Season Ratings
Seasonal sleeping bag ratings are used to describe the time of year and their corresponding temperature, for which the sleeping bag is ideal for comfort in terms of warmness:
1. Season bags are ideally suited to the warmer summer months where night time temperatures average 10 degrees.
2. Season bags are most suited to the cooler months from late spring to early autumn where average night time temperatures are not much higher than 5 degree's.
3. Season bags are ideally suited to spring, summer and autumn while the average night time temperatures generally fall much below zero.
4. Season bags are best suited to the freezing winter months while temperatures average -5 degrees.
5. Season bags are ideally suited to extreme temperatures common on expeditions when night time temperatures may average -15 degrees.
These ratings are only meant to be a general guide and temperatures can change greatly according to the area, altitude, environment and each individual years weather conditions. The season rating is also there to propose the best sleeping bag for comfort but it's extreme capability. For a more exacting temperature guideline read our EN13537 Ratings guide below. Furthermore, the idea of what is comfortable may vary from person to person so this is also worth considering when choosing a sleeping bag.
EN13537 Ratings
The EN 13537 rating's intention is to outline standardised temperature ratings for all sleeping bags retailed and manufactured in the UK. The criterion was developed in 2002 and implemented in 2005 and has now been implemented by most European countries, although it is not compulsory that all producers adopt the EN13537 testing but it is strongly advised they do so.
The testing is completed using a thermal manikin within the sleeping bag which is subjected to varying outside temperatures. The ratings are given on the principle of an typical 25 year old male who weighs 80 kg and an typical 25 year old woman who weighs 50 Kilo's. There are four possible temperature ratings which a sleeping bag may have:
1. Upper Limit; the warmest temperature at which the average male or lady would be able to sleep comfortably without too much perspiration due to the temperature. This does include having the hood and zipper open with arms out of the bag in order to achieve a tolerable nights sleep.
2. Comfort; the right temperature at which the typical male or woman would be able to sleep in comfort.
3. Lower Limit; the lowest temperature at which the average male or female would be able to sleep comfortably.
4. Extreme; a rating based on the lowest temperature the average man or lady could be subjected to for survival, although at this cold temperature significant health risks could be posed.
It is advisable to use the comfort and lower limit rating as a guideline when purchasing a new bag. It is also worth noting that the ratings work on the presumption that in the summer months minimal clothing would be worn and in the winter extra garments including hat and socks should be worn. Subjective changeables such as the person's body composition, their sensitivity to cold conditions and their age are also to be thought of as well as objective changeables such as the wind chill factor, humidity levels and whether extra products such as sleeping mats are used. The ratings are only meant as a helpful guide and therefore it is up to each person's caution to choose a sleeping bag which is the ideally suited for them.
Summary
While seasonal ratings give a general idea of when a bag should be used, the EN13537 ratings guide gives a much clearer outline of when a specific sleeping bag is comfortable to use. Anyone thinking of using a sleeping bag outdoors should therefore take the time to compare their sleeping bags comfort and limit ratings against the forecasted weather conditions, this will help to provide a warm and comfortable nights sleep.
John Mullett has vast knowledge of outdoors activities and the sleeping bags available to us today. He works closely with outdoor brands as they continue to develop their sleeping bag offerings.
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