What does UL packing look like for masters? 03 How to use sleep bags and sleeping pads

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017

EnlighteEnlightened Equipment , Introduction to mountain climbing , mont-bell , Video , Enlightened Equipment

Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

What kind of sleeping bags do Ultra Light masters, who are extremely lightweight and efficient, use?

The theme of the third video series in the "Outdoor Gearzine Trailhead Presents Arai Yusuke Packing Course 2016" is "Sleeping Bags & Sleeping Pads." While introducing Arai's current recommended sleeping bags and mats, he also talked about practical know-how, including how to use the Arai style in various situations. Let's go straight to it.

This is an opinion based on individual experience, so rather than just accept each conclusion at face value, enjoy it through the filter of each individual's wise judgment and broad mind.

What is Outdoor Gearzine Trailhead?
Outdoor Gearzine was held in November 2016 at a gallery near Yoyogi Park for two weeks under the theme of "Starting autumn mountain climbing with Outdoor Gearzine . There is an exhibition of recommended autumn mountain tools, a corner for purchasing tools, a store for valuable outdoor gear, a flea market for used mountain tools after the test, and a talk event with mountain photographer Arai Yusuke, and various projects are being held that can be enjoyed by people who want to climb the mountains or have recently started climbing the mountains. This event has been a huge hit with readers of this site and mountain enthusiasts who have come here casually. For more detailed plans, please see this past announcement page .

Profile of Arai Yusuke

Mountain photographer. Head of SHARA PROJECT. Since his father's acquaintance was a traitor, he grew up in a deep, intimate nature from a young age. He has a deep knowledge of a wide range of fields, from traditional trekking to UL hiking, skiing, MTB, hunting and survival techniques, and outdoor gear, and is also well-versed in knives. Every year in autumn and winter, it is a bush crafter that clings to hunt, and then dismantles and cooks in the mountains.

List of serialized articles "What is Master's UL Packing like?"

table of contents

table of contents
Packing techniques for ultra light hiking - How to use sleeping bags and pads -
Video and audio transcript
Video commentary

Packing techniques for ultra light hiking - How to use sleeping bags and pads - (video)
Video and audio transcription
Video commentary

Packing techniques for ultra light hiking - How to use sleeping bags and pads -

As usual, the characters in the video are Arai on the left and me (Hisatomi) on the right.

Video and audio transcript

What sleeping bag does Arai use for her spring and autumn hikes?

Arai Yusuke : This is a sleeping bag. It's tiny. It's a strange size no matter how you look at it (compared to the winter sleeping bag in the back). But this isn't a sleeping bag (strictly speaking). It says down multi blanket It's clearly listed on Montbell's catalogs and websites, but no one shows interest. This is usually in a blanket shape. And there are snap buttons on both ends. You might be thinking, "Even though it's a mountain, is it an envelope-shaped sleeping bag?" (when you fasten the buttons), the back part becomes open and cylindrical.

Hisatomi : It's familiar to people in the Ultra Light community, but the head part is omitted, and the lower body part can be tightened if necessary.

Arai Yusuke : You may wonder why there is no need for the back part, but while you're sleeping, the loft (on the back) is crushed, which reduces the heat retention of that part. So it's easier to use if you don't need a down on the back like a mommy sleeping bag, and just have an empty back and a mat inside. Furthermore, the mat and sleeping bag move in one place, so there is no need to slip (the body) on the mat.

First, if you stick them together like this, it will look like a sleeping bag. If it's cold, tighten the toes. This is enough for summer. If you wear it down underneath, it's no different to having a thick sleeping bag inside.

Another way to use it is, is there anyone who stays in a tent? yes. There are a few people there. People who have stayed in a tent a lot will understand, but sometimes they say, "I want to pee, but it's cold so I don't want to leave." When you wonder what to do, you hold back until the very last minute and when you get out of your sleeping bag, you feel cold. But this sleeping bag opens your toes, so you can walk like this (if you put your feet out) lol.

Hisatomi : Does it look like a tight skirt lol.

Arai Yusuke : That's right. You can go outside with your sleeping bag on. A man can use it to turn the open back forward and use it. It's really lax, but I'm not recommending it for that reason.

For example, you don't have down pants right now. In such cases, it would be useful for men to have a wrap skirt. If you fold it in two like this and stop it, you can wrap it around your waist, making it a wrap skirt. And if you feel like squeezing it out, you can squeeze it (ankle) like this. It would be useful if there was a lot of places where you could just continue like this and replace down pants.

