Evie Summers
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag, otherwise known as fill power. It is a way to measure the fluffiness of a sleeping bag and its ability to trap air. The more air a sleeping bag can trap, the better it is at keeping you warm. A sleeping bag's loft rating measures how well its filling traps air. A sleeping bag with a high loft is a must for backpackers and trekkers trying to keep their gear ultralight. Sleeping bags with higher-quality loft are not necessarily warmer, but they are more compressible and lighter.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Loft refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag. |
| Importance | The more loft a sleeping bag has, the more air it traps, and the better it is at keeping you warm. |
| Loss of Loft | Sleeping bags may lose loft over time due to being tightly packed or compressed, or from being compressed by the weight of the user. |
| Regaining Loft | Simple procedures to restore loft include shaking the bag out, fluffing the down with your hands, using a dryer with tennis balls, and washing the bag without detergent. |
| Lofting Bag | A lofting bag is an oversized storage bag made of breathable organic cotton that helps preserve a sleeping bag's insulation and loft. |
| Temperature Rating | Sleeping bag temperature ratings are important to consider, as not everyone sleeps the same. Women tend to sleep colder than men, and higher-quality sleeping bags should have an EN13537 rating. |
| Loft Quality | Loft quality is indicated by a number, with 550-650 considered lower quality, 750 considered good, and 850+ considered the best. Higher-quality loft sleeping bags are more compressible, lighter, and more expensive. |
| Loft vs. Temperature | While loft is important, other design and construction factors also affect the sleeping bag's real-world performance, such as the positioning and retention of insulation, the ability of the construction to seal out drafts, and the number of chambers or baffles. |
| Synthetic Insulation | Synthetic insulation in sleeping bags may use a shingle construction or, in the case of Sea to Summit bags, a WaveLoft™ construction to improve loft and thermal performance. |
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What You'll Learn
Loft refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag. It is also known as fill power and is a way to measure the fluffiness of a sleeping bag. The more loft a sleeping bag has, the more air it traps. Since down insulates by trapping air, the more air it can trap, the better it is at keeping you warm.
Over time, sleeping bags can lose their loft. This is primarily due to the weight of your body compressing the down so that it traps less air. During the day, a sleeping bag might be tightly packed inside a backpack, causing it to lose loft. The result is that the sleeping bag is not trapping as much air as when it was first purchased, and it is therefore less warm.
If a sleeping bag has lost its loft, it is not necessarily the end of its life. There are several procedures that can help bring a sleeping bag back to life. Firstly, don't store your sleeping bag in its stuff sack. Instead, place it inside a larger, non-compressing storage bag. Shake the bag out and lay it out flat for a couple of hours. Fluff the down with your hands. Then, put the sleeping bag in the dryer with no heat and a couple of tennis balls. Finally, wash the sleeping bag on cold with no detergent and dry it in the dryer with the tennis balls. It may take several cycles for the sleeping bag to dry.
To preserve a sleeping bag's loft, it is important to always air the bag fully before storage. If there is any leftover dampness, it can be helpful to store the sleeping bag in a lofting bag made of breathable organic cotton, which will allow any residual dampness to escape.
When choosing a sleeping bag, it is important to consider the temperature rating, bag shape, and loft rating. A sleeping bag's loft rating measures how well its filling traps air. For backpackers and trekkers, a high-loft sleeping bag is a must to keep gear ultralight. However, sleeping bags with higher-quality loft are not always warmer. Warmth is provided by the temperature rating, and bags with higher-quality loft are simply more compressible and lighter.
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A sleeping bag with more loft will trap more air
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in your sleeping bag. It is also known as fill power, which is a way to measure the fluffiness of your sleeping bag. The more loft your sleeping bag has, the more air it traps, and the better it is at keeping you warm. This is because down insulates by trapping air. Therefore, a sleeping bag with more loft will trap more air.
Over time, a sleeping bag can lose its loft. This is often due to the weight of a person's head or body compressing the down, causing it to trap less air. Additionally, storing a sleeping bag in its stuff sack or compression bag can cause it to lose loft. This is because the bag is tightly packed inside a backpack or storage sack, causing the down to become compressed.
To prevent a sleeping bag from losing its loft, it is recommended to store it in a large, non-compressing storage bag, such as a jumbo cotton storage bag or an organic cotton lofting bag. This allows the sleeping bag to retain its volume without being compressed, ensuring that it can trap more air and keep you warm.
If a sleeping bag has already lost some of its loft, there are several ways to restore it. One method is to shake the bag out and lay it flat for a few hours, followed by fluffing the down with your hands. Another technique is to put the sleeping bag in a dryer with no heat and a couple of tennis balls, which help to fluff up the fill. Washing the sleeping bag on cold and drying it in the dryer with tennis balls can also restore loft.
The complexity of the down chambers in a sleeping bag also affects its ability to retain loft. Higher-quality bags have layers of insulation sewn diagonally over one another, creating curves that trap extra air. Additionally, some bags are designed with the liner on the lower side cut larger than the shell, allowing the insulation to loft up around compressed areas. This construction is known as a "reversed differential cut".
