recreation Products)

Tough Traveler

Western Mountaineering