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Maintaining Your Sleeping Bag at Home

Posted on December 8, 2009 at 11:20 am

Maintaining Your Sleeping Bag

at Home

On the field there’s only so much you can do to care for your sleeping bag. Just remember to keep it clean and try to keep it away from anything wet including wet and dirty clothes.

At home you can do a lot more to maintain your sleeping bag so that it can last a little bit longer. These tips cover how to wash, dry, store and repair your sleeping bag in the proper way.

Washing and Drying

- Keep your s" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px #0e9500 dashed; color: #0e9500;" target="_blank" >sleeping bags clean by washing it frequently but only when it is necessary. Washing too much can break down the properties of both down and synthetic fills.

- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions manual and use mild soap. You can hand wash or wash in the gentle cycle of a washing machine. If your sleeping bags are too large, bring them to a launderette and use a larger machine but never dry-clean a sleeping bag.

- When using the tumble dryer, use the lowest setting . Put a tennis ball into the machine to prevent the down from clumping. The ball will help dissipate the clumps.

- When wet, handle with extreme care. Do not dry on a clothesline. Find some place to that can support the weight of the bag so that the delicate baffles do not tear. Hanging it on the dryer is a common practice.

Storing

- Store your sleeping bag in a large cotton storage sack. Make sure the bag sit loosely in the sack. Avoid putting the bag in a stuff sack for long periods of storage because compressing it too much will reduce its loft.

- Don’t store the sleeping bag in a plastic sack as the moisture will be trapped and hence provide a suitable breeding ground for mould, mildew and bacteria. Only store your bag when it is completely dry.

Repair

- Tears need to be repaired immediately especially the ones on the shell and lining.

- For temporary repairs use a duct tape or Gaffa tape. Instead on cutting the tape in a square, cut it in a circle so that it doesn’t snag the fabric.

- Permanent repairs can be made with a nylon repair tape or patches that are sold in most outdoor stores.

- You can also ask a professional company that can do repair jobs for tears, separating seams and zip problems. There are quite a few of these companies around and they might even throw you a discount if you ask nicely.

On the Field

Remember that you should always keep your sleeping bag clean. Obviously washing your sleeping bag on the field would not be practical.

at Home

You might need to wash a little at times but if you use a down sleeping bag, drying would be a problem. Synthetics dry much faster and are easier to clean when you’re camping. Down bags lose their insulating properties when wet while synthetics retains at least some of it.

Even so, it is better to always have a dry sleeping bag. Give your sleeping bag a daily shake to keep it fresh and ensure that the filling remain evenly distributed.

When airing a sleeping bag, never put it on bare ground, which is likely to be dirty or wet. If you can find a large, dry and clean rock, use it to dry your sleeping bag.

Keep the sleeping bag away from anything wet including your rain gear.

By: Jonsky

About the Author:

Jonsky has a few more articles at hubpages including topics on Down Down Sleep sleeping bags and mummy bags. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonsky_Sicuna

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The Advantages of a Down Sleeping Bag

Posted on December 5, 2009 at 4:09 pm
When you are choosing a sleeping bag, one of the major things to consider is the insulation fill type. Sleeping bags are typically made with either synthetic fill or down fill. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, but a down filled sleeping bag is usually the best choice.

Down Sleeping Bags Weigh Less

The weight of your backpack and its contents is crucial when hiking the trails or even climbing a mountain. The more weight you carry, the sooner you will tire out and need a break. A down sleeping bag can make your pack a little lighter. Since a sleeping bag is one of the biggest items you will carry while hiking, this is definitely a good place to save some weight.

A Down Filled Sleeping Bag is Warmer than Synthetic Filled

Surprisingly, no synthetic fills can match down’s weight to warmth ratio. Down traps more air and acts as a better insulator than any manmade fibers. When you are camping in cold weather, a warm sleeping bag is a must. You don’t want to lose sleep shivering through the night, especially if you need energy for an early morning mountain ascent.

Down Bags Are More Compact

Pack space can be an importance factor when choosing camping gear. A down sleeping bag will compress more to take up less backpack space than a synthetic sleeping bag. That leaves you more room for things like food and extra clothes.

The Disadvantages of a Down Sleeping Bag

Although down sleeping bags have a lot of benefits, there are some drawbacks such as price and versatility.

In wet conditions down may be a poor choice. This is because a wet down bag becomes very compact, providing little insulation. This essentially leaves you with no sleeping bag for the night. To prevent this problem there are down sleeping bags made with water resistant or waterproof material. So you can still get a down bag for kayaking trips or rainy camping.

The only other real drawback is that down sleeping bags tend to be much more expensive than Synthetic Sleeping Bags You are usually paying for a higher quality sleeping bag when you choose down though.

Conclusion

Unless price is a big concern, down insulation is usually the best choice for sleeping bags. When you choose down, your bag weighs less, you have more room in your pack and you are warmer.

By: Jeremy Biberdorf

About the Author:

Check out Taiga Works for a wide variety of camping gear, including Down Sleeping Bags and Gore-Tex jackets. Buy quality outdoor gear at discount prices.

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Columbia Sleeping Bags are Quality Camping Products That are Well Known

Posted on December 4, 2009 at 7:58 am
When you want to buy quality camping products you need to look for camping products that are well known. One of these product names is that of Columbia camping gear. So if you want to buy sleeping bags which will hold up to your camping trip you will find is that of Columbia sleeping bags . These sleeping bags will provide you with a comfortable sleeping surface.

Now since not everyone is of the same height it is best if you choose your various Columbia sleeping bags which will provide you with ample leg room and body space. You will find that some of these Columbia sleeping bags have hoods. These hoods will have a drawstring that provides you with some adjustability. By looking at these different features which can be found in sleeping bags you can buy ones that are suited for your camping needs.

When you are shopping for the ideal Columbia sleeping bags there are certain items that you might want to look at. Even though the price of sleeping bags is an important aspect it is not the most important part. You will find that comfort and durability is very vital while you are on a camping trip. One of the best types of sleeping bags that you can invest in for a camping trip is a thermal sleeping bag.

These sleeping bags are perhaps the best ones that you can choose to buy. As the inner part of the bag is made from a thermal material it absorbs the body heat which is enclosed in the bag. Since the bag is filled with your body heat you in turn are covered by the resulting heat. As with various sleeping bags the Columbia sleeping bags are made from easy to pack and store materials.

You will be able to buy your Columbia sleeping bags from stores which sell camping supplies. You can also purchase the sleeping bags that you want from the Columbia camping supplies online store. With both of these options you can preview the range of Columbia sleeping bags which are available. You will then see which ones are most suitable for all of your camping needs.

While it is possible to buy any type of sleeping bag you will find that Columbia sleeping bags are a better investment for your camping trips. With these Columbia sleeping bags not only will you get comfort in the wilderness but you will also get a high quality product that will last for many camping trips.

By: Muna wa Wanjiru

About the Author:

Muna wa Wanjiru is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Camping for Years. For More Information on Columbia sleeping bags , Visit His Site at COLUMBIA sleeping bags

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