Comparison Trimm Battle 185 vs Trimm Balance 185

Since a sleeping bag is a travel outfit, its weight can be one of the key characteristics. Two points should be taken into account here: firstly, more insulation usually requires more material and increases weight, and secondly, warm models with low weight are much more expensive than heavier options with the same temperature characteristics.

Also, when choosing a sleeping bag, you should decide what exactly you are buying it for. If we are talking about picnics, festivals and other simple trips to nature without long walks, or if you plan to carry equipment by car, you can not pay much attention to weight, focus on other characteristics. If you plan to go on long hiking or cycling trips, you should choose a model with a minimum weight.

As for specific numbers, most modern sleeping bags are in the range of 1.1 – 1.5 kg or 1.6 – 2 kg, although there are quite a few ultra-light models — 1 kg or less. An indicator of 2.1 – 2.5 kg is already considered quite significant, and a weight of 2.6 – 3 kg or more is found mainly in two types of sleeping bags: separate expeditionary models with a high degree of insulation, as well as double products.

The comfort limit temperature of this sleeping bag.

Some manufacturers use their own criteria for specifying this temperature, but EN13537 is considered the generally accepted standard. According to him, t of the comfort limit is the lowest ambient temperature at which a man in thermal underwear can comfortably sleep in a sleeping bag all night (at least 8 hours) in a heat-saving position (curling up) without waking up from the cold. Such criteria are used taking into account the fact that men are less likely to get cold during sleep than women, and the acceptable temperature for them is slightly lower. Of course, in each individual case, comfort will also depend on the characteristics of the body and the preparation of the tourist. However, in general, the general rule is: if the sleeping bag is used by a man, then the minimum temperature at the place of lodging should ideally be between comfort t and comfort limit t; for a woman, a few degrees must be added to the comfort limit t, and it is best to focus on comfort t (see above).

This indicator is quite closely related to seasonality. So, for winter use, t of the comfort limit should be less than -4 ... 0 °C ; in the warmest models, it can be very low, -15 °C and below. In purely summer and even spring/autumn models, there are values of +10 °C and even higher, however, if you are afraid of sudden col...d snaps at night, it is advisable to choose sleeping bags with indicators of at least +6..10 °С, and preferably +1...5 °C(especially for the off-season).

Some manufacturers use their own criteria to indicate this temperature, but the generally accepted standard is EN13537. According to it, the comfort limit t is the lowest ambient temperature at which a man in thermal underwear can comfortably sleep in a sleeping bag all night (at least 8 hours) without waking up from the cold in a heat-saving position (curled up). Of course, in each individual case, comfort will also depend on the characteristics of the body and the training of the tourist.

The comfort temperature of this sleeping bag.

Some manufacturers use their own criteria for specifying this temperature, but EN13537 is considered the generally accepted standard. According to this standard, comfort t is the lowest ambient temperature at which a woman in thermal underwear can comfortably sleep in a sleeping bag all night (at least 8 hours) in a relaxed position without waking up from the cold. This definition is taken from the considerations that women are more likely to get cold during sleep than men. Of course, the actual comfort will depend on the characteristics of the body and the preparation of a particular person. However, most likely, at ambient temperatures at the level of comfort t and above, it will be comfortable (or even hot) in a sleeping bag for any user, regardless of gender. For details on temperature selection features, see "comfort limit t" below.

Specific values of t comfort in modern sleeping bags can often be -5 ..-9 °C, or even lower, however, there are also models for hot weather — + 10 ... 15 °C and even higher. At the same time, we note that seasonality and the possibility of winter use are not strictly related to this indicator: in particular, winter models can have a comfort t of +15 °С, or even +20 °С.

Some manufacturers use their own criteria to indicate this temperature, but the generally accepted standard is EN13537. According to it, the comfort limit t is the lowest ambient temperature at which a woman in thermal underwear can sleep in a sleeping bag all night (at least 8 hours) in a heat-saving position (curled up), maintaining thermal balance. Of course, in each individual case, comfort will also depend on the characteristics of the body and the preparation of the tourist.

