DESIGNING THE WARMEST, MOST COMFORTABLE SLEEPING BAG: ARGALI EQUIPMENT

[@macs2015]

I’m no hunter. I just love backpacking/ camping. Own multiple bags and quilts and the fact that you’re making your temp ratings honest is unbelievable. The whole market is a joke with their “survival/limit” temp ratings. Thank you

[@Argali]

Thank you! we couldn't agree more on temp ratings in the industry

[@sessions33]

Excited to get this bag and try it out in Alaska.

[@Argali]

@@sessions33 we think you’ll really like it!

[@deanbatten8349]

Brad I like the things you are designing. Living in Boise as well and hunting in a similar style I think is why I can appreciate these products so much

[@Argali]

Appreciate it Dean!

[@LoveMountainAdventures]

The older I get, the more important good quality sleep is, especially for longer outings!

[@Argali]

@@LoveMountainAdventures Couldn’t agree more, though we believe good sleep will benefit everyone in the backcountry!

[@johnpearce7835]

I was hoping to hear what you came up with to keep a winter bag as light and warm as possible but you didn't seem to address the biggest issue I have. The problem of cold coming up thru the sleeping pad/down side of the bag, as you mentioned when down clumps it isn't preforming, when you compress down while sleeping on it, it also does not perform well. The solution isn't getting huge bulky air pads for back country winter hunts mostly because of bulk and in my opinion a R4 pad doesn't do much in 15 or lower degree weather. I've seen bags with synthetic insulated bottoms but they also weigh more and add bulk. Anyway your thoughts? I really like aspects of the Argali bag but it can't be the warmest and most comfortable sleeping bag without addressing the bottom of the bag.

[@Argali]

Hi John, the truth is there isn't much a sleeping bag can do to insulate your body from the cold that eminates from the ground. A sleeping pad with the correct R value is the most important thing for that, and an R7 bag for winter camping is really appropriate. It doesn't have to be bulky to have an R7 rating however. Because of the weight of the human body, there isn't any insulation material, synthetic or down, that won't get compressed when you lay on it, rendering it mostly innefective as an insulating material. When we say warmest, what we mean is warmest for the temperature rating we advertise, which is a function of the amount of down fill, the quality of that fill, the baffles, fabric, draft tubes and the other features that all work to trap warm air inside the bag.

[@DAVIDFleer-i7z]

Sleep system would include a pad which is also a difficult piece ✌️👍🇺🇲

[@Argali]

Thanks for the comment. We consider this a system because both of our sleeping bags work together interconnectedly with the pillow to form an ultra-comfortable sleeping arrangement. A sleeping pad would certainly add to the system-who knows where the future leads...

[@fatsquirrel2554]

I wish your tents were earth tone colors such as a brown or olive.

[@Argali]

Why is that?

[@fatsquirrel2554]

@ just personal preference I guess a little more concealment If one wants it.

[@Argali]

Ah, understood. If you have one in the wild, our standard grey color does blend in quite well. But, good to hear the feedback!

[@toddprobasco9728]

30 degree quilt next?

[@Argali]

We've had some requests for something similar from several people. We are taking all the feedback we get into future product considerations!

[@sessions33]

@@ArgaliI’d like that

[@CodyOutback]

Is this made in the USA?

[@Argali]

Appreciate the question. Our goose down comes from eastern Europe and is processed here in the U.S. We get our fabric from Japan, and the bags are assembled by our trusted sewing partner in Asia.

[@KirkHortel]

What’s your favorite sleeping pad for backcountry?

[@Argali]

@KirkHortel a lot of us (including Brad) use Exped pads.

