The sleeping bag is the single most important piece of self-support gear. Besides the obvious need for warmth, the bag must also be small enough not to rob valuable stern space and more critically, small enough to easily slide into that stern. If it’s not, a tiring and frustrating struggle will ensue each time the kayak is loaded. It should also be light, quality and perhaps, depending on your needs, versatile enough to be used for more than sleeping in.

The solution? A high quality down bag. For pure warmth per ounce, there is nothing that can match good down. And though an average 25% more costly than a synthetic bag, a quality down bag can easily outlast synthetic two to one...or more. Most importantly though, down bags can be half the stuffed size as equally warm synthetic bags.

But won’t a synthetic bag keep me warm if it gets wet? Based on my experience, I’d say this common belief is more half-truth than anything. Yes, a fully soaked down bag is worthless. If a synthetic bag gets equally soaked, one can roll most of the water out then fluff to restore a small amount of loft…but not enough to effectively keep you “warm”. You’ll still be miserable, just slightly less so.

The more pronounced difference between down and synthetic is the dry time. Chances are, assuming it is warm and sunny, if you get a synthetic bag excessively wet one day, you should be able to get it tolerably dry by the second day. The same can not be said for down...if the fibers get wet enough to clump together. In this case, drying it to a satisfactory level can take many hours of physical manipulation and heat. This clumping is why many down bag makers suggest throwing a tennis ball inside the dryer in their washing recommendations. While tumbling, that ball helps break up the clumps which, opens the fibers to airflow and speeds the drying. Even then, a down bag will still take considerably longer to dry than a synthetic bag. Anyone who has washed both can attest to this.

Despite those facts, anyone wishing to reap all the benefits of down should not be discouraged. Why? First off, it takes more water than one would think to cause down clumping (point at which down becomes worthless). Secondly, it is not difficult to keep a bag dry enough to do its job. After spending innumerable nights camping in varying conditions since I was a young child, I can only recall getting a bag wet enough to cause discomfort on three occasions. I was completely negligent two times and was using an inadequate tent the third. Similarly, I witnessed one poor chap suffer under a tarp shorter than his bag and have heard of many issues with leaky/cheap drybags. Two friends of mine also had their unattended bags blown in to the river. So yes, a bag can get wet. However, in every single instance I'm aware of, the situation could have easily been avoided with a little extra attentiveness in gear selection and camp habits. Below are some tips to keep any bag dry, down or synthetic:

• Sleep in a quality shelter with good ventilating properties or if using a tarp, make sure it is adequately sized.
• Use quality drybags in the kayak & make sure they are in good working order at home.
• If the sleeping bag is unstuffed & out of the shelter, loop the hood drawstring around something to prevent a wind gust from blowing it in the river
• Always place the sleeping bag inside its stuff bag then in to the main drybags. This gives two-way protection. Carrying the sleeping bag outside the main drybags is asking for trouble...even in a separate waterproof bag. Still worried? Place the bag inside a garbage bag, then in to it's stuff sack & finally, in to the main drybag. Three-way protection!
• If funds allow, consider a bag with a waterproof/breathable shell. Though a bit more money, 2-4 ounces extra weight & a touch bulkier, these shells are good insurance for extreme conditions & those questioning their abilities.
• Don't set your shelter in a natural drainage area & if the soil isn't absorbent, dig a drainage swale around the perimeter to direct rain water away. Just make sure to return the site to its natural state before leaving.

Differences in down insulations
If you're in the market for a down bag, be aware that not all down insulation is created equal. Low quality down has little to no advantage over good synthetic. The determining factor for down is the "fill power" and is the very first thing you should check. Fill power is determined in a lab when one ounce of a given down is allowed to fully loft in a testing cylinder and then weighted with a piston. The volume is then measured in cubic inches and that calculated number represents the fill power. Basically, an ounce of down that takes up 700 cubic inches in this testing cylinder is labeled 700 fill down. Therefore, the higher the fill, the warmer per ounce the bag will be. Or, in other words, the higher the number, the better the insulation. To give you an idea, 550 fill is what some synthetic makers compare their best too. The true virtues of down will start to be seen with 700 fill and get better up to 900. You might consider 750 as a minimum.

Are there occasions when synthetic bags are the better choice? Absolutely. If you need something hypoallergenic, a synthetic bag is the way to go. A synthetic bag may also be the better choice in excessively humid or rainy locales, although, a down bag with a waterproof/breathable shell combined with a VBL as outlined below would still work in many cases. At any rate, I'd also recommend a synthetic bag if you already had one that worked well in conjuncion with your boat and other gear. Why not? Save your money or spend it on some thing you truly need.

