Carry light, Sleep heavy ——Talk about the field cooker reading>>

Gear Guy's talk about Camping Equipments 4
—— Sleeping Bag & Camping Mat
Gear Guy talks about the fourth of equipment (field cookers). Original article was published in the 2002 Travel World.

In the 1970s, on a summer morning on the grasslands of Qinghai, when I huddled in an old sheepskin coat to open my sleepy eyes, what was in my head?
Of course not remember!
But one thing is for sure - at that time, I absolutely didn't know that I was now a "good teacher," Gear Guy. I actually had to publish my experience on wild bedding here to commemorate the first time when I was sleeping. Used old sheepskin coat.
Field cookers mainly include sleeping bags and moisture-proof mats, and other auxiliary bedding (such as sleeping bag jackets, camping bags, sleeping bag liners, gold foil blankets used in emergency situations, etc.).

For a long period of time after sleeping bag and old sheepskin coat, I used military blankets, cotton blankets, down jackets and never used a decent sleeping bag. Also, in the early 1990s when the shotgun had not been replaced, I even tried my best to transform a rayon quilt into a mummy-style sleeping bag.
People spend a third of their lives sleeping. This is what we need to restore our strength and energy, especially in the wild. Whenever you linger in the cold wind of a skeletal muscle, you long for a good sleeping bag and give you mother-like warmth. Therefore, field cookers are the equipment that I am most willing to pay for. The "decent" sleeping bag that I purchased for the first time is a "one-step" high-quality down sleeping bag, which is different from other equipment. The sleeping bag is the German VAUDE brand, which is 800 grams Canadian white goose down, with 90% cashmere. The outer fabric is an anti-drilling, tear-resistant nylon with a bright yellow color. Afterwards, the sleeping bags of different sizes, whether it is summer sleeping bags, two-season or three-season sleeping bags, or even cold and winter sleeping bags, are still down sleeping bags of not less than 750 fluffiness. The brands are Axes Quin and The North Face respectively. , Marmot, Mountain Hard Ware and Black Yak.
So what's the standard for a good sleeping bag? The Mountain Smith company said - Carry light, Sleep heavy, which is a very concise summary. In particular, sleeping bags that achieve the same insulation effect (the same temperature scale), the lighter the better. A three-quarter sleeping bag from Marmot's Ultra light collection is filled with 538 grams of the highest fluff goose down to a total weight of 822 grams, with a minimum temperature of minus 9 degrees Celsius. This is the lightest three-quarter sleeping bag in my class that I currently see and use. So at this point, the down sleeping bag is superior to any other kind of sleeping bag (such as Fleece sleeping bags, various artificial fiber filled sleeping bags). This is because down, as compared to other materials, is the best sleeping bag topping material, and it has characteristics that other materials cannot match. It has good thermal insulation, light weight, and the body's moisture is easily transmitted; when the feathers become moist, these good characteristics will appear. The most prominent feature of down is the excellent bulkiness, and the longest duration test that can maintain its original fluffiness level is still in progress. However, it has been found that after 18 months of storage of down feathers under low temperature and compression conditions, the bulkiness can still be restored to its original level. This means that the down sleeping bag can be compressed smaller than any other kind of sleeping bag. Therefore, basically, I only use down sleeping bags among the variety of sleeping bags. The so-called "three thousand dollars of weak water, I took a bit of Seoul."

Specifically, there are three indicators for measuring down quality of a down sleeping bag:
1. Filling amount - the total weight of down in the sleeping bag 2. Velvet ratio - relative percentage of fluff and feathers 3. Fluffiness - English is FILL POWER

