Converting SB to UQ.

I noticed that the linings of many of sleeping bags are poly or polycotton. Does this affect the UQ? Some people think that it's not a good idea to have polycotton on an item that will be hanging outdoors. Since the polycotton would be on the inside of the UQ I'm wondering exactly how much of a negative impact it will have on its performance, if at all.

Would anyone care to enlighten me?

I avoid cotton as I am in a humid environment. If you camp in a desert environment, cotton is great. In the Appalachian mountains, it is a disaster waiting to happen.

I am currently making a sleeping bag into a peapod. The bag I'm using is 100% polyester. Mostly will hike in Appalachian area. I would also avoid cotton.

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Originally Posted by Terr

I noticed that the linings of many of sleeping bags are poly or polycotton. Does this affect the UQ? Some people think that it's not a good idea to have polycotton on an item that will be hanging outdoors. Since the polycotton would be on the inside of the UQ I'm wondering exactly how much of a negative impact it will have on its performance, if at all.

Would anyone care to enlighten me?

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The issue with cotton is that it doesn't dry quickly. In a humid environment, it may not dry at all, where synthetics dry rather quickly.
YMMV

I've learned about cotton the hard way. Not fun at all :eek:

:) Thanks for your input everyone.

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Originally Posted by DivaB

I've learned about cotton the hard way. Not fun at all :eek:

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I once was in the position of advising some total life in the wilderness NOOBS about what equipment they would need to go on a backpack with me to The Wind Rivers in WY. A place where it can snow or freeze year round, and where it can take you a few days to get back to where you parked your car.

When advising them on their clothing choices, I used a term I had heard from Rocky Mountain forest rangers involved in SAR, and had heard it frequently from the Mountaineering instructors at NOLS in WY: cotton kills. ( NOLS would not allow any cotton on their mountain trips) For example, I had at least one ranger tell me: If we could just get folks to trade those blue jeans for wool pants, we could save a lot of lives just with that. And really, is there anything colder than even dry Blue Jeans, and fahgettabout it when damp or wet?

But here is what is kind of funny: I later found out the guys(the NOOBS) though I was kind of whacked out- because they thought the phrase "cotton kills" was the most ridiculous and hilarious thing they ever heard. I don't know, they had visions of a cotton garment attacking and killing them or something.

But there's more! Go forward a couple of years, on another trio to the Winds, with the same group of folks plus a few more. But this is a horse packing luxury trip. We have "guides"/wranglers to handle the horses, put up tents and cook for us, that sort of thing. We didn't have to do anything but hike, fish or sit around. The 3 wranglers were newly in from Texas. And they were very skilled with horses ( head honcho wrangler, his wife and the cook), but it was obvious they had not spent much time in the northern Rocky mountains before. It was early Sept, and was quite cold in the mornings. Some one brought up the phrase about cotton and how stupid they thought it was. So a discussion broke out ( mind you, none of us was wearing cotton for warmth, but it was still a stupid phrase) At which point the head wrangler chimed in to say " Well plain old cotton has always served us well". Said as we watched them all hopping from foot to foot and doing jumping jacks trying to stay warm. All 3 appeared to be very uncomfortable as they cooked and served us breakfast. Even though they had on thick layers of cotton and thick cotton socks. But they can learn, as they admitted maybe they needed to look into something else, as no one else in camp was cold at all, except them, the only people depending on cotton. And they were always cold!

Last I heard about it, they were planning on heading to a surplus store when the trip was over, looking for thick polyester fleece or wool. Cost was a major concern to them, but I made it clear to them they did not have to go buy Patagonia. They could find cheap wool/poly fleece that would keep them much warmer.

So don't go with cotton. Cotton kills, and your quilt might attack you.

Nobody panic. It's polyester. :)

Got a double envelope style sleeping bag for £12.99 on eBay. I'm splitting it in 2 to make UQs for the Mrs and I. Won't be anything amazing but with any luck it will keep us warm.

BillyBob Love the winds I use to live in Dubois Wy miss it a lot when you went into the winds did you go thrum Dubois , Pinedale or Lander I try to get out there every other year or so.Love The Winds

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Originally Posted by BillyBob58

I once was in the position of advising some total life in the wilderness NOOBS about what equipment they would need to go on a backpack with me to The Wind Rivers in WY. A place where it can snow or freeze year round, and where it can take you a few days to get back to where you parked your car.

When advising them on their clothing choices, I used a term I had heard from Rocky Mountain forest rangers involved in SAR, and had heard it frequently from the Mountaineering instructors at NOLS in WY: cotton kills. ( NOLS would not allow any cotton on their mountain trips) For example, I had at least one ranger tell me: If we could just get folks to trade those blue jeans for wool pants, we could save a lot of lives just with that. And really, is there anything colder than even dry Blue Jeans, and fahgettabout it when damp or wet?

But here is what is kind of funny: I later found out the guys(the NOOBS) though I was kind of whacked out- because they thought the phrase "cotton kills" was the most ridiculous and hilarious thing they ever heard. I don't know, they had visions of a cotton garment attacking and killing them or something.

But there's more! Go forward a couple of years, on another trio to the Winds, with the same group of folks plus a few more. But this is a horse packing luxury trip. We have "guides"/wranglers to handle the horses, put up tents and cook for us, that sort of thing. We didn't have to do anything but hike, fish or sit around. The 3 wranglers were newly in from Texas. And they were very skilled with horses ( head honcho wrangler, his wife and the cook), but it was obvious they had not spent much time in the northern Rocky mountains before. It was early Sept, and was quite cold in the mornings. Some one brought up the phrase about cotton and how stupid they thought it was. So a discussion broke out ( mind you, none of us was wearing cotton for warmth, but it was still a stupid phrase) At which point the head wrangler chimed in to say " Well plain old cotton has always served us well". Said as we watched them all hopping from foot to foot and doing jumping jacks trying to stay warm. All 3 appeared to be very uncomfortable as they cooked and served us breakfast. Even though they had on thick layers of cotton and thick cotton socks. But they can learn, as they admitted maybe they needed to look into something else, as no one else in camp was cold at all, except them, the only people depending on cotton. And they were always cold!

Last I heard about it, they were planning on heading to a surplus store when the trip was over, looking for thick polyester fleece or wool. Cost was a major concern to them, but I made it clear to them they did not have to go buy Patagonia. They could find cheap wool/poly fleece that would keep them much warmer.

So don't go with cotton. Cotton kills, and your quilt might attack you.

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I actually learned about cotton on an extremely hot, terribly humid, summer, group hang. Everyone else dried out....My son and I never did. Even when we changed our clothes, then sweated....the process started all over again, not to mention just the moisture from the air making the cotton wet. Never new how miserable we were until we looked around and saw how hot...but not wet everyone else was. I then threw everything I thought (and was brought up by my parents) out the window and have been learning to dress correctly the past few months. (I still love cotton, and this time of year I love my sweat shirts, but they won't be going into the woods with me)


Terr I'm glad your sleeping bags that you acquired are not cotton ;) This is still quite educational for others though.