MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING AN MT 900 SLEEPING BAG

The RDS certification - or “Responsible Down Standard” - is a certification that ensures humane treatment of geese and ducks throughout the entire down and feather supply chain.

The fill power is a measure of the down's thermal insulation by "trapping" a certain volume of air. This is expressed in CUIN (cubic inches per ounce).

Consequently, the higher the CUIN number, the greater the loft of the down, the more space it occupies and the more air it traps inside and hence the greater the insulation.

Since down and feathers are extremely fine fibres and are pointed in shape, they easily poke through the seams or lining. It is worth noting that, in any case, the down and feathers inside will inevitably try to get out of the sleeping bag. We choose the tightest possible weave (feather-proof or down-proof tested) to reduce this phenomenon.

This situation can occur especially when the sleeping bag is compressed by folding it in two, or storing it in its bag. The air trapped in the compartments will produce pressure towards the surface, if the feather is in the pointed position ready to come out then the feather will come out, it cannot be avoided.

Good news, most sleeping bags are now designed to be tidied away easily: no need to fold them carefully to get them into the cover (even for the ultra-compact ones)!
It is particularly true for feather duvets: you must always stuff the sleeping bag into its carry bag or stuff sack, because if you always fold it the same way, the feathers will crease and flatten. And a crushed feather does not provide as much insulation as a feather whose structure is intact.

Before talking about repairs, we are going to talk about how to use your sleeping bag correctly. A lot of customers contact us saying that the zip on their sleeping bag looks broken. Most of the time it is simply an issue with cursor alignment.

Given that the zips are completely open, properly aligning and nesting the sliders is a bit tricky.

Also take the time to close your sleeping bag completely to avoid getting fabric caught in the zip and having to force it.

Zips can also break: if this happens, we recommend you bring your sleeping bag back to the store or ask a seamstress to replace the zip.

On all of our sleeping bags, we display the temperature ratings tested by an independent laboratory (AITEX) according to European EN 23537-1 standard of 21/01/2017. The temperature rating is the lower limit at which a person, in a relaxed posture, is generally in thermal equilibrium and feels neither hot nor cold.

The limit temperature is the temperature limit at which a person who is curled up in their sleeping bag is generally in thermal equilibrium and feels neither hot nor cold.

Quick tip:
Use an insulating mattress to optimise your thermal comfort.

The temperature rating of the sleeping bags are defined using standardised European tests. But sensitivity to cold also varies from person to person and on the climatic conditions.

It is quite possible to sleep under the stars and stay protected from moisture by using the sleeping overbag. An overbag, also known as a "bivvy bag", is a protective cover that is one size larger than a sleeping bag. You just have to slip inside it with your sleeping bag, along with your mattress if you want, to protect them from the outside elements.
In this way, it can be used to protect your gear and protect you against adverse weather conditions.
It can be used to sleep under the stars or under a tarp.

It is possible to lose your storage bag or stuff sack when in the mountains. Not to worry, they are available on the Decathlon website.