There is a sense in assessing down and fluffiness: more is better. If the loftiness 550 is good, then 600 is better, 700 or 775 is everyone's dream, 800+ means top quality. Marmot recently introduced the world's highest fluffy down sleeping bag - FILL POWER 900!
For down species, the usual view is that white cashmere is better than gray cashmere, and goose down is better than duck down. However, the best is the Arctic eiderdown, which is estimated to have the same price as the Tibetan antelope's cashmere. It is a “soft gold” because it is very difficult to collect it. It takes a short time for the ducks to leave the nest during their hatching season. Collect a little in the nest. Marmot's high-pitched down feathers are subject to independent testing by the International Down Association established in Salt Lake City. They collected fluff from geese from 2 to 3 years of age, which were raised on farms in Eastern Europe, and the process of filling down was done in the United States. No wonder Marmot's 900 fluffy down products are so expensive!
A good down sleeping bag also needs a good anti-velvet fabric. The main purpose of the anti-velvet fabric is to make the down sleeping bag structure compact and will not allow feather feathers to be drilled out while maintaining good air permeability. One of the two main features of the anti-velvet fabrics is the tightness of the textiles against leakage; the first is light weight, which allows the full expansion of the velvet so that its thermal insulation performance is fully reflected. The necessary conditions for the down sleeping bag to provide sufficient warmth and comfort are: The outer cover is made of the lightest weight-proof fabric, and the amount of filling is relatively increased. Nylon is a man-made fiber that is widely used in anti-velvet fabrics for sleeping bags. It has the advantages of light weight, excellent elongation and wear resistance. There are several special technical fabrics used as down-proof material for down sleeping bags - Gore Dry-Loft is the best waterproof breathable, similar performance is Air Net and Conduit, and Pertex is generally resistant to water (water repellent ) Functional light and flexible fabric. My two Axes Quin summer nap bags are Pertex's fabrics. The colors are grape violet and rust red, weighing only 700 grams. Three of Mountain Hard Ware's three seasons sleeping bag fabrics are Storm Lite. My "Town of the House" is naturally the Black Yak top sleeping bag - 90% down cashmere, down to 1500 grams, Gore Dry-Loft fabric and a temperature scale of minus 40 degrees Celsius. For me, this sleeping bag can only be used if it is on a snow-capped mountain above 7000 meters. Otherwise, it can only stay at home at the bottom of the box. Because even in the winter in North China, using this sleeping bag may be able to pull out the scorpion. However, on the snow-capped mountains, it must be a wild cool product that does not compromise. The disadvantage of the water-resistant fabric is that the fabric has a large proportion in the total weight of the sleeping bag and is not easily compressed.
Each label has its own temperature scale system, some are high, some are low, and some are fairly fair. In addition, the so-called temperature scale is the standard of the foreigners. We generally use it and we must add 5 degrees to it to suit Asians. With regard to the extreme low temperatures that can be dealt with by different down-filled down sleeping bags (here refers to the night minimum temperatures that people can tolerate outside the tent), my experience is this: 1500 grams - minus 40 degrees Celsius, 1200 grams - minus 30 degrees Celsius, 900 grams - minus 20 degrees Celsius, 700 grams - minus 10 degrees Celsius, 400 grams - zero degrees Celsius. In addition, you have to look at your tent, the warmth of your mat, and your own constitution. Therefore, it cannot be dogmatically dependent on the temperature scale index.
The only downside of a down sleeping bag is that it tends to get wet and affect the insulation performance. Sleeping bag jackets that use waterproof breathable materials can effectively improve this defect. So I did not hesitate to buy a three-tiered Gore-Tex sleeping bag cover of Black Yak brand. It can infiltrate the body's water vapor. Even if the tent gathers a little moisture or stays in the snow cave, it is still comfortable because water will not Penetrate in to wet sleeping bags.
Some people say that a large plastic bag can be used as a sleeping bag cover. This is not sensible. Even if a person is sleeping, it will give off a lot of water vapor at night and use a plastic bag to wrap it out of the sleeping bag. Your wishes will come to an end. Of course, if you use a down sleeping bag of Dry-Loft fabric, you don't have to bother with a jacket outside the sleeping bag.
In order to sleep comfortably in the wild, the first thing to do when camping is to release sleeping bags. It is best to open the sleeping bag to make it fluffy when you set up tents. Of course, the time is better, and remember to put the sleeping bag and the moisture-proof pad before it is exposed. Put it in the tent. The next morning, you can lay your sleeping bag on the tent and dry it.
If your sleeping bag has a high degree of bulkiness, when you have to be squeezed to sleep by the tent, you should pay attention to the suede on the knees and shoulders, because at night when bending your knees, it is easy to thin the sleeping bag. Unknowingly, it will freeze your joints. I encountered it once.
Sleeping in the open space around the campfire requires cheap bedding, such as the old sheepskins mentioned earlier, or military blankets (this is a good way to experience classical camping). Because the down sleeping bag is easily burned by the sparkling Mars.


The daily maintenance and maintenance of a down sleeping bag is no easier than maintaining a down sleeping bag. All that needs to be done is to sleep overnight, dry it and let it dry. This can dissipate moisture and sweat and restore the original elasticity and fluffiness of the down. At the end of the activity, the sleeping bag must be immediately air-dried. Do not place it in a sleeping bag for a long period of time. The down-pile will be deformed. It is best to place it in a large maintenance bag or wardrobe.
It is recommended that you clean it after using 2-3 years. This is not a strict rule, because each camper has different usage and sweating, and people who are allergic to it of course need to wash 1-2 times a year. The down sleeping bag is too large to fit into the washing machine at home. There is a dedicated store to provide service for cleaning the duvets. When sending it to the cleaning department, it is advisable to rinse with a neutral detergent or a special feather cleaner. It is also advisable to add some aromas. The agent, because frequently used sleeping bags often have sweat smell or even foot odor. Try not to dry-clean the down sleeping bag, which will wash away the down natural oil (if the duck's feathers are not a little fat, it will sink into the water). If a cotton or silk sleeping bag lining is used, then only the inner lining needs to be cleaned frequently and the number of sleeping bag cleanings is reduced, which is beneficial for extending the service life of the down sleeping bag.
As long as it is properly maintained, your luxurious down sleeping bag can be used for many years. The quality will not deteriorate for a long time and will not clump. This is another example of feather down better than other filling materials.