Shopping for a synthetic bag
Just like purchasing most other gear, if you choose an appropriate model from a reputable company, chances are you will be happy. You will however want to make sure the bag contains a proven insulation. One would like to think the industry would not market a product without thorough and time honored testing yet, in the race to become the first to introduce some thing new, it happens. I had one "high-end" synthetic bag, with the then latest insulation, lose more than 50% of its loft after less than a dozen uses.

What shape? There are three basic shapes to sleeping bags: mummy, semi-rectangular and rectangular. The mummy shape is the most efficient and unless deathly claustrophobic, the shape I’d recommend. The semi-rectangular and rectangular bags have more kicking room, but they are heavier and bulkier than mummies with the same temperature rating. Mummies get their efficiency from being designed to follow the contours of your body which, minimizes the amount of dead air space your body must heat and the bag to maintain.

The hybrid bag is a regular sleeping bag when you want it to be...or a parka or a suit. Sleeping, cooking, walking, lounging or relieving yourself, you are always surrounded by warmth. And arms in or out, foot box open or closed, hybrid bags are readily adjustable for changing nighttime temps. The bag in the upper left is a Western Mountaineering Linelite. The other bag is a Feathered Friends Rock Wren w/ a waterproof/breathable shell.

To the right of the tape measure is a popular 35° 16 oz sleeping bag w/ fleece pants & jacket. Total weight = 2lb 8oz. To the left is the 35° Feathered Friends Rock Wren hybrid bag shown above & below. No need for additional clothes. Weight = 1lb 12oz.

Eliminating redundancy is an easy way to minimize weight and bulk. A good example of this can be seen in the photo to the right comparing a hybrid bag to a conventional bag with cool weather camp wear. With the highly versatile hybrid, it is possible to get by without packing any additional camp clothing, even when the temps are cool. On top of that, with its center zip, arm openings and drawstring bottom, the hybrid offers a slew of night time venting options making them very comfortable to sleep in. The hybrid is also wonderfully cozy to lounge around in on a cool evening and works well while performing light camp duties.

Cooking dinner in the Feathered Friends Rock Wren.

However, as versatile as the hybrid is, and as much weight and bulk one can save using one, they will not work for everyone in all situations. And in many regards, the conventional bag and fleece wear combo makes for a more versatile set-up over all. Hybrids are not practical to hike in which, if it's cool and you have no additional clothing, you're out in the cold, literally. You also do not want to be wearing one any where near a camp fire as one small popping ember can melt a sizable hole in the lightweight shell creating a huge mess. With the conventional bag/fleece jacket/pant combo on the other hand, one can leave their expensive bag in the safety of the shelter and easily hike or hang-out near the fire in their fleece without fear of causing major damage. And in the case to the right in the aforementioned photo, where both bags have the same temperature rating, one can wear the fleece inside their conventional bag and have a warmer sleeping arrangement.

Neither system is perfect in all contexts. Pick the one that will best suit the majority of your situations.

Hybrid bags:

• Feathered Friends Rock Wren & Winter Wren: the original hybrid; standard options including waterproof/breathable shells or will customize (just be willing to exercise patience. This company specializes in quality craftsmanship, not speed).
• Western Mountaineering Linelite: esteemed company; lightest & most compact hybrid; needs modifications to work optimally; no hood; sewn through construction; no zipper; suitable for summer only; narrow footbox (big people won't be able to pull it up to walk. It's barely big enough for my lean 6' & 165lb build) NOTE: If interested in a Linelite, you'll have to look for used as it is no longer being made.
• Nunatak Raku: built-in sleeves; standard or fully custom; stratospherically priced
• Exped Wallcreeper: down or synthetic insulation; full zipper; hand warmer pockets; imported; overly optimistic temperature rating; more info here
  

The Western Mountaineering Linelite was designed to be used as a liner to extend the range of sleeping bags. However, with the addition of draft flaps & closures on its arm openings, this little package transforms in to an incredible 15oz hybrid sleeping bag for small to medium folks. In the photo to the left, the large black piece is a sil-nylon covered 200 wt fleece draft flap I added. The orange thing is a pull tab for the velcro closure. Tuck the flap inside & velcro the arm slit closed. Combined w/ a full length pad, the clothes I wear under my drysuit, a poncho VBL and bivy, this bag has very comfortably taken me down to the low 40’s.

What temperature rating? Temperature ratings are to assist in making a decision within a single manufacturers line of bags. And then, they are only rough guidelines assuming ideal conditions. Temperature ratings can not be used reliably to compare different manufacturers nor the extent of each individuals metabolism. The best way to compare warmth when comparing different brands is to look at the loft. If the bags have the same general construction, shape and girth, the bag with the most loft will be warmer. Most quality bag makers will list the loft in their spec sheet. To measure your own, fluff up the bag as much as possible, lay it out on a flat surface then measure the height. Just as an example, down mummy bags with 4" of loft will generally be rated to around 30°.

