Vegan camping

More often technological progress allows for ethical camping in almost any conditions. Synthetic sleeping bags are as warm as those made from natural down. Now you can easily buy not only summer or 3-season synthetic sleeping bags, but even winter synthetic sleeping bags, designed for extreme conditions.

The main task of a sleeping bag is to prevent heat loss during sleep. However, before we buy it - it is worth considering its filling. Many people choose downy filling, because they want a warm duvet. This kind of sleeping bag can cause allergies, it is difficult in maintenance. In addition – when it is soaked, drying will take much longer than in case of its synthetic counterpart. Synthetic sleeping bags are as good as the down ones, and they can be washed easily. Using a synthetic sleeping bags, we also limit the number of animals that are bred to fill in camping equipment.

When choosing a sleeping bag we should pay attention to two very important factors - the shape of a sleeping bag and the temperature range in which it can be used. There are usually four values: the maximum, comfortable, limit and extreme temperature. Sleeping bags, because of the temperature range are divided into summer (one-season), three-season and winter (four-season). Summer sleeping bags, one- season, are usually filled with synthetic fibres.

Their weight ranges from 1 to 1,4 kg. In order to sleep comfortably the temperature should be at 10 degrees or more, and therefore they are only suitable for this time of year. However, you can use them to sleep in shelters, where they can also serve their purpose well. Examples of sleeping bags are : S15 models of a well-known company Quechua and Fredvang Fjord Nansen company. Both sleeping bags are very light. The comfortable temperature is in both cases is 15 degrees Celsius. Their weight is different- S15 is lighter, and the thickness of the inner material - Fredvang has a thicker inner layer, thereby it can insulate better. A lightweight, synthetic, summer sleeping bag is also Millets Baikal 750 Reg. A comfortable temperature range in this case is from 4 to 8 degrees Celsius. The sleeping bag weighs 770 grams and after compression its volume is 3.5 litres.

Three-season sleeping bags are suitable for the expedition from the first days of spring until the autumn. The comfortable temperature oscillates from -1 to +5 degrees Celsius, so we can sleep calmly, even during the spring ground frosts. These sleeping bags usually resemble the shape of a mummy with a hood that protects the head from heat loss.

Marmot has prepared a three-season synthetic sleeping bag especially for women: Womens Sunset 30. It will be a great companion for a weekend trip in the rocks, even in October. It is light, highly compressible, water resistant. This sleeping bag is designed specifically for women, not only in terms of a size and shape of the body, but also - in terms of thermal efficiency. The sleeping bag is fully synthetic, it weighs less than 1300 grams and it provides the optimal sleep even at -1 C.

An ultra-light proposal is a 3-season sleeping bag Alpine UL 3-Season made by Mammut. Comfort is maintained in the range from -4 to 2 degrees Celsius, but an extreme temperature is already -21 degrees. A mummy-sleeping bag weighs 1100 grams. The cover of the sleeping bag is windproof and waterproof. Mammut offers this model of the sleeping bag in a winter version.

Four-season winter sleeping bags are designed for people who, in winter, go regularly camping and on expedition, during which harsh weather conditions are common. Generally, they are quite expensive and heavy, they weight over 2 kg, and the price is not less than 300 PLN.

The North Face Snow Leopard is one of the cheaper sleeping bags with an optimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius, weighing just over 2 kg. Special, quilted fabric on the lower side of the sleeping bag reduces area where the body touches the cold ground. A hood and a collar help keeping the temperature. Dark Star North Face sleeping bag will stand even more. This is the warmest synthetic sleeping bag of the brand. It is made of durable Pertex shell and a double layer of Climashield Apex and Prism, it provides the highest level of protection for expeditions in extreme conditions. This extreme sleeping bag weighs less than 3 kg and provides a warm nights sleep even at a temperature of -40 degrees Celsius!

If you are looking for a synthetic sleeping bag for extreme expedition - you can also trust Denali EXP 5-Season model made by Mammut company. This model provides comfort even at temperatures of -32 degrees Celsius. The sleeping bag weighs 3650 grams and takes approximately 20 litres of space. It is equipped with 4-layer head insulation and patented Body Zone Insulation system, which reinforces the isolation towards the feet, where heat loss is usually the biggest.