Talk About Paidu Sleeping Bags For Outdoor Use
The shape of a sleeping bag
The shape of a sleeping bag is much simpler than that of a backpack or tent. The familiar ones are the two handed wooden and envelope style, combined with a hybrid shape, and the 3D three-dimensional shape that Chinese consumers have yet to come into contact with, totaling four different shapes.
1. Mummy style (also known as "mommy shaped")
Because it is designed entirely based on the shape of the human body, it can achieve the best insulation effect at the lightest weight. But at the same time, due to its wrap around design, users cannot roll freely inside, which is also the most uncomfortable one. In activities with high weight requirements, its presence is almost always present.
2. Envelope style
As the name suggests, envelope style is the simplest type of sleeping bag, just like the quilts and mattresses in your home, the difference is that they are already sewn together. This sleeping bag is relatively spacious and can also be fully opened to serve as a blanket. Due to its simple manufacturing process, the unit price is also relatively low. In Europe and America, the market share of envelope sleeping bags exceeds 70%, and many people choose this type of sleeping bag for self driving trips or as a backup at home.
3. Mixed shape
The mixture is mummy and envelope style. It is neither as slim as a mummy nor in a completely square envelope shape, but rather a trapezoidal shaped sleeping bag that combines these two shapes. Some people criticize this type of sleeping bag for not being as lightweight as a mummy or as comfortable as an envelope, but regardless, this type of sleeping bag still exists in the market, although in very small quantities.
4. 3D solids
This is a new form of sleeping bag, and I don't know how to call it. Some people abroad call it "upright", while others in Chinese factories call it "coffin sleeping bag". For this novel and unfamiliar form, I think it is necessary to introduce it with more text.
Usually, our sleeping bags, whether they are mummies, envelopes, or mixed shapes, are made up of two pieces: top and bottom. When both sides are sewn together, a person will drill in to form a three-dimensional height (the thickness of the user's body). You can try sticking two A4 sheets of paper together and then putting a corn (simulated human) inside to understand its shortcomings. The 3D three-dimensional sleeping bag is divided into four pieces, in addition to the upper and lower pieces, there are also two pieces on the left and right. It itself is a three-dimensional shape, with the upper and lower pieces designed according to the width of the human body, and the left and right pieces designed according to the thickness of the human body. Therefore, the comfort of using it is much higher than that of ordinary two piece sewn sleeping bags. A 3D sleeping bag can be a mummy or an envelope, but its upper and lower pieces are smaller than the size of a regular sleeping bag, which enhances a lot of comfort.
The advantage of this sleeping bag is its maximum warmth to weight ratio, which achieves the best insulation effect at the lightest weight while providing the best sleep comfort. But its disadvantage is that the production process is complex and the unit price is high, so there are few sleeping bags of this type in the domestic market at present.
5. Elastic sleeping bag
In down sleeping bags, there is a special category that is difficult to classify. It is in the shape of a mummy, but unlike ordinary mummy sleeping bags, it is elastic.
6.The fluffiness of down
Many domestic outdoor enthusiasts are not yet very familiar with FP values. According to the measurement of OUTDOOR INDUSTRY, the FP value of goose down is approximately between 650-850, while that of duck down is only between 500-700. In recent years, the fluffiness of down has exceeded 1000, and products such as MONTBELL and TNF have been launched, but the production volume is extremely small. In fact, high fluffiness goose down has been very unstable in recent years, and sometimes it is even difficult to buy 900FP products. However, duck down has also been improved in fluffiness through some post-processing techniques,
I think it is necessary for everyone to have a brief understanding of the various data related to down. Each country has its own down testing standards, China's GB, Europe's EN, the United States, Japan... each has its own differences. Even if you see that a down data is true, you still need to know what the testing standards are in order to know the quality of this down in a certain aspect. For example, using the same type of down for testing, China's GB results in low fluffiness but high down content data. Therefore, the domestic down industry is willing to use GB data to speak (because Chinese down products do not require fluffiness, but must indicate down content). For down products with high fluffiness, they are willing to use the IDFL data from the US Down and Feather Bureau to speak, because the US standard uses the steam flood drying method, and compared to the European standard's drum drying method, the final testing data from the US standard is larger.
The main reason for the difference in fluffiness between goose down and duck down is related to the size of the bird's body, and larger bird feathers tend to be larger. In the down industry, in addition to conventional measurements such as down content, composition, cleanliness, and fluffiness, more stringent buyers will specify the size of the plush buds and the number of strands contained in a single plush bud to ensure quality.
Gray and white down, except for different colors, have the same warmth retention ability as fluffy down.
High fluffiness down is often only available in Europe because European poultry are kept for a longer period of time, so the down grows better during harvesting.
The velvet content value of the American standard is quite realistic. For example, 90% velvet in the American standard is 90% velvet and 10% feather stem, while the European standard only has 80.95% velvet.
The word "Down" specifically refers to the down from the neck to the chest and abdomen of birds, which is the origin of the English word "Down". Due to the fact that the down of waterfowl is located underwater for a long time, there is a need for warmth, so the warmth and oil of DOWN are the best in the whole body of poultry.
The quality of down is related to many factors, including the type of poultry, the region of poultry growth, the season of down harvesting, and the age of poultry at harvest, all of which can affect the quality of down.
Finally, the insulation performance of down is not entirely related to its performance, but often also to its design. Recently, after consulting with many well-known factories in China, I have not found any factory in China that uses precise formulas for calculating down filling volume, such as the expansion space and cubic volume of filling. Basically, the experience of the sample designer is the basis. This worries me a lot. The biggest value of down sleeping bags lies in the advantage of warmth to weight ratio. If the height of the lining is based on design experience, even if the error is only 0.5CM, then a sleeping bag may waste tens of grams of weight when using 600FP down filling!
