Grüezi bag insulation for sleeping bags
Grüezi bag stands for innovative outdoor products with natural insulation that offer a unique sleeping environment and outstanding sleeping comfort.
How wool and down work
People have been using wool to protect themselves against the cold for centuries. The reason for this is that wool warms and at the same time creates an excellent feel-good climate. Wool also keeps you warm even when damp and naturally neutralizes unpleasant sweat odors over the long term.
Wool can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture via its capillaries and release it back to the outside in a measured amount - so that no evaporative cooling occurs. This not only ensures effective moisture regulation, but also body temperature regulation.
That's why we feel so comfortable with or under wool.
Grüezi bag only uses mulesing-free wool from sheep from the Alpine region for its insulation: robust, natural, biodegradable and renewable.
Nothing insulates like down. The fine structure of down binds a lot of air. The bound air insulates and protects against the cold. If the down becomes damp and loses its fluffy structure, its insulation capacity is reduced significantly. Down works best when it is dry.
By combining very well-insulating down and moisture-resistant wool, we have developed unique insulation that combines the advantages of both natural materials.
DownWool
DownWool consists of 70% RDS-certified down and 30% wool from the Alpine region.
The combination is perfect. Nothing insulates like high-quality down. The 30% wool content makes the difference. Wool binds air and sweat moisture, so the down stays dry and retains its insulating power even when the humidity is high.
The advantage over pure down insulation is the noticeably better climate and the insensitivity to increased humidity, all without the use of ecologically questionable impregnations.
Furthermore, the temperature range for products with DownWool insulation, in which you neither freeze nor sweat and feel perfectly comfortable, is significantly larger. By the way, DownWool is only a few grams heavier than pure down and can still be packed just as small.
DownWool consists of 100% renewable natural raw materials and is manufactured without the use of chemicals in a purely mechanical process. DownWool production takes place near Regensburg in Bavaria. We also have almost all DownWool sleeping bags filled here.
The down complies with the Responsible Down Standard, which guarantees that Grüezi bag does not use down from live-plucking production. The wool comes from sheep that are kept in a species-appropriate manner in the Alps. Animal welfare is particularly important to Grüezi bag.
Products with DownWool insulation are easy to care for and machine washable. However, it is important that a down detergent is used when washing. After washing, the sleeping bag should be dried and aired thoroughly. Like any down sleeping bag, it may only be repackaged when it is 100% dry.
Down wool hybrid
In contrast to DownWool insulation, the DownWool Hybrid construction is not a mix of materials. With DownWool Hybrid Insulation, the down and wool are used separately in different chambers.
The DownWool Hybrid construction is used in the Grüezi bag winter and expedition sleeping bags with a required comfort temperature well below freezing point.
100% goose down is used in the body-hugging chambers. We also place a layer of alpine wool over these chambers. This means that the very well insulating down is covered by a layer of alpine wool.
This construction has the advantage that the moisture created in the sleeping bag does not condense and freeze on the outer material as usual, but is absorbed by the alpine wool and then released into the colder ambient air to the outside.
The main advantage is an excellent sleeping environment and that the down remains dry and fluffy and thus continues to provide very good insulation. And this even at temperatures well below -15°Celsius.
Alpine wool
Compared to down, wool keeps you warm even when damp. That's why we recommend our Alpine wool insulation especially for regions with increased humidity and for campers and motorhomes.
When making Grüezi bag clothing, alpine wool is used especially in areas where you sweat more, such as under the arms.
Due to the slightly higher material weight and lower insulation performance compared to down, products with pure alpine wool insulation above the freezing point are suitable.