Fortis Techlite Sleeping Bag

KEY FEATURES 
It may sound obvious, but essentially it’s the quality of the insulation being used within a sleeping bag which is going to make one bag warmer than another. “Our exclusive fill is a synthetic down sheet wadding,” states Fortis’ Darran Goulder, who have collaborated with outdoor specialists Snugpak for their range of Techlite Sleeping Bags. “This ‘down’ is extremely lofty, ensuring air gets trapped between the tiny fibres and keeps the cold air out, and the warm air from your body in.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FIT
Whilst the trend seems to be towards big bedchairs and bags, Darran actually recommends opting for a more compact bed coupled with a matching sized bag. “Any large void areas won’t warm up, making you feel cold. We spent a long time getting the design just right on the Techlite; our shape eliminates any cold spots which can occur around the feet area. We have a slight taper which mimics a mummy style bag as much as possible, but still fits to bedchairs comfortably.”

BAFFLES ARE IMPORTANT
Just how important are those zip baffles every manufacturer harps on about? It would seem very. They ensure no warm air is lost between the teeth of the zips, so look out for oversized baffles to exaggerate this.  

WHAT’S BEST TO WEAR?
There are many theories floated around on the bank about the best way to keep warm in your bag; finally we have the correct one… “It’s important to wear proper base layers in the winter, and nothing made from cotton, as this will make you cold and damp,” explains Darran. “You need your body heat to escape, which the sleeping bag then traps around you, keeping you feeling snug. If you go to bed in two hoodies, two pairs of jogging bottoms and salopettes, it will actually have a negative effect on how warm you are. If you’re taking that many clothes with you, and weight is not a concern, you’d probably be better off buying a budget bag. Our Elements Base Layers have many features which keep you comfortable and dry on the bank, and also in the bag when worn just on their own at night. I’ve tested our Base Layers in the Techlite in winter, down to minus 7… bare-footed!”

AFTERCARE
Just like your angling attire, it’s actually encouraged to wash your sleeping bag at least once a year. Obviously read the instructions for your specific bag, but most are the same and the procedure is dead easy: simply zip up the zips, pop it into a front loading washing machine wash at 30 degrees and hang to dry. And during the periods when you’re not angling much, don’t leave the bag stored compressed in your bedchair or the stuff sack. Finally, if you want to make that lovely outer fabric on your bag breathable (if it gets dirty) and also reproof the water-repellency of it, then head over to the Fortis’ website where you can purchase a Nikwax Aftercare Pack. 

SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING
Big is always better when it comes to owning a warm sleeping bag, right? Wrong. “If you use a low quality insulation, you simply need to use more of it to get a similar thermal property,” reveals Goulder. “When you use a lofty, high quality fill, you can get away with using less, which offers a better warmth-to-weight ratio. This means it’s not only lighter and warmer, but also better packability-wise, which for the angler who likes to travel light is a great attribute of the bag (the Techlite weighs less than 3kgs and isn’t much bigger than a bottle of Coke!). Imagine seeing a mountaineer trying to scale Everest with a sleeping bag the size of an oil drum and weighing 10kg!”

TECHLITE SLEEPING BAGS, £229.95, fortiseyewear.co.uk 

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