Tip: Currently, the most expensive velvet in the world is not 1000FP goose down, but Icelandic goose duck down, which is priced at over 20000 RMB per kilogram and has no market. This type of down is an environmentally friendly product, not directly collected from poultry, but only collected after the breeding season when geese and ducks leave their nests. It is said that the world produces only tens of kilograms of down per year, making it the "soft gold" of down.
7.Lightweight and breathable fabric
No one is willing to carry heavier equipment when traveling. In today's era where lightweight is becoming increasingly popular, sleeping bag products, with the filling material already determined, need to either break through in structure or choose lighter materials to reduce weight.
As of 2013, 15D fabrics have become popular, 10D ultra light fabrics have also been used by many brands, 7D fabrics have been launched, and Japan and South Korea are currently conquering 5D ultra light fabrics. Its weight (in square meters) has also increased from over 40 grams in the early days to over 30 grams, and then to 28 grams, 25 grams, 24 grams, 22 grams, to 20 grams! I once saw an article evaluating sleeping bags, claiming that the 30D fabric is already an ultra light product. I think this should be the awareness of 5 years ago, not the current one.
Another important factor that cannot be ignored in the fabric of sleeping bags is breathability. We are all concerned about the waterproof and breathable properties of assault suits, but very few people talk about the breathability of sleeping bags.
In fact, when the human body sleeps at night, a large amount of moisture also evaporates from the body surface. When we are in a low temperature and cold environment, we will tighten the collar of the sleeping bag to prevent cold air from entering. If the breathability of the fabric is not good, it will inevitably cause the filling inside the sleeping bag to become damp (this part cannot be seen, whether it is cotton or down, it will absorb this moisture) and lead to a decrease in warmth retention. So, when some cheap down sleeping bags use coated fabric to prevent burrowing, you need to consider whether it's worth it. Many brands use the same fabric for making down jackets to make down sleeping bags, believing that they are the same product. However, this is actually because these designers have not personally used sleeping bags. Cheap down fabrics are all made of anti down coating, so there are not many problems when producing down jackets. Down jackets are a dynamic product, and during use, human moisture will run out from the collar, hem, and cuffs. Down sleeping bags are a static product, and when used in cold environments, there is almost no outlet for moisture to run. Therefore, coated down fabrics have low breathability, I am not competent for this job. In summary, when purchasing a sleeping bag, it is best to choose a sleeping bag product made of down fabric with inner pressure instead of coating.
8.Source of temperature scale
The temperature scale of sleeping bags has been a controversial issue for a long time, due to the many variables that affect it - from the recognition of product temperature by sleeping bag manufacturers, the design of the sleeping bag itself, the environment in which it is used, the user's physical condition, and the condition of on-site use Wait, there are too many factors that may make the user say, 'This sleeping bag does not meet its temperature range for warmth!'
Let's think back and see, how did the temperature scale of this sleeping bag come about? What does moderate temperature represent? Taking a closer look, what are the differences between different temperature testing methods and temperature scales? A small temperature scale on the sleeping bag, with unexpected knowledge behind the numbers.
Because the sleep system needs to have sufficient warmth retention capacity to retain the body's heat energy in order to feel warm, the temperature scale represents the reference value that the sleeping bag can provide for warmth retention. The following are some definitions of temperature scales, but it should be noted that these definitions may vary depending on different testing methods:
Comfort Temperature: This refers to the temperature range within which the user can have a comfortable night's sleep when using this sleeping bag, usually located between the upper and lower limits of comfort. Upper Limit of Temperature: This refers to the maximum temperature at which the user can use this sleeping bag without sweating excessively during sleep. The usual usage conditions for the sleeping bag are zippered open, arms extended out of the bag, and hood not tightened. Lower Limit of Temperature: This refers to the minimum temperature at which users can use this sleeping bag to sleep for eight hours without waking up cold.
Extreme Temperature: This refers to the minimum temperature at which the user can use this sleeping bag without losing temperature. The condition of this indication is quite complex, but it usually refers to the ability to prevent the user's core temperature from reaching a dangerous level even after six hours of uncomfortable sleep.
9.Sleeping bag size
The length of the RAB women's version will be 15cm less than the standard version, while the XL size will have a length increase of 15cm, a mid circumference increase of 6%, and a foot circumference increase of 2%. Previously, a netizen asked why there is a difference between male and female sleeping bags? Generally speaking, different manufacturers have different designs for women's sleeping bags, including:
Smaller size: The length and internal width will be made smaller according to the female body shape. The men's R size of the Phantom 15 from MHW is suitable for a body size of 6 feet, with a shoulder, waist, and foot size of 60/56/38, while the women's R size is suitable for a body size of 5 feet 5 inches, with a shoulder, waist, and foot size of 56/56/38, which is one size smaller in length and internal dimensions.
Increase the filling amount: For example, Marmot's Helium is the same size for both men and women, but the filling amount for women is 120 grams more than that for men.
Different exterior designs: This part takes into account the wider hip circumference of women, so the size from shoulder to hip will be reduced less. For example, the Phantom 15 women's model has a shoulder and waist size of 56 inches. As men have wider shoulders, there will be a significant reduction in the size from shoulder to buttocks. For example, the shoulder size of the Phantom 15 men's model is 60 while the waist size is reduced to 56.
