Sleeping bags
1. Is it important to use the heat collar at low temperatures?
It is very important to use the heat collar at low temperatures, only when you use it will you get the full temp.range out of you bag. Always tighten it as hard as you can but of course so that it still feels comfortable. If it gets very warm in the bag it is often better to open the zipper down by your feet a couple of cm to let some air in instead of opening the heat collar.
2. How to pack the sleeping bag?
You should always stuff your bag in the stuff sack, never roll it. This is regardless of your bag being a synthetic or a down bag. By winter sleeping bags with a lot of filling it usually helps to turn your bag inside out before stuffing. This helps you to get the air out of your bag since the inner material is more “breathable” and lets the air out more easily.
3. Washing my sleeping bag?
Of course you can wash your sleeping bag. A lot of people are a little afraid of doing this but it is really very easy and no problem, although it is advisable not to do it too often, a good way of not having to wash it that often is to use a liner. Wash your down bag at low temperature and slow cycle with a special down detergent that does not leave any residue in the down that could damage the loft of the down. The same goes for the synthetic bags, here you also use a detergent that does not leave any residues in the filling. If you are allergic and need to wash your bag at 60C this is only possible with the synthetic bags. You have to count on that you shorten the lifespan of your bag a little by doing this but it does not really affect the bag and a lot of people have been doing this for years and years with good results.
When you dry your bag it is good to put a couple of tennis balls or equivalent that can “bang” your sleeping bag around a bit to retain the loft.
4. How do I take care of my sleeping bag while on tour?
Use a sleeping bag liner inside and try to vent your bag and dry it as often as possible. If the weather permits it is a good tip to open it up and put it on top of your tent while you are eating breakfast.
5. Should I wear clothes inside the sleeping bag (by low temperatures)?
By cold temperatures it is good to wear clothes inside the sleeping bag like thermal underwear (wool or synthetic) socks and a hat or balaclava. If it gets colder than what yu expected on tor and you are on the limit of the temp.range of your bag never wear to much clothes inside the bag down jacket, heavyweight fleece etc as this compresses the filling and makes your bag lose its ability to retain warm air. It is much better no put your warm clothes underneath your bag to insulate extra against the cold coming from the ground. You can also put a fleece or a down vest around the lower part of your bag and around your chest (body core) to retain your heat and stay warmer.
6. Is it important to use a vapor barrier liner in the winter?
This is only important if you are doing longer trips/expeditions in very cold climates where it is essential for the filling of you bag to stay as dry as possible so that it retains it full insulating properties. The vapor barrier liner does not exactly improve your sleeping comfort in the bag. When using the liner it is important to also wear some thermal underwear that can absorb sweat during the night.
7. Using a pillow in the sleeping bag?
Almost all Helsport sleeping bags come with a pillow pocket that is integrated in the bag, so that you can stuff a fleece or a down vest into it to create a pillow or you can of course opt for the Helsport airpillow that fits in there. You can always make a nice pillow out of your stuff sack if you want to get up higher for reading etc in the evening. Then you also always know where your clothes are the next morning.
8. How do I decide which ground pad I should use?
Basically your options are self inflatable or cell foam. For summer trips the light self inflatable ones are a great option. They come in different thickness and length. Of course always pick one that is long enough for you. Generally speaking the thicker it is the warmer it is and the heavier, the thicker ones also provide more sleeping comfort. In the summer you can more or less choose how much weight the extra comfort is worth for you. The cell foam mattresses are cheaper but offer considerably less comfort. If you opt for a cell foam mattress make sure it is closed cell foam since these are warmer and do not soak up water like the cheaper open cell mattresses. The highest quality closed cell mattresses like for example the Helsport XTREM foam mat also have a thermo formed top and bottom this makes them even warmer (they have a better R rating). To explain this you can say that a normal closed cell mat is cut out of a sheet of foam, this leads to that the top and bottom consists of cells that are cut in half so that snow etc sticks to them. The thermo formed mat`s are “baked” so that you get a smooth surface and snow etc don’t stick to them.
In the winter a good combo is to use a thick closed cell mat and on top of that a self inflatable one.This leads to the best comfort and insulation. You also have extra safety with the cell mat if your inflatable one should be damaged beyond repair (stepping on it with crampons etc)
9. Fiber, down or both?
This is a hard one and there are really quite a few different schools here and in the end it comes down to personal preferences and what you like the best. So this is more of a guide
Down bags ( here we are only talking about serious high quality bags of at least 80/20 600quin or better) are always warmer and lighter compared to weight, size and packed size to synthetic ones. They cost more than synthetic bags. The lifespan are about the same but you need to take better care of down bags. It is really essential to store them open or have them in a storage bag. Synthetic bags insulate better when they get wet. Now of course it is not that often that a sleeping bag gets wet since this is something that you really try to avoid since sleeping in a wet sleeping bag is not a great expeience even if it still insulates. For longer trips especially in late fall or winter a synthetic bag usually works better since it pretty much retains its insulating capabilities even when it gets moist from sweating over several nights but it will also always weigh more. This being said with a good liner and making sure to vent out or freeze out the moisture down bags also work. For shorter trips like a long weekend in the mountains in the winter nothing really beats a winter down bag.
Helsport also has some Fiber/down bags. Here you get a little of both worlds. You get that cozy warm feeling of the down but still have the water repelling quality’s of the fiber protecting the down. They weigh a little more than a pure down bag but are then again cheaper and work really great on long tours.
10. Do I need a sleeping bag liner?
We think the answer is yes! The liner is a great and affordable way to protect you good sleeping bag. You can wash it as often as you like and it adds some extra warmth to your bag . Liner come in different shapes and quality. Usually square and mummy shape, here the square ones are more for using in cabins etc or if you use a square sleeping bag. The mummy shaped ones then of course for mummy bags. The materials are cotton, synthetic, cotton/synthetic mix, silk and fleece.
Fleece is warmest but heavy, hard to dry and can feel kind of bulky inside the sleeping bag. Silk has the best warmth to weight ratio. Synthetic liners are not quite as good as silk but cheaper. Cotton liners are the cheapest but also soak up the moisture and retain it so that they can actually have a cooling effect on your body inside the bag. The mixed ones are somewhere in between but they feel good on your body. We would advise you to get a silk one it will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter is light and it is easy to turn around inside it even if you are wearing thermal underwear inside the bag.
