Benchmark ThermaTech Sleeping Bags (Standard & XL)
Take a look at Avid's new heated sleeping bags!
If you’re plugged into the crazy world of carp-angling social media then you may well have already come across the new Benchmark ThemaTech Sleeping Bags. Why? Fundamentally because the fact they contain a heating element has caused a real stir online. Let’s take a look and separate fact from fiction.
Heated?! What?
Yep, these bags are easily identifiable by the super-tough braided USB cord attached to them. Plug in your power bank (not supplied) and it will bring to life a heating element that runs the length of these bags.
Blimey! I bet I’ll either be too hot or too cold, though…
This isn’t a case of the heating being either on or off, there are actually four different settings, so you should be able to find one suitable for you.
I’m wary, isn’t this going to be dangerous?
It’s a common question, but similar battery-powered heating elements have been present in outdoor jackets for years and Avid say they’ve thoroughly tested the technology, meeting all electrical-safety standards across Europe.
Okay, so it’s a cheap bag boosted by a heating element?
Nope, even without the heating element these are still five-season bags stuffed with synthetic hollowfill fibre and a waterproof outer layer.
Am I going to be draining all the juice from my powerbank to keep warm overnight?
Avid’s product guy, Ant Molyneux, recently explained on Facebook that during the last couple of years of testing, most Avid anglers have found the optimum way to use these bags is to turn on the heating element for half an hour before getting into bed, then keeping it on for a further 10 minutes, then switching it off and allowing your body heat to take over. If you get out of bed in the night for a fish, you can repeat the process.
Find out more about the Avid Benchmark bedchair range here!
