For men, the Comfort Limit is the guide of most interest. The Carinthia Defence 4 is (EN 13537) rated down to -15°C. Extreme temperature: This is where a "standard woman" risks harm (health complications / damage) from hypothermia.

THERMOFLECT; Thermoflect increases the heat retention of a sleeping bag by around 11 %. Thermoflect is our solution to heat loss due to body radiation. Thermoflect is an ultra-light, ultra-soft, breathable scrim with the unique ability to reflect body-heat. Carinthia Defence 4 on valmistajansa suosituin sekä myydyin, erittäin suorituskykyinen ympärivuotiseen käyttöön soveltuva makuupussi. Makuupussia voi käyttää sellaisenaan tai yhdessä Carinthia Tropen-pussin kanssa. Defence 4 on todistetusti luotettava seuralainen kylmiin öihin luontoon tai lumiluolaan. Vetoketju on suojattu erillisellä läpällä, joka blokkaa tuulen sekä kosteuden. The Defence 4's Shellproof outer shell is made from lightweight, durable, ripstop-reinforced, PU coated polyamide (nylon) and is both windproof and to a degree, waterproof (with a hydrostatic head of 1000mm). Yet despite this impressive outer protection, the bag is surprisingly breathable.We don't recommend using this bag without some form of over-head shelter, as although it's practically waterproof, prolonged precipitation will overwhelm it. The situation is reminiscent of the MOLLE system, where the military embrace flexibility and efficiency because it's sensible and expedient to do so. One has to wonder why the outdoor industry aren't doing the same? (With my cynical hat on, I can hazard a guess). Differing from Carinthia's Defence series, the Tropen has a breathable Shelltrans outer layer. This keeps you comfortable when sleeping in warm weather. Use a tarp or tent to shield you from rain. As an inner bag, down is superb. If you can guarantee arid conditions (deserts, Himalayas, arctic etc.) then down is the way to go, but for the UK and northern Europe, not so much and you literally have to factor in a daily thermal performance loss for down in wet conditions (regardless of hydrophobic patches to an insoluble problem).

The Defence 4 may be Carinthia's best all-around sleeping bag. Designed for cold and nasty weather, it's no surprise that (among others) also the Finnish army adopted this very model! This here is a reliable choice, designed for very demanding use! The small face hole may take a little getting used to, but the benefit is that there is little space for warm air to escape from the sleeping bag. The Defence 4 was designed as a modular sleeping bag. Some time ago, the U.S. and NATO forces realised that modularity was the way to go*, no longer did they provide an Extreme Cold Weather ("arctic") option, instead they provided a 3 season bag that could host a lighter 2 season (patrol) bag inside it. Doubling up, extended the range of the 3 season bag down into extreme sub zero temperatures. This explains the relaxed mummy-shape of the bag, which is important when hosting a lighter bag inside, as you don't want the outer to overly compress the inner bag's insulation; this would reduce its warmth and thus defeat its purpose (this is precisely what would happen to additional insulation inside a bag like the well regarded Aurora III).

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Thermoflect, a very thin, very lightweight aluminum material that reflects body heat. Thermoflect raises the sleeping bag's heat-retaining capacity by about 11 %. Makuupussissa on kahteen suuntaan avautuva vetoketju. Ylempi avautuu liukumalla eikä jumitu - näin käyttäjä pääsee hyppäämään pussista ulos nopeasti tilanteen niin vaatiessa. Alempi toimii kuten normaalit vetoketjut, ja sen voi avata ventilaation lisäämiseksi. The footbox is larger than in many traditional mummy bags, partly because military personnel sometimes have to sleep in their boots, but also because the Defence 4 is designed to host a lighter bag inside it. The trapezoidal design prevents the feet from compressing the insulation, creating cold spots. It also provides room to store a shoe/boot bag or spare clothing. Erityinen G-LOFT ISO+ -tekokuiturakenne toimii samaan tyyliin kuin korkealaatuinen untuva. Valmistusmetodin ansiosta kuitu ei menetä muotoaan vaikka pussi olisikin säilössä kompressiopussissaan.

There are little details that might be interesting for the one or the other. For example the moskito net in the Carinthia Tropen. Or the different body sizes. The various British made Snugpak and various Carinthia models have little differences that can become important for a personal choice. Carinthia sleeping bags are not entirely PFC-free but do have the Oeko-Tex certificate, Standard 100. Measurements Temperature specification Tilavan jalkaosion ansiosta varpaat pysyvät lämpimänä, sekä päädyssä on tarpeeksi tilaa säilyttää esim. kengät tai extra vaatekerrasto. So that’s our Carinthia Defence 4 vs 6 spec comparison. Both are great sleeping bags – well made, roomy, warm and robust – much loved by those who already have one of them. Carinthia have been perfecting their products for many years – these guys know how to make good kit.The outer shell fits loosely over the bag innards, providing an extra insulating layer of air. This also eliminates heat loss due to seams combining the shell with the fillings. Overall this feature enhances the bag's performance considerably! Thermoflect increases the heat retention of a sleeping bag by around 11 %. Thermoflect is our solution to heat loss due to body radiation. Thermoflect is an ultra-light, ultra-soft, breathable scrim with the unique ability to reflect body-heat. G-Loft filling - Carinthia's own, in-house "hollow-fiber", made in Austria. Highly compressible, excellent weight-insulation ratio and also moisture resistant, meaning that it will work even under long-term use in damp conditions. The Defence 4 is a mummy style sleeping bag. That is to say it tapers down between the shoulders and the footbox to minimise dead space. A lot of mummy bags can feel quite restrictive. However, I found that this bag had the right balance of space to taper ratio. I am a side sleeper and I often feel like I am tangled up in a mummy bag, especially if I am using it with a bivvy bag. This wasn’t the case with the Carinthia. The two key features that helped here were the generous shoulder space and the trapezoidal footbox. The foot box is designed so that you can use the bag with your boots on. This gives you good freedom of movement when you are sleeping boots off. Also previously used the bag along with a bivvy in early spring, again ,could not fault the quality and warmth of this bag. Well worth the investment.

Construction is spot on with high quality fabrication and materials throughout. All of Carinthia’s products are manufactured in their own factories in Austria and Slovakia. Opinion I compare here a bit apples with pears, but if we talk about solo winter woodland camping, that's nevertheless a sensible thought.Fesca in Spain makes a lower quality licence version that's also issued to Dutch soldiers, the Brits have an own copy, but British soldiers seem to buy privately the Carinthia versions. This system will not be too relevant to those who venture out only when it's a nice day; but will likely be of interest to those who enjoy the challenge of enduring the unpleasant conditions that hostile environments visit upon them.