Extreme temperature of this sleeping bag.

Some manufacturers use their own criteria for specifying this temperature, but EN13537 is considered the generally accepted standard. According to him, the extreme temperature is the temperature at which a well-trained female tourist of a dense physique (height 160 cm, weight 60 kg) in thermal underwear can spend the night (at least 6 hours) in a sleeping bag in a heat-saving position (“kalachik”) without the risk of hypothermia. Such criteria are taken from the considerations that a person's resistance to cold depends on gender (women are colder than men), physique (thin people are more sensitive to cold) and training. It is worth noting here that if you are not used to hiking conditions, then the extreme temperature should be considered as the lowest temperature at which you can spend the night in a sleeping bag without risking your life. At the same time, there is no question of comfort, in addition, there is a high probability of hypothermia; so at such temperatures, not only high-quality thermal underwear, but also additional insulation may be required.

In addition to the standard elements of the sleeping bag design in the form of a hood(can also be removable), headrest, inner pocket, thermal zipper roller, drying loop and the ability to zip up, there may also be a light-accumulating loop, a compartment for a pillow, a warm collar, a fastener at the feet, a mosquito net, a compression bag.

— Hood. A classic hood that covers the head of a person in a sleeping bag. This detail provides additional thermal insulation: firstly, due to the fact that it protects the neck, the back of the head and most of the head from the cold, and secondly, due to the reduction of the space through which heat can escape from the sleeping bag.

— Removable hood. A type of hood (see above) with the ability to remove it at the user's discretion. This makes the sleeping bag more versatile: in warm weather, you can remove the hood so that it does not interfere, and when it gets cold, you can fasten it back, providing maximum protection from the cold.

— Headrest. A lining without the ability to...tighten around the head, used for more comfortable placement on the sleeping place and to reduce heat loss through the head on cool nights. Used in sleeping bags of the blanket type. Headrests for sleeping bags are often rectangular in shape and have an integrated pillow.

— Mosquito net. A protective net that covers the face of a person lying in a sleeping bag. Such a net holds back mosquitoes and other annoying insects, while at the same time air passes through it freely.

— Leg closure. A separate closure located in the leg area of the sleeping bag. In warm weather, this closure can be unzipped without opening the entire bag — this way, your legs won’t sweat in the sleeping bag, and the rest of your body will remain covered. The closure can be either a zipper or a drawstring.

— Zip-up capability. The ability to connect the sleeping bag to another bag (bags), creating a sleeping place for several people (usually for two, but in some models it is possible for more). This function will be useful in case of cold weather: it can be difficult to warm up in a sleeping bag alone, but several people in one bag additionally warm each other. When choosing, it is worth considering that sleeping bags from different manufacturers (and even different models from the same manufacturer) may differ in design and size of zippers. So if you are going to use this function, you should pay special attention to compatibility.

— Light-accumulating loop. A loop on the zipper puller that has an insert made of light-accumulating material. This material “charges” during daylight hours and glows itself in the dark. Thus, the fastener can be found even in complete darkness; this provides not only comfort, but also additional safety in case you need to quickly get out of your sleeping bag.

— Inner pocket. A pocket located on the inside of the sleeping bag. This compartment is convenient for storing documents and other small but valuable items: it is not easy to steal them from an inner pocket, and the likelihood of losing the contents while sleeping is reduced to almost zero.

— Pillow compartment. A special compartment in which you can place a pillow or its substitute (for example, a bag of spare clothes) without fear of damaging or stretching the sleeping bag itself.

— Insulated collar. An additional collar that tightly covers the neck of the person in the sleeping bag. This provides additional sealing and maximally blocks the access of outside air to the body and legs. In addition, the collar helps the head and neck warm up faster.

