Sleeping outdoors in a sleeping bag

1090 words, 4 img.

Translation of a text in German.

Yesterday it has finally arrived! I ordered a new sleeping bag and first had to write a review on Amazon. Now I have to talk about it here.

I have been looking here and there for a long time. First I learned what a comfort temperature actually is, what an extreme temperature is. Then I looked at all sorts of sleeping bags, reflected on it, considered my habits and then came to the bag I need.

Types of sleeping bags.

There are sleeping bags on offer everywhere. Lidl, Aldi, the Danish JYSK - somewhere always a week of camping equipment goes on. If you find nothing there you should look at the shops like Decathlon or InterSport.
In principle there are two types of sleeping bags: mummy sleeping bags and blanket bags. The mummy sleeping bag are adapted to the body shape of a lying person, so they are more suitable for more extreme temperatures, because body has little volume to heat. Blanket-bags are clearly "bed-like" because you have more space in them, especially in the area of the legs. Since I am a self-confessed belly sleeper and turn on the sides at night, a blanket sleeping bag has been delivered to me. However, many sleeping bags are designed for warm environments, sometimes they are marketed as "hut sleeping bags" which essentially means that these are "just" mobile blankets that can only be well used indoor. But that is not what I want, because I like to sleep outside on the terrace or in the garden in spring/summer. So it had to be tougher.

T.max, T.comf, T.lim and T.ext.
These four values describe well what the sleeping bag is capable of. In Germany everything is standardized (which is good in this case, because we can compare goods) so there are so called norm-man and norm-woman, both 25 years old, he - 70 kg and 173 cm, she - 60 kg and 160 cm, that go into the cold chamber with each sleeping bag.😂

• T.max: the upper limit when it is too warm for each of them to lay in the bag. But this value is completely irrelevant because of built-in air conditioning - we can always open the zipper.
• T.comf: our most important value. The comfort temperature - at this, our norm-woman lies in the sleeping bag and feels herself perfect, yet she may, as always, complain about her cold feet.
• T.lim: value for real men! Here we, men, don't freeze, but since we are gentlemen we disregard this value either. If it is warm enough for our women - it is good for ourselves.
• T.ext: describes the temperature that can be endured in the sleeping bag, barely escaping cold death. It's all about survival! For most projects, this value is also negligible, only if one intends to spend the night in cold areas is it important - expeditions and alike.

NIGHT WARRIOR III

I ended up with the anglers' equipment. Yes, they have the hot stuff! I knew that it should be a blanket sleeping bag, I knew that if I want to sleep outside in the spring it must have a comfort temperature at about 0°C because it can be quite cool at night. At some point in my search, I came across a video on a fishing channel that introduced ANACONDA Level 4.1. What is cool about it, it consists of two bags, one inner and one outer. With both bags one can withstand temperature down to -20°C, at spring/summer outer one will be sufficient. Unfortunately the price, 159.- € on Amazon, is quite steep. But you can buy ANACONDA Night Warrior 3 for significantly less money (89.- €) with "only" one bag and down to -5°C comfort temperature.

However, and that also convinced me, the sleeping bag measures 230x105 cm which is really huge. In addition there is an integrated pillow, zipper on both sides and mounting options on the back. Above and below there are pockets with which you can attach the sleeping bag to a bed, as well as belt in the middle for the same purpose. From the inside, cuddly fleece promises warm nights, from the outside water-repellant Peachskin material gives the sleeping bag a noise-free surface. I hate rustling, plastic-like fabrics. There is also a small pocket inside for valuables.

The inner cuddly fleece and the integrated pillow.

On the left - sturdy zipper, on the right - water test on the outer fabric.

Fastenings on the back of a bag for tying to the lounge.

The first night.

Kachelmann said that it would be a maximum of 5°C on my terrace... but since I'm spoiled by heated water-bed I thought I'd better leave my sweatpants and sweater on. Yet, suspecting bag to be warm, I put on a thinner sweater, made of fabric similar to the T-shirts'. When I laid in the sleeping bag, I thought - "Woohoo! It is so warm!", - and left a zipper open. Then I quickly fell asleep and felt no cold at all. Quite the opposite - even with the zipper open it was too warm. Now I think underwear and T-shirt would have been enough.

By the way, outdoor one get awake very early - when the sun rises and the birds start to twitter, this time it was at about 5 a.m.. Funnily enough, one tries to sleep a little bit more but feels himself surprisingly fit after such a short sleep. I highly recommend to go outdoor and try it out. Sleeping in such a bag is much better than under usual blankets or covers.

Conclusion.

If you are looking for a sleeping bag you should definitely look at the fishing equipment. Pricey, but I think that it is fair for what is offered. Who sleeps on the stomach like me is well advised here. Now I'm looking for a wide angler couch , my garden lounge is only 65 cm wide and the armrests disturb me. Sleeping in a bag attached to a camp-cot would be as safe as in a bed.