The Magic Sleeping Bag

Years ago, while living in the van called I called "Breat Truck", I remember several cold nights in bed -- all wrapped up in my down sleeping bag -- wondering why I felt so very comfortable there each night as I slept. I couldn't figure it out but it was delightful.

Years later, back in Texas, I discovered the secret was that down sleeping bag!

Initially, it had been purchased soon after Mother read an article about a boy who had arthritis and went on a camping trip. When he returned, the symptoms of arthritis were gone! ...but would return after nights of not sleep in that bag. So hearing the story and examining the boy, his doctor began recommending down sleeping bags to his other arthritis patients, which led to the article about the phenomenon being published.

So our mother went to a sporting goods store and bought a down sleeping bag to test its effectiveness. When I later left for the State of Washington, she gave me that bag to be sure I'd be warm at night in my van.

Two years later, after returning to Texas -- not yet having discovered the sleeping bag was the source of my personal deep comfort -- I gave it back to Mother. And when I finally understood it was the source of my comfort, I felt I had to accept I'd already given it back to her, who took it with her in her motorhome from Texas to Pennsylvania.

Sometime later on a cold night, I was staying with her in her Motor Home. At bedtime, she opened a cabinet and whipped out that same wonderful sleeping bag, opened it fully and spread it over the lowered kitchen-table-and-benches where I was to sleep, wanting to make my bed totally comfy. As soon as I started laying down on it, deeply pleasurable chills began running up and down throughout my entire body. I was amazed that this bag of feathers held such power, but it undeniably did.

Naturally, I wanted to ask her to let me take it with me back to Bread Truck again, but to ask that seemed far too selfish, depriving Mother of such a wonderful blanket/sleeping bag.

Perhaps it was a year later when I asked her again about that wonderful blanket/bag and she answered, "Oh, that thing started leaking feathers, so I threw it away."

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

That act was equivalent to throwing a pot of gold into the dumpster!

Over the years, I've tried to find a replacement that would have the same effect, but without any success. I even bought a plush $300.00 down-filled bed comforter, expecting the same comforting effect; but it wasn't there. Most recently, I purchased an 800-fill, nylon-covered, goose-down sleeping bag; but still, the effect is not there at all. In fact, this one is a bit the opposite, making me rapidly feel the unpleasant sensation of being sticky and sweaty, even though I'm not even slightly sticky or sweaty. I push it off to escape that sensation, not knowing why it makes me feel that way.

So the mystery of what made that first down sleeping bag so amazingly comfortable remains. I still have no idea how it managed to be so comfortable, or how it was able to ensure rapid and deep sleep, every night spent in it.

So does anyone out there know the answer? More importantly, does anyone know where can I find another one that gives that same wonderful effect?

I used an all season down comforter for years, and loved it.

When it was very cold, I first covered with a fleece blanket, then the down comforter, and when it was very, very cold, my first layer was head to toe fleece pj’s and socks.

Warm as toast.

I have no insight on the nuisances of down sleeping bags, but I have an alternative suggestion. A weighted blanket has therapeutic uses, but beyond that it's also very effective at trapping body heat. They're inexpensive and might be worth a try.

When I was a kid I had a down filled comforter that my great aunt had given me. It fit a full sized bed that I slept in. The biggest problem that I had with it was the nylon shell it was made of allowed it to keep slipping off the bed at night. It was very light and super warm. It eventually tore on one of the seams and down started blowing out of it and Mom did something with it but I never saw it again. ( I had really come to love the thing)

I remember asking my Mom what was so special about it and she explained that all "down" is not the same. (she had been a "home economics" student in her school days.....today called "Family Consumer Science") and down was something she had studied. She went on to explain that it was filled with Goose Down...and a particular type called "eiderdown".

Eiderdown is a soft, lightweight, and warm material that comes from the under-layer of feathers of the eider duck. It's considered one of the world's finest insulating materials and is often used to make duvets and comforters.

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Down type: There are three types of down: 1) natal down: 2) body down, and 3) powder down. The fluffiness of down is known as loft which is a great indicator of its quality and performance

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In outdoors use it is important to keep down items dry. Once wet they lose a lot of their insulation property. This may be sleeping bags or coats etc. Dupont developed a hollow polyester fiber called "Hollowfill" (similar to Deer hair) which has been quite successful as it had great insulation properties, didn't bother peoples allergy, and resisted mildew rather well. And it held up when wet where down didn't.

I once purchased a down filled coat at a Kmart and still have it. Not long after I was wearing it small feathers began to come thru the shell. I looked at the labels and tag sewn into the coat to see what it said about the down filling but there was little info on it. (imported for Kmart) Today I believe the labels in or on the product have to state the content or percentage of down to feathers. Each winter I place it in the dryer and set it to "air-fluff" with a couple tennis balls for a few minutes. This fluffs up the filling which tends to settle with wear.

Question CosmicGold ? Do you remember the year you first got that sleeping bag and was it new when you got it ? If it was used was it real old or withing a few years ? There are places who broker in vintage camping equipment that you can Google to find their websites. You may be able to find a duplicate of that bag.

Hmmm, interesting information on down.

I have only ever had ones in a duvet cover, so they’re not slippery.

They can also be washed and dried, which I did a couple of times a year, tho it’s true they hold moisture and take probably a full hour on high heat.