the history of sleeping bag manufacturing

FINALLY THE TRUE HISTORY OF SLEEPING BAGS

One of my customers sent me a link to the history of sleeping bags on Wikipedia.

An innovative rug that's been described as the world's first sleeping bag has been re-created and is going on display at the Newtown Textile Museum. The Euklisia rug - patented by Newtown entrepreneur Pryce Jones in 1876 - was exported around the world in the late 19th century. Documents show he sold 60,000 the rugs to the Russian army - and the British army also bought them. There are records of civilian uses too - among missionaries in Africa and pioneers in the Australian outback. No examples of the rug appear to have survived - but researchers on a BBC Wales TV series - Wales and the History of the World - recreated one using the original patent. Presenter Eddie Butler said: "It was great to see this Welsh first brought back to life." Pryce Jones, who was apprenticed to a draper at the age of 12, became a business powerhouse in mid-Wales after publishing the world's first mail order catalogues. He ended up with hundreds of thousands of customers around Europe, including many royals.

The "Euklisia Rug", from Ancient Greek εὖ (well) and κλισία (cot, sleeping-place), patented by mail-order pioneer Pryce Pryce-Jones in 1876,^[1] is considered by many^{[according to whom?]} to have been the first forerunner of the modern sleeping bag. Pryce-Jones, a Newtown, Montgomeryshire Welsh entrepreneur developed the bag and exported around the world in the late 19th century. Documents show he sold 60,000 of these rugs to the Russian army - and the British army also bought them. There are records of civilian uses too - among missionaries in Africa and pioneers in the Australian outback.^[2]

A three-person buffalo sleeping bag used during Arctic exploration circa 1880

I assume the reference to the bag being called a buffalo bag is because it was made from buffalo hides.

When I did research several years ago into sleeping bag manufacturing I originally found they were made in the 1890’s in Finland. Then I was told they were made in the 19850’s in the UK.Now I believe we have factual information of when production of sleeping bags first began.

However, I suspect the Eskimo people were probably using animal skins such as the buffalo bag shown above for thousands of years. It was probably their use of animal skins that those who went to the Arctic followed with the buffalo skins bag.

Considering the fact that this buffalo bag was made to hold three people suggests that the people were small in stature. Also note the shape being basically a mummy shape. I wonder if the makers of the bag considered the shape of a cocoon (mummy) which is the best shape a sleeping bag can be for maximum heat retention. I believe the advent of continuous filament fiber more than any other material designated an insulating medium has made the cocoon (mummy) shape not necessarily more efficient than a rectangular bag.

I wonder if the Russians will ever contact me? 60,000 bags would be a great order.

You now know the history of sleeping bags.