Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1281650
sleeping mat or the inflatable mat will be just fine. But during the cold weather, the R-value is very important. Technically, R-value is a measure of thermal resistance; the higher the R-value, the more thermally resistant the material or structure is. This isn't just used to measure sleeping pads. Engineers and scientists also use R-value to measure everything from windows to fiberglass. The higher the R-value, the warmer the pad. In general, sleeping pads with R-values of 0-2 will only work for warm weather trips. R-values of 2-4 are good for most 3-season backpacking conditions. R-values of 4-6 are good when the temperature drops around or below freezing. A pad with a 5+ R-value (or you can add a foam pad under your air pad) is great for cold sleepers or sleeping on snow. The R-values provided by manufacturers are sometimes bullshit. Why? Because there is not a standardized measurement method. How to choose properly? Lightweight and small/cheap/with good insulation – pick two. For the temperatures -10°C I recommend 5+ R-value inflatable sleeping pad. Even when punctured, it will provide better comfort and insulation than R-value 2 pad. With a good pad you can even use the lower class sleeping pad without losing comfort. The real problem with sleeping pads is the heat "running away" directly to the ground. When sleeping inside the bivy bag or in the tent, we will quickly heat up the air inside the shelter. The problem will remain in the subject of cold ground which will steal the warm air. The only protection against this phenomena is a well insulated inflatable sleeping pad. In warm weather, an inflatable sleeping pad will do its job perfectly. Of course, the standard sleeping pad is always the best from a budget point of view. SLEEPING BAGS Let's get back to the sleeping pads. Main players on the market are natural down filled ones and the synthetic ones (OK, there are some hybrid solutions available but they are not popular). Down- filled bags are unbeatable in terms of weight, volume and thermal comfort but you must be aware of two things. First thing first, it must be a real down filament, not some Costco-quality leftovers that provide worse insulation than synthetic fibers. The price tag of the quality down sleeping bags is high, but again you get what you pay. Second thing, when down gets wet it won't insulate at all. There are some hydrophobic coatings for down filament but honestly, in the military world, if something can get wet it will always get wet, so from a user standpoint it won't do its job. Quality synthetic fiber has better performance when soaked. The price is lower too but the weight and dimensions are significantly bigger. The Carinthia has its proprietary G-LOFT® 100% polyester synthetic insulation. The G-LOFT® is bi-component-fiber permeated with a micrometer fine air channel. As a hollow fiber, it ensures as in nature the fur of polar bears, for optimum thermal insulation. The fiber consists of two different materials, which contract to varying degrees during cooling after the spinning process. This creates a spiral shape – like a spring – which is permanently fixed in the molecular structure. Due to the "memory effect" the G-LOFT® insulation returns always to its particularly warm, airy original shape. There are a couple of variants of the insulation with different properties, there is even a FR variant. DEFENCE 4 & TROPEN I have been testing two of Carinthia's military top sellers, the Defence 4 and Tropen sleeping bags. The Defence 4 is a 3-season sleeping bag with synthetic insulation. The M-sized bag is 215 cm long, 83 cm wide in the torso area and 57 cm wide in the feet area. The weight of the bag is 1.85 kilogram. When packed and compressed it is approx. 38 x 25 cm. EQUIPMENT