Components of Sleeping Bags
There was a time when a sleeping bag was nothing more
than a rectangular piece of cloth sewn together to resemble a pocket, with
some form of cushioning inserted into the top and bottom halves.
While these may have been satisfactory for camping indoors or in the
comfort of one’s backyard in summer, serious outdoor adventure mavens and
professional expedition teams demanded much more from a sleeping bag, and
the manufacturers responded enthusiastically to their calls for design
advancement. Today’s sleeping
bags are marvels of technological design, assembled with a view to
maintaining a certain temperature range for their users, with comfort and
ease of transport as secondary but still very important objectives.
At present, a wide variety of sleeping bags that cater to a broad
spectrum of needs and activities exists.
However, all of these bags generally contain certain fundamental
components, which come together one way or another to make the sleeping bag
into what is has currently evolved.
- The Hood
and Draft Collar act in a
manner similar to hoods in a jacket, by keeping the head of the user
covered and warm. Chill winds,
which can drop temperatures by as much as 20 degrees, are effectively
warded off by these innovations.
- The Shell
is the outermost layer of the sleeping bag, which protects the inner
layers from exposure to weather and dampness.
It is typically made of durable, water-resistant material.
- The Fill is
the insulation of the sleeping bag that traps heat and keeps the
interior of the bag warm in low temperatures.
Fills are either made of down, which is lighter and more
efficient at warming, but expensive and susceptible to getting wet; and
synthetic material, which is heavy and bulky but performs constantly
regardless of exterior factors, and is cheaper.
- The Lining
is the interior cover, that makes direct contact with the clothes and
skin of the user, and is typically made of comfortable, smooth material.
- The Baffles
are chambers that are set between the shell and the lining, whose
purpose is to keep fill from shifting about and causing uneven
distribution of warmth. They are
more commonly found in bags filled with down, which has a tendency to
bunch up if not properly restrained.
- The Draft Tube
is a long, insulated tube attached to the inner lining of the bag,
adjacent to the zipper. Its
purpose is to prevent air from escaping through the zipper area after it
is closed, creating a completely sealed area within the bag for the
user.
- The Foot Box
is a pocket area at the end of the sleeping bag where the feet are
housed. Since heat first escapes
a person’s body through the hands and feet, this feature enhances the
comfort of the sleeping bag user by keeping heat concentrated in his
feet.
Sleeping bags will normally contain all or most of
these parts, which are instrumental to their basic function.
Additional features that aren't as universal include clips for the
attachment of sleeping mats, pockets for watches and small items, and
glow-in-the-dark zippers.
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