Goodness! Why would ANYONE want a sleeping bag made out of foam?

It's a fair question and one that I hope to answer for you in the following explanation.

Most sleeping bags are made of a type of fiber batting sandwiched between some type of fabric envelope. Others use down for their insulation. The primary purpose of an insulation is to maintain a dead air space between you and the undesirable temperatures. The better an insulation can maintain that dead air space, the better the insulation.

Foam does a better job of maintaining a dead air space even when wet. Also, the very nature of it is hydrophobic (repels water), not hydrophilic (attracts water). This means that it does a better job of shedding the moisture that your body produces all the time. Yes, even when you sleep your body is expelling moisture. This moisture has to go somewhere. If the clothes you wear in your sleeping bag, or the material from which your bag is made is hydrophilic, it will retain that moisture and in sub-freezing temperatures will cause you to be very cold, if not very dead. In relation to cold temperatures, "Cotton kills," is a saying that is used frequently to remind people that such a material is very undesirable under those conditions. Synthetic materials work best in shedding this moisture. Synthetic materials include, polyester, nylon, rayon, and other petroleum based products (oil and water don't mix).

Fiber batting and down work very well for short-term use, and if that is all you need, then go do some research on these bags and get one of those (Wiggy's bags are excellent fiber bags), but over longer periods of constant use they will fail. With long-term consecutive day use moisture builds up over time in these materials and their ability to insulate is dramatically reduced; sometimes even in as short as three consecutive days.

If you have the means to do so, you can even make your own bags. In fact, soon you'll be able to purchase instructions from this site. Why would I do this? Why would I show you how to make your own bags instead of hiding this information from you or making you go look for it?

A man by the name of Jim Phillips and his father have spent much time and money on research over many years perfecting this system (the sleeping bag is only one half of it). In fact, they have spent a number of years, cumulatively, in the Arctic testing their equipment under conditions that would intimidate many with "modern" gear.

As you may know, being wet in the winter can bring on hypothermia which kill you quite quickly. Jim was challenged once to really put his system to the test. He did this by cutting a hole in the ice covering a body of water, immersing himself in that freezing water wearing his foam clothing (the other half of the system), and pushing himself into the first stage of hypothermia. He then got out, squeezed as much of the water as he could out of his clothing, and then slept right there on the ice. Not only did he live, but the clothing was nearly dry in the morning, and he actually slept the night.

In another demonstration two people were placed in a huge walk-in freezer and given various activities to perform over several hours. One of them was given a set of the foam thermal underwear (TJ's) soaked with 2 liters of water and a wind resistant, but not water-proof, outer shell to wear. The other was given the best winter gear the Army had to offer. After just under 5 hours of activity they were interviewed (during this time, they were also monitored). The gal with the TJ's said that her nose was a bit cold. The man with the military winter gear was shivering. When they opened his jacket they found a thin coating of ice inside his jacket. That iced had formed because the water his body was expelling overwhelmed the Gore-Tex shell, creating an increasing deterioration of whatever insulating quality his clothing had at the beginning of the test.

Jim is committed to helping as many people as he can to survive in less than ideal conditions, whether by choice or by accident (Emergency preparedness). So he has made this information public without reservation as long as it's accurate. Jim has no affiliation with this site, other than the information that he has shared with me, and asked that I share with others. Feel free to use the "Contact us" form to ask any questions you'd like.

Winter camping used to be drudgery. Now I look forward to Winter and all the possibilities that this system of winter gear has opened up. There are fewer people at the campground, and no mosquitos! Sitting in a snowbank is a pleasure again, and weathering a snow storm an adventure.

At -10°F wearing the 1" PALS clothing I was warm! And in the 1.5" foam sleeping bag, I slept very well!
At -4°F all I needed was the 0.5" TJ's and the 1" foam sleeping bag with the 0.5" foam liner, and I was toasty warm that night.

In short, this equipment works, and it works very well. You can make it yourself, or you can have someone make it for you. Instructions and support for making your own bag can be purchased from me for $50.00 USD.

Whether you chose to purchase a bag from this site, or make your own, I wish you the most enjoyable time in your winter camping experiences, planned or not!

Sincerely,
John Arbon

[Click here for the bag models and features] | [Take me to the order page!]

I currently produce two models. This page will explain the difference and the features of each.

• Base Camp
• Expedition

Standard features:

1. There is a pocket inside on that narrow strip at the head of the bag. This is used for anything you'd like that will fit. I use mine for a flashlight and my glasses. True, my glasses get steamed up, but at least I know where to find them!


2. Instead of a draw string used in traditional fiber bag, I use a zipper to close up the bag. This works much better due to the fact that the foam does not compress as easily or as much as fiber batting does. The zipper pull can be flipped to either the inside or the outside of the bag. The Expedition model is closed up, the Base Camp one is not.
3. I use a heavy duty 50" #10 molded double pull zipper for easier entrance and exit from the bag. The two bags are zipped together to make one bag below. As you can see, the bags do not have to be the same size to be able to zip together.
4. in the top photo shows the roll-up straps on the Base Camp bag. They are not installed on the Expedition mode, as it adds weight and are not needed due to the ability to stuff the Expedition into a stuff sack for backpacking.
5. is what I call a foot tent. Some traditional bags are basically two sheets of fabric sandwiched fiber panels put together. For some people this works fine because the fiber batting is more flexible. For a foam bag, the material would place additional pressure on the feet, making it uncomfortable. The foot tent give the feet room to stick straight up, if you so desire, without experiencing the pressure of the materials pressing back. This design is inherent in the Expedition model due to the elephant foot design that gives the feet the room they need.


6. is the De-icing cloth that is used to trap the moisture and allow it to freeze in the cloth which is easily removable to manage the removal of the moisture, and is another piece of preventing moisture from freezing in your bag's fabric and foam.
7. is the Moisture handling pad. This pad is made from a firm open-cell polyurethane foam, and its function is to isolate moisture produced by your body from the underside of your bag.
8. points to the pad retention straps to keep your bag and the pad together, even though you may move around. The straps are adjustable to allow additional padding to be inserted under the straps.


9. This is the draft curtain. It drapes around the neck to help hold the warm air inside the bag when you move around, when the bag is not closed up all the way.
10. points out how the zipper baffle lays over the zipper when the bags are joined.
11. Zip in/out liner. This is an optional configuration. Instead of the full 1.5 inches of foam, the bag is made with the 1 inch foam and a .5 inch removable foam liner. The removable liner makes the bag more flexible for year round use.
12. This is the zipper closure, note the red zipper pull.

I sell an optional storage bag that you can select when placing your order. The storage bag is made of a heavy duty water proofed nylon with drawstring end closures, and is used to store your foam sleeping bag when not in use, or for transporting it.

[Click here for the Introduction] | [Take me to the order page!]