[@mikefyten7761]

Some nice ideas, but if I may...sleeping bags do have ratings that state comfort, limit, and extreme temp ratings. Your bags are not the first to make claims as to being the first to have honest ratings. What is an honest rating? Honest to who? What if I sleep warm? Or cold? Data suggests women sleep colder than men. How many times of stuffing the bag in your pack causes clumping? How does the user store their bag when not in use? All these are valid and important questions that may or may not support your claims of clumping or lack there of. I have 2 down bags, years old, DWR treated with ZERO clumping. 850+ down from Europe or USA or Canada are the same. That's why the universal rating system (650, 700, 850, 900) is used to be able to compare apples to apples. Part of this rating requirement involves the ability to compress, loft. and the speed of re-loft, as well as how quickly it compresses. Every bag on the market can be made "warmer" by wearing extra layers. Wear a hat...you'll be warmer. Wear socks, you'll be warmer. Wear your puffy jacket, you'll be warmer. While I do agree that a wide body bag is more comfortable, it can also be a bit colder as dead air space is created by the wider than normal size that is not heated by the sleeping bag occupant. I have such a bag and I know by experience that the sides get cold. It's always nice to see new innovative products on the market. I have 6 sleeping bags and quilts, from 30 degree to -60. I have used them all and have my favorites. I have over 1000 nights in one of my bags. I am an outdoor guide so I understand your important comments about a good night sleep. I'm not trying to diss your product. I do hold a high bar to gear manufacturers as to their claims, "innovations", and ability to perform. Thank you for this video and this new product. I look forward to seeing reviews and possibly trying one of your bags out.

[@Argali]

Hi there, thanks for the long and thoughtful comments. Regarding our Honest Temperature Ratings, we discuss it at length in the video but there is an ISO standardized test for comfort, limit and extreme ratings. If you watch the video, we go over the variances of individuals and whether people sleep warm or cold. The standard test is done with a a dummy with a 150 GSM baselayer top, bottom and a knit hat, and a heat loss signature is measured over a 24 hour period. If you want to understand how the test is done, you can find all of the protocols online. However, after extensive field testing in addition to our lab tests, we found that our 20 degree bag was comfortable for most people at 20 degree temperatures, which we explain in the video. Some people found it to be too warm, but none of our testers were cold at 20 degrees and we had a range of "cold" and "warm" sleepers. Same for our 0 degree bag. Regarding down clumping, we worked with our down supplier to test this. You don't have to take our word for it, but it's a real issue. We can't give you a standardized number of times you have to stuff your bag prior to seeing clumping, but it will happen. Almost all down use parafin (wax) based coatings, and the nature of wax is to stick to itself and other objects. We strongly believe most of the reason DWR coatings have become so popular is due to prolonged and savvy marketing. You don't have to agree with us, but that's our educated opinion. We didn't say we were the first to use a comfort rating, but it sure isn't common in the sleeping bag world to use a comfort rating as the temperature rating of the bag. It's a lot easier to advertise a "lightweight" 20 degree bag by not using as much down fill, making the bag less expensive and seemingly much lighter. Regarding down and fill power, not "all down from the US or Canada" is the same. Fill power ratings are universal, but the quality of down at each fill power rating is not the same. There are many companies that source down that are physically in the US, and there is a great degree of variety in their individual quality. It's no different than the difference between merino wool grown in China vs. New Zealand. Down is a commodity product, and you have to know exactly where it comes from and how it is processed (i.e. cleaned) to know how it will perform over time. Most down in sleeping bags comes from Chinese birds, and it just isn't as good because the birds don't live in a cold climate, and they don't produce down clusters that are as resilent. You can even have "USA" labeled down that comes from China and you can slap a USA down sticker on it. Our Eastern European Down is as good as it gets when it comes to down quality, and it is expensive. But, it's amazing down and it performs well. And not every bag can be made warmer by wearing extra clothes. The size of the bag is important here, as is whether or not it is differentially cut (size of internal bag from the external bag). If you have a mummy style bag and wear too many clothes, you can compress the down in your bag and reduce the loft, thereby reducing its' ability to trap warm air. The size of the internal bag makes a big difference with whether or not you can layer inside of it and actually have it work. We appreciate your comments and welcome the scrutiny. We do our homework, we know our products, we test extensively, and we stand by our claims about our products. We aren't making outrageous claims, but we are striving for radical transparency, which is more than most companies will give you.

[@mikefyten7761]

@@Argali Very nice to read your response. I know marketing is a big part of what's popular and what's not. I watched the video several times. To be fair, I use lots of gear from lots of manufacturers and hear/read tons of "claims." Your responses to my input are well received. Thank you.