Ideally, if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, owning two bags with different temperature ratings is the ticket. Otherwise, a general guideline I'd suggest using is by choosing one with a rating close to the lowest temperature encountered regularly. Notice that I emphasized regularly. Buying too warm a bag for the intended usage just creates unnecessary weight and bulk. Plus, I have never found a bag like this to be overly comfortable. Leaving it open is a lot like laying next to a fire in the cold open. One side of your body will be sweating like a pig while the other side is left with goose bumps.

Now, to get to a starting point, consider where you will most use the bag and during which season. For instance, if most of your self-support will be done where and when freezing temperatures will rarely be encountered, a 30° bag from a reputable company would make a good starting point. From that point, adjust up or down according to your particular metabolism. For instance, if you find yourself wearing a sweater when everyone else has a tee shirt, consider a bag rated 5° - 10° colder (25°-20° bag). And if everyone is wearing fleece pants and you shorts, you might consider a bag rated 5° or perhaps...if you are willing to deal with the occasional cooler night, a bag 10° warmer (in other words, a 35° bag or, if you're brave/confident, a 40° bag).

Though generally considered a piece of gear for serious mountaineers, a VBL can serve a self-supporter equally as well. They prevent evaporative cooling & keep body moisture out of the bags insulation where it can accumulate…adding weight & robbing warmth. Rather than a conventional VBL though, which is just a bag that can't be used for much else...wear light weight rain gear or better yet, one of the most versatile pieces of gear a self-supporter can carry; a poncho. A poncho will cover the most crucial parts of your body; the core & head. If even more warmth is wanted, wear left over food bags on your feet...or your gore-tex socks if they are dry.

Remember too that if using a bivy, it can add several degrees warmth and regardless of shelter type...you can easily boost the temperature rating of a bag by wearing clothes inside. In addition to clothes, you can add even more warmth by wearing a vapor barrier liner (VBL)(see description at right).

For the sake of saving weight and bulk, I prefer to take a bag rated for warmer temps and increasing its warmth, if need be, by using the above methods. I'm already carrying that stuff so why not? I have comfortably taken a bag rated to 35° down to 17° by doing this. That said, there's more to sleeping warm than a good bag and wearing your clothes to extend its comfort. Below are a few tips to insure the best nights sleep possible:

Relief from within the warm cocoon... frequent male-urinators will appreciate the benefits of a Gatorade bottle. Steady hands and total cerebral focus mandatory.

• try to eat a filling & warm dinner meal that will release energy slowly
• stay hydrated throughout the day
• warm-up next to a camp fire before going to bed
• sleep in an enclosed shelter and up and away from the water (Remember. Cold air drops so riverside will be the coolest place to sleep.)
• choose a site that is naturally protected from the wind
• place insulation under your entire body (see sleeping pads)

Bag care
A quality down bag will last many years, perhaps even a lifetime for many...if well cared for. Below are a few tips to get the most from yours (the same care should be given to synthetic bags as well):

• Never store the bag stuffed. Keep it stored loosely in an over sized cotton bag in a dry dark area (old musty basements not recommended). Some manufactures include storage bags. Other wise, you can buy one at any good outdoor store or better yet, make one from an old sheet.
• Upon wakening, hang the bag outside allowing it to dry of body vapor and shelter condensation. Do both sides and preferably in the shade. The sun will dry it faster, but don't over do it. The UV rays will gradually weaken the material.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not use a compression sack. And do not lay or sit on the bag while stuffed. All this puts unnecessary stress on the insulation.
• Always place some thing between the bag and the ground.
• If tolerated, sleep with a top, shorts and socks on to keep excessive body oils and perspiration out of the insulation. This will do the same as sheets on a bed and combined with frequent airing, will lessen the need for frequent washing. Clean = more loft. More loft = more warmth.
• Bags require careful washing techniques & special soap. Wash as per manufacturers recommendations.
• Handle the bag with care. Don’t just rip it out of its stuff sack or you might tear a baffel in the process. Gently shake it out.
• Do not leave the bag stuffed any longer than necessary. Unstuff it as soon as you get to camp and if possible, keep it unstuffed to and from the river.
• When you get home, hang the bag some where out of the sun and let dry several days both inside and out. Or, if you have a bag with a drawstring bottom (hybrid), open it and stick a fan in it for several hours.
• Make every attempt at keeping your bag clean inside and out as washing too often can be hard on all the insulation and baffels.
  

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