Why Your Sleeping Bag Won’t Keep Warm

Besides attacks and snake bites, campers’ biggest fear is cold sleep. On the second day, you will lose your enjoyment, focus and energy on skiing/running/hiking/paddleboarding. In extreme weather, this is very dangerous.

Therefore, you have to sleep. You bought a good quality sleeping bag. Ultra-light materials, hydrophobic down, hoods-a lot. You can increase the EN level and choose a temperature range that suits your lower temperature.

But the eight hours of sleep you dreamed of was crushed. Instead, you tremble all night, cursing the name of the person who sold you the empty bag of dreams. Only those who desire revenge can stay all night long. Hurry up, you can face-to-face with that happy salesperson who sold you sleeping bags that you no longer exist.

Sleep temperature is a complicated matter. The independent standardized EN 13537 test is just the beginning. This test determines the comfort, lower limit and temperature limit range of the luggage. There are more factors.

In order to prevent you from falling asleep and curse your sleeping bag at night, here are the top ten reasons why you sleep cold and how to deal with it.

1. Your sleeping pad is not enough
The EN test changes the rules of sleeping bags, allowing campers to compare the performance of different sleeping bags at different temperatures. Buying a sleeping bag is relatively simple, just select the temperature range that best suits your conditions. If you sleep at a minimum temperature of 5°C, you should cover a package with a comfort level of 2°C and a lower temperature range of -4°C, and leave a few degrees. Correct?

kind of. It is important to know that these EN temperature ratings are calculated using sleeping bags paired with sleeping pads. Therefore, in this test, the sleeping bag is relatively insulated from the ground temperature, which may be much colder than the air.So it's important to choose the right sleeping bag supplier.

Solution
Make sure to choose a sleeping pad with sufficient insulation.

2. Your toes fall off gradually
Speaking of cold ground temperature, if your feet or knees fall off the sleeping mat late at night, you will become a victim of cold places. Don't underestimate the speed at which cold, hard ground absorbs heat. At night, let any part of you touch the icy ground, just like putting your feet or knees into ice water.

Solution
There are several ways to ensure you stay away from the ground at night. Choose a mat that is long enough or wrap your clothes and bags on the mat so that you can lie on the mat all night.

You can also choose a wider cushion, such as our rectangular cushion or certain ladies' specific cushions, which are wider from hip to knee.

3. The wind factor
The cold airflow will chill you and quickly expose the weak links in any insulating equipment.

The EN rating of the sleeping bag is tested under laboratory conditions using a thermal mannequin wearing a full incubator. There is no wind during the game (and the test does not indicate walking around at night and releasing heat from the bag). Add breeze or strong wind to the equation and you will see a significant drop in body temperature.

Solution
If your campsite is affected by the cold wind, please choose a sleeping bag with anti-draft features, such as a large windpipe on the zipper, a windproof collar at the opening, and a suitable hood. You may even want to choose a package suitable for low temperatures.

Of course, another way is to avoid the wind chill by looking for a protected camp at night. And make sure you choose the correct enclosed tent or shelter in windy conditions.

4. You are cold pajamas
Maybe not the answer you are looking for here, but our personal physiology, age, size, gender, shape, metabolism, genetics and cold tolerance are the biggest wildcards in the temperature game.

If this is not enough to complicate things, then the cold we feel is different from our actual cold. If you jump into the snow, the receptors on your skin will feel cold within an hour before the actual core body temperature drops. And you feel how strong this feeling is between you and your brain. Just like our tolerance for pain, each of us feels differently about the cold.

Thanks to modern conveniences, we still live in a world where indoors and outdoors are always kept at an ideal temperature, so we may be a little shocked when suddenly encountering colder temperatures.

Solution
Try to borrow some camping equipment from a friend to determine how well you sleep. You can also follow the tips outlined in this article to ensure you have the greatest chance of maintaining a comfortable and comfortable night.

Try to build your own cold tolerance. Reduce the heat in the home to adapt to the longer low temperature time. Don't just throw yourself in the snow before returning to an overheated house. Gradually and long-term exposure to the cold works best. Your body should eventually adapt.