— Insulated zipper (fastener). A system of zipper insulation, usually in the form of a heat-insulating roller or strip along the entire fastener. The zipper is one of the weakest points of a sleeping bag in terms of thermal insulation, and therefore when choosing a sleeping bag for low temperatures (especially an expedition one, see "By Purpose"), it is worth paying attention to the presence of a thermal roller, preventing heat loss.

— Drying loops. Special loops that allow you to hang your sleeping bag to dry — on a rope or even on tree branches. Note that experienced tourists recommend “ventilating” your sleeping bag every morning, as moisture inevitably accumulates in it overnight; and in any case, a wet sleeping bag dries much faster when suspended than when lying on the ground.

— Compression bag. A bag-cover for storing and carrying a sleeping bag, equipped with compression straps. Such straps allow you to strongly compress the cover with the sleeping bag packed in it, maximally “squeeze out” the air from the inside and thus reduce the size of the package - this significantly simplifies transportation. However, we note that you cannot keep the sleeping bag compressed all the time; for long-term storage, the straps should be loosened.

A type of zipper used in a sleeping bag as the main fastener. It is worth noting that there are sleeping bags without fasteners.

— Side. The most common type of zipper is on the side of the bag, on the right or left. Some products are even available in two versions — right-handed and left-handed. The side zipper is popular due to its low cost, convenience and functionality — in particular, it allows for fastening (see "Equipment"); in fact, for this just two versatile sleeping bags are needed.

— Frontal. Zipper located in front — in front of the chest of a person lying in a sleeping bag. Some consider this option more convenient and familiar than the side fastener: you don’t need to toss and turn when unfastening / fastening the bag, and you can get out of it in a matter of seconds. In addition, the zipper is located similarly to a fastener on clothes, so that even when you are awake, there are no problems finding and unfastening it; and in a partially open bag, you can sit down without opening your shoulders and without releasing heat. On the other hand, products with a front zipper are more difficult to manufacture and more expensive than those with a side zipper, and, usually, they do not zip up.

— Bilateral. Two zippers located on the sides of the sleeping bag, on the right and left. This design simplif...ies the opening and closing of the sleeping bag as a whole, and also allows you to easily open it for ventilation. In addition, in some cases, a two-way zipper also provides additional possibilities for fastening. The main disadvantage of this option is a slightly higher cost than that of single-sided fasteners. However, the low prevalence of the bilateral design is primarily due to the fact that it appeared relatively recently and is only gaining popularity.

— Missing (no zipper). The exception in the design of zippers or ties in a sleeping bag improves its thermal insulation properties and makes it warmer, since such sleeping bags are often equipped with an additional blanket — an insert. The absence of fasteners favorably affects the overall weight and dimensions when folded. At the same time, the reverse side is a specific access inside.

Dimensions of the sleeping bag when unfolded. Although the designation of sizes includes the traditional three numbers, in the case of sleeping bags there is a peculiarity: these numbers do not indicate length, width and height (depth, thickness), but length, width at the shoulders and width at the legs. For example, the designation 220x80x50 means 220 cm in length, 80 cm in width at the shoulders and 50 cm in width at the legs (for more information about sleeping bags with different widths, see “Type”).

It is believed that the optimal sleeping bag sizes are:

- Length - 15-20 cm more than a person’s height (for sleeping bags with a hood) or his height to the shoulders (for sleeping bags without a hood).
— The width at the shoulders is such that the sleeping bag fits tightly and at the same time does not interfere with movement.
— The width in the legs (for cocoons, see “Type”) is such that you can slightly bend your legs without tension on the fabric of the sleeping bag (otherwise heat loss is possible, and it will wear out more).

Note that these requirements apply primarily to sleeping bags intended for use in cold weather. If you are purchasing a sleeping bag for summer trips, the width requirements are not so critical - the main thing is that it does not feel cramped and the length matches.

Of course, when folded, the sleeping bag takes up significantly less space - see “Dimensions (folded)”.