June 2009 #2

June 18, 2009

EUROPEAN NORMAL                       

The European government has set a directive I guess for a standard procedure for the testing of sleeping bags. It is commonly referred too as EN 13537; EN translating to European Normal (what ever that is.) Essentially they are testing all sleeping bags sold in Europe on copper manikins. The purpose being that the consumer will get a choice of sleeping bags that perform very close to actual conditions. They will be giving the consumer temperature ratings in “clo values.” The temperature ratings when represented in “clo” are “predicted temperature ratings” versus actual temperature ratings.

     I have a copy of the published “predicted temperature ratings for sleeping bags” chart that is available from Kansas State University which coincides with the EN ratings. Here are the “clo” ratings that compare to the temperature rating of the various Wiggy’s Bags rated in F.

DESERT OR NATUTILUS BAGS RATED FOR + 40 DEGREES F = 4.5 CLO
OVER BAG RATED FOR +35 DEGREES F = 5.0 CLO
ULTRA LIGHT RATED FOR +20 DEGREES F = 6.5 CLO
SUPER LIGHT RATED FOR 0 DEGREES F = 8.5 CLO
ULTIMA THULE RATED FOR -20 DEGREES F = 10 CLO (Actually 10 clo is equal to -16.7 degrees F.)
ANTARCTIC BAG RATED TO -60 DEGREES F = (?) CLO

All of these comparisons are based on a typical 8 hour sleep model.

     For those who are concerned about the “new”; which it isn’t testing methods you now know how Wiggy’s Bags stand in the F versus clo ratings.

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