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Loft is also known as fill power
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag. It is also known as fill power and is a way to measure the fluffiness of a sleeping bag. The more loft a sleeping bag has, the more air it traps, and the better it is at keeping you warm. This is because down insulates by trapping air.
Loft, or fill power, is a measurement of efficiency. The higher the fill power number, the better the down and the greater the insulating value. The loft measurement represents the number of cubic inches filled by an ounce of down. The trapped air is what gives down its insulating properties. Fill power is directly related to the size of the down cluster. Large down clusters occupy more space than smaller down clusters. The higher the fill power, the larger the clusters, and thus, the more air that is trapped between the clusters. The size of the bird and the climate in which it lives determine the size of its down cluster. The colder the climate, the larger the down cluster required to keep the bird warm.
The loft of a sleeping bag can be affected by how it is stored. For example, if it is stored in its stuff sack, it may lose some of its loft. It is recommended that when storing a sleeping bag, it should be placed inside a larger, non-compressing storage bag, shaken out, and laid out flat.
The design of a sleeping bag can also impact its loft. For example, a baffle box design allows the down clusters to reach their maximum loft, providing the user with the greatest amount of insulation.
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Higher-quality loft sleeping bags are more compressible and lighter
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag. It is also known as fill power, which is a spec that indicates the quality of the down—a higher number indicates down that lofts higher to generate greater warmth for its weight. The fill power (fp) of a down sleeping bag measures the quality of the down insulation it’s filled with. Higher fill power down weighs less and has more loft, but also compresses more when packed. As you might imagine, higher fill power down is also more expensive. In general, 800 fill power and up is considered high-quality down.
If you are undertaking human-powered adventures, a lighter and more compressible sleeping bag is ideal. These bags are usually more expensive, but they will save you from having to carry a heavier bag for long distances. The weight of a sleeping bag is also impacted by its shape, with sleek and snug-fitting bags being lighter than roomier ones. The type of insulation is another factor that affects the weight of a sleeping bag, with more efficient insulations like advanced synthetics and high-fill-power downs delivering greater warmth for less weight.
To preserve the loft of your sleeping bag, it is important to avoid storing it in its stuff sack for long periods, as this can permanently damage the insulation and impair its ability to loft fully. Instead, use a large mesh or cotton storage sack, or an oversized lofting bag made from organic cotton, which will allow any residual dampness to escape.
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Lofting bags can help preserve a sleeping bag's insulation
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in a sleeping bag, otherwise known as fill power. It is a way to measure the fluffiness of a sleeping bag, and the more loft a sleeping bag has, the more air it traps. This trapped air acts as an insulator, slowing down the transfer of heat from your body and keeping you warm. Therefore, the loftier the insulation, the higher the warmth-to-weight ratio.
Down is the light plumage found underneath feathers and immediately next to the skin of a goose or duck. It is one of nature's finest insulators, with an ultra-fine fibrous structure. However, down loses its insulating properties when it gets wet. Recent developments in nanotechnology have resulted in hydrophobic coatings that cause down to repel water, preserving its loft.
Synthetic insulation, on the other hand, is a polyester mass that resembles cotton candy. While synthetics do not loft to the same degree as high-quality down, they have the advantage of maintaining some warmth when wet. Branded synthetic fills retain their loft longer than generic synthetics. The way the layers of synthetic insulation are built into the sleeping bag will also affect its loft. Basic synthetic bags use flat layers of insulation, while better-quality bags use layers sewn diagonally over one another, a construction known as shingles.
Lofting bags are designed to preserve the insulation of your sleeping bag by providing ample space for it to stretch out and re-loft. They are typically made from organic cotton, which is highly breathable, allowing any residual dampness to escape. By using a lofting bag, you can prevent the permanent damage that can occur when a sleeping bag is stored in a compressed state for extended periods. Additionally, lofting bags help your sleeping bag regain its insulating loft more quickly when setting up camp.
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Frequently asked questions
Loft is a term that refers to the volume taken up by the down in your sleeping bag. It is also known as fill power. The more loft your sleeping bag has, the more air it traps, and the better it is at keeping you warm.
The amount of loft you need depends on how cold or warm a sleeper you are. For example, 3 inches of loft is required for an average sleeper at 32°F, 4 inches at 20°F, and so on. Sleeping bags labelled ‘Women’s’ are typically warmer and have higher down fills to make them reach their maximum warmth more quickly.
To restore the loft in your sleeping bag, start by not storing it in its stuff sack. Instead, place it inside a larger, non-compressing storage bag. Shake the bag out and lay it out flat for a couple of hours. Fluff the down with your hands. Put the sleeping bag in the dryer with no heat and a couple of tennis balls. Wash your sleeping bag on cold with no detergent and then dry it in the dryer with the tennis balls. You can also preserve your sleeping bag's loft by storing it in an organic cotton lofting bag.