Of course, if you don't want to go inside your sleeping bag because it's hot in the summer, it will turn into a blanket, making it a blanket, so you can use it as a blanket.

Hisatomi : It is said that it can be used in a variety of ways, thanks to its flat sheet of fabric.

Arai Yusuke : Yes, I think there will also be times when you have to bivouac in an emergency and have to put your shoes in your sleeping bag, but you can do it just by putting them on. I think it can be used in a variety of ways with easy usage.

Hisatomi : By the way, are there any types of thicknesses?

Arai Yusuke : No, this one. There's only #5. Only for summer use.

Hisatomi : That's right. #5 is probably around the last three seasons.

Arai Yusuke : Does anyone say they're going to use a hammock? There's no hammock. There are Hennessy hammocks and camping hammocks, but they're not Amami. You shouldn't let the Amami ones go to the mountains though. If you wrap this from the outside, it can also be used as a hammock sleeping bag. When you sleep in a hammock, the loft generally collapses around this area (from your back to your waist). That's why I wrap it around the outside of the hammock. This has hooks and buttons on both ends, so if you stop it, you can also use it as a hammock sleeping bag.

Down Multi Blanket #5

mont bell

21,060 yen

359g

Also, when you first buy a sleeping bag, many people who have never used a sleeping bag will fold it neatly and then put it in, but if you mess it up like this, all down products will fit in, so be sure to not fold it.

Hisatomi : On the other hand, if you fold it, it will expand more and more.

Arai Yusuke : The content is coming out more and more. The contents that are wrapped around me are coming and going in and out.

Hisatomi : It's common for people to think they've wrapped it up and put it in, but the top part pops out from the entrance.

Arai Yusuke : In the end, he ends up pushing in. Well, even though there are so many different ways to use it, it's this size (shows it stored) even though it's a sleeping bag.

Hisatomi : By the way, what is the equipment I'm talking about right now in terms of season?

Arai Yusuke : Spring will start from the beginning of autumn. Maybe it's low mountains in the beginning of autumn?

And now there's a staff bag. I'm thinking of having staff bags at least a sleeping bag. (Take out the bag of the down jacket) This is not a staff bag, but a packable down jacket. The reason why packables are good is that when you wear them and put a staff bag in your backpack, it's difficult to find them the next time you put them in. Well, it's just lazy.

Hisatomi : By the way, this is a jacket with that kind of function (storing it in your pocket).

Arai Yusuke : That's right. Of course it's impossible to force it into your pocket. This is water-repellent down so it's very easy to use. The brand is LLBean. LLBean is originally an alpine maker in the United States, so we also carry alpine products.

Do I need a sleeping bag cover?

Hisatomi : Would you bring something like a sleeping bag cover?

Arai Yusuke : You don't have to carry or carry a sleeping bag cover. If you're confident that you won't get wet.

Hisatomi : You can cover the top at the shelter, but only the mat is on the bottom. The sleeping bag is a quilt, right? Is that really okay?

Arai Yusuke : The fundamental idea behind shelters is that they get wet because there is a bathtub. Condensed water droplets can be transmitted downstairs and drooped or accumulated on the floor. By blocking the tent firmly to prevent the rain from bounced back, or by using the slope to set up a tent on a higher ground, you can keep the inside of the tent dry. For example, at a ten-spot in Karasawa, there are a lot of rocks falling. This is how the rock blocks the empty part below from inside. This will prevent the rain from bounce off, and all the water (from the shelter) will flow through the rocks, so you won't get wet without using a sleeping bag cover in Karasawa. However, during the snowy season, I will wear the lightest sleeping bag cover.

What do you pay attention to when choosing a sleeping mat, and what are your recommendations?

Arai Yusuke : If you are using it on flat surfaces or low mountains, we recommend this type of air injection type. The other thing is when you can level up the snowy mountains or other areas. Closed cells are considered a disadvantage because they can't be crushed, but in reality, the weight just increases when folded, and the weight doesn't change much. It probably changes to about 20 grams. Think carefully about which one is better for you.

If you're just using your upper body, this inflatable mat won't break (half is wasted). The idea is that closed cells can be cut at the seams, so once you buy one, you can use half the size twice. I bought a 180cm one and ended up in half. This way, you can roll it into the pack and pull the backpack for the lower body, or use remaining clothing. There are also some that cut off the shoulder area. This will reduce the weight and easily fit into a backpack that does not have a frame.

