What’s the right sleeping bag for you?
If you’re camping out on a winter hunt in the southern states of Australia, there’s a good chance you’re using a sleeping bag. It’s important to have the right one for the right weather conditions and temperature to avoid a cold and uncomfortable night. The question is: what’s the right sleeping bag for you?
A number have ratings stated by the manufacturer but unfortunately independent testing has found these to be unreliable.
A standard has now been set for European sleeping bags (EN 13537) and is widely used in Europe and other places in the world. This helps prevent misleading temperature claims and allows purchasers to make a more appropriate choice.
The EN 13537 has four separate ratings: an upper limit, comfort rating, lower limit and extreme limit.
Upper limit: the temperature where a standard man can sleep without excessive perspiration with hood and zippers open and arms outside the bag.
Comfort rating: the temperature at which a standard woman can expect to sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.