Moisture-proof mats No matter what kind of sleeping bag, we can't do without the moisture-proof pad to isolate the dampness and coldness of the ground, and isolate the heat energy released from the bottom layer of the sleeping bag. The thermal insulation coefficient of the mattress differs depending on the material. Different seasons use different sleeping mats. For example, in the snow season, it is best to use a full-length mattress with solid body or a fully-charged sleeping mat.
I definitely don't use that kind of cheap foam pad in the wild, not because it's cheap but it's very easy to cause pollution. This kind of foam pad is extremely resistant to scratches. When you hung outside the backpack and drilled the jungle, it became a “broom” for a while. Then there was a piece of debris on the road. Because it was cheap, some unconscious campers were easy. It is abandoned in the wild, these sights are becoming more and more common, so I hate to call it "garbage mat."
Some mountain friends are willing to invest in expensive down sleeping bags while ignoring the moisture-proof pad. They think that the best moisture-proof pads are “expensively unreasonable”. As everyone knows - no matter how good the sleeping bag does not match with a good sleeping pad, then its performance will be greatly reduced. So, apart from the best Therm-a-Rest brand inflatable cushions, at least I have to use expensive premium foam cushions. Such as Black Yak's "Ridge Mat" mat or British KARRIMOR Karri mat foam pad. Karri mat uses a material called EVAZOTE, which has a high degree of water resistance and tear resistance, and is very soft and tough. Can a mat with this material be the same as a foam pad with tens of dollars? But the bright yellow of Karri mat can easily attract ants and small bugs. Only Exp-Extreme's Karri mat is black that is more suitable for camping. Such a foam pad can be used for a variety of purposes, such as acting as a windshield for picnics, or as a toilet wall in an open field of view to protect privacy. At high altitudes, if your lung capacity is not high and it is easy to “high-impact”, it is better to use a see-saw foam pad, because when you inflate the inflatable cushion, the temples will hurt and sneeze; and, in the rough and uneven The camping on the ground, sleeping on the seesaw pad is not easy to slip.
I used to buy a total of eight Therm-a-Rest automatic inflatable cushions - two Standard Lite3/4, size is 51 * 119 * 2.5cm, weight 540 grams; two Standard Lite Long (51 * 183 * 2.5cm) 850g; Two Standard 3/4 (51*119*3.8cm), 710g; The lightest full-length (183cm) automatic inflatable cushion at the time? UltraLite (51*183*2.5), 680 Grams are 20% lighter and 30% smaller than standard Lite Long, the same size conventional moisture pad. The other two are GuideLite 3/4, 610 grams, 3/8 centimeters thick, UltraLite 3/4 450 grams, 2 points 5 centimeters thick. The lightest 370 grams in the latest Pro Lite series!
In general, I prefer to use 3/4 long inflatable cushions, 119cm long after inflating, and then I hollow out the backpack, padding in the lower end of the inflatable cushion, making up a "full length" of the moisture-proof pad. The advantage of doing so is to reduce the weight of the backpack while camping, and to use more of the backpack. In the spring, summer, and autumn, I use an inflatable cushion with a thickness of 2.5cm. In winter, I use a cushion with a thickness of 3.8cm. These inflatable cushions can be rolled very tightly after being compressed and can be placed in a backpack without an external plug. After opening the valve, they will automatically inflate, and then add a few more breaths. The biggest drawback of inflatable cushions is that they are easy to be pierced by sharp objects and leak. Although I am definitely not a Ma Daha, I have been careful to level the camp every time. I have missed several Therm-a-Rest cushions. Two of them were pricked by grass roots during the winter camping. The other one was very interesting. It was plunged by the seeds of a shrub while camping in the Yinshan area of ​​Inner Mongolia in March this year. Those hard seeds are not much bigger than mung beans, but they are full of small thorns and look like a shovel. They stick to my Fleece fleece everywhere and are hard to guard against. However, these holes can be easily repaired with inflatable cushioning materials.


After doing countless researches and practices on field sleep and field cookers, Gear Guy came to these conclusions:
Down sleeping bag is the best way to cover the night in the wild.
Good horses are equipped with good saddles. Good sleeping bags must be equipped with mats.
Drink water before going to bed, don't be afraid to wake up with urine.
A cup of whiskey coffee helps sleep.
If you are really a Madhaha, using inflatable sleeping pads will make you very embarrassed.
The old sheepskin coat, though cumbersome, is absolutely romantic and personal; if you plan to use it to sleep on the grass that will hit the frost the next morning, turn it over to sleep.

After the Arabian Nights in the wild, you may agree with me:)

Die cast Aluminium frying pan is great for any meal cooking.
· Ideal utensil for all cooking styles, without the mess of sticking and cleaning up
· Base provides and excellent cooking surface: fast and even heat distribution
· Suitable for all stoves, Spiral bottom or induction bottom is optional.

Low-fat frying without burning food, e.g. beef (especially steaks), pork, veal

Many different series for your choose.

Fry Pan

Die-Cast Fry Pan,Die-Casting Aluminium Frying Pan,Die-Casting Non-Stick Frying Pan,Die-Casting Ceramic Coating Frying Pan

OSFE INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD , http://www.1758cookware.com