As I mentioned earlier, it's better not to go to mountainous tennis venues because it's air-injected. It's slipping, so it's me. It's tilted and after turning over it several times, I'll be under the mat before I know it. I used to think this was warm, but I couldn't ride it, on top of that. The slope is too tight. I felt extremely lonely. Also, the one I tried the other day was with down. That's dangerous. Closed cells will no longer be available.

However, there is a more effective way to use closed cells called "astrophoil." It is a material that is used for insulation on spacecrafts, but it is now also used for insulation in homes. If you pull it under the mat, it will be made of high-purity aluminum, and the bubble wrap for packaging can be sandwiched between them, so there is a layer of air. This bounces back the geothermal heat from below and also bounces back your own heat up, which is incredibly warm. Place the astrophil under the air injection system and arrange the hot-cuffs at equal intervals. That way it will be extremely warm. It's really warm to use it if you're doing winter camp for the first time, or if your boyfriend is okay with the cold but his girlfriend doesn't work.

Hisatomi : Where can you buy it?

Arai Yusuke : Is it an astrophoil? It's only available in places that sell. I don't know if it's okay to talk about such a lewd thing, but it's only available at SHARA Project and Hikers Depot.

Video commentary

About quilted sleeping bags

In the first half, we previously featured on Outdoor Gearzine, not only introduced the quilted sleeping bag, but also showed us a wide range of in-depth ways to use it. I used it seriously last year, and although the mummy-shaped sleeping bag, which can cover the entire face, is highly sealable, it is less versatile than quilted-shaped sleeping bags other than sleeping without letting heat escaping as much as possible.

In addition to simply wrapping and sleeping, Arai said that it can be used in a variety of ways, such as a blanket on hot days, a down pants, a skirt, a hammock sleeping bag, and an emergency bivouac, but the quilted type is extremely convenient for activities that require lightweight and multi-functional use, such as Ultra Light.

However, compared to mummy models, there are fewer manufacturers who make them, so the options are limited. Among them, the best model that the editorial department has arrived at was the American ENLIGHTENED EQUIPMENT . Although the hurdle is high to purchase directly from the manufacturer's website (English), it is truly the ultimate quilted sleeping bag, with a complete feel that allows you to customize almost any item including fabric, material, heat retention, size, and color ( for more details, see the introduction page here ).

From what I've researched in the editorial department, there are models that are relatively easy to obtain in Japan, such as SEA TO SUMMIT's Micro series and Ember series , Hiker's Depot's TOP QUILT, LOCUS GEAR's Nix Synthetic Fiber Quilt , Sky High Mountain Works' Sky High Down Quilt 120 , and Cumulus QUILT 350, but even after doing so much research, I didn't even know that Montbell was made by a domestic manufacturer. Currently, it is difficult to try it in stores, and as it is handled in small quantities, many models sell out quickly, but it is very appreciated that it is available from manufacturers with a wealth of stock, such as Montbell, with stores all over the country. If you're greedy, I would like them to increase the number of heat retention options, but even so, Montbell, which has such a niche lineup, is still as crazy as ever. I think I'll give it a try someday this year.

Down Multi Blanket #5

mont bell

21,060 yen

359g

Tips for choosing a sleeping pad

Closed cell sleeping pads are certainly not suitable for storage size, cushioning and heat retention compared to air-injected (inflatable). However, apart from that, it is very attractive because of its ease of use and most importantly its low price. As Arai also said, a high price doesn't mean that air injection types are excellent in any case, and it's important to decide your own priorities and choose your pads. For more information, refer to this page if you are interested.

Astrophoil recommendations

In that case, you can just hold back on ease of packing and comfort, but heat retention is directly linked to life, so I would like to do something about this. That's why Arai recommended Astrophy.

This new material, which is born after researching space suits and aircraft, is now used as a heat shield for homes, has an air cap sandwiched between high-purity aluminum. It is said that the aluminum on both sides reflects radiant heat from inside and outside, and the air layer held by the air cap reduces heat conduction, allowing it to more effectively block heat ( reference site ).

After looking into it, it is 4mm thick, which is much thinner than a roll mat, but a folding silver mat , so it doesn't seem to be that compact, so I guess it depends on how much heat retention it improves depending on the size (weight) effect. As Arai also said, it is a commercial material for construction purposes, so it is not generally retailed, so it seems to be extremely difficult to obtain.

That's all for this time. Stay tuned for the next episode!