[at-l] 2 Gear Questions

[bullard@northnet.org (James Bullard)]

At 09:17 PM 3/28/01 -0500, SaraSW@aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 3/28/01 4:03:49 PM, champion@iquest.net writes:
>
> > the ability to sleep on my stomach and put my
> >arms wherever I want, yet still stay warm, looks good to me.
>
>This reminds me of a question I've had for a while. For a long time I assumed
>that what was built as the bottom of the bag had to be on the bottom for the
>bag to work. So when I slept on my side, I didn't just turn on my side,
>putting the side of the bag on the floor/ground, but turned within the bag so
>that bottom was still on the bottom etc.
>
>I think I did this because I thought that the fill was distributed in such a
>way that this was necessary.
>
>Lately I've read some things that made me think sleeping bags don't have a
>"This Side Up" position, but top, bottom or side can be on the "bottom,"
>depending on how a person sleeps.
>
>So . . . does it make a difference or not? Help!
>Vcat

NOT! At least with most bags. The vast majority have the same amount of 
fill all the way around. What's under you is crushed by your weight and 
since it's the loft that makes insulation, the part you lay on doesn't do 
much to keep you warm. Roll on your side (taking the bag on it's side too) 
and the 'bottom' fluffs up again and insulates while the 'side' gets crushed.
EXCEPTION: There are a few bags made with less insulation on the 'bottom' 
either on the theory that it will be wasted there or to create a 
combination cold/warm weather bag (thick side up if it's cold/thin side up 
if it's warm). With that design it makes a difference.

Saunterer