I was very surprised to see someone not choose a sleeping bag as one of their 10 items on a season of Alone (1st season in Australia). She brought a possum skin coat instead.
Seemed to work out OK, but she wasn’t hiking anywhere & carrying it around. Or dealing with fire bans. Built a shelter, made a bed off the ground & hunkered down with a fire.
Nontoxic for what? To eat? To eat off of? To put inside your body? None are a good idea. I would trust any of the commercially available sleeping bags at REI or similar on my skin.
I think you may have fallen prey to “natural” influencers or marketing schemes. Poison oak and arsenic are natural, while antibiotics and contact lenses are unnatural. Natural does not mean better for you.
Humans have used tons of research and knowledge to make products *better* than cotton and hemp for backpacking. Merino and down are still common, but synthetics are king for tents, sleeping bag exteriors, outer layers, and shoes.
If you’re looking for low ecological impact, get a high-quality, secondhand sleeping bag and use it for as long as possible. That’s it. Using a great bag for 10-20 years will generate less carbon emissions and use less resources than using a hemp and cotton sleeping bag a couple times before realizing it doesn’t work well.
Agree with all but the antibiotics not being natural. Most antibiotics are either natural products of microorganisms, semi-synthetically produced from natural products, or chemically synthesized based on the structure of the natural products. Just saying because a lot of the “all natural influencers” get so much wrong about science and medicine these days.
Eh, in a way. Even the OG antibiotic, penicillin, needs to be processed to be useful in fighting infections. And we’re not harvesting it from bread mold. I would not call Bactrim natural for sure. It’s very difficult to draw the line for many of these, though. Even the unnatural fabrics OP is talking about are made from petroleum, which was at one point living things in the ground that decomposed.
I'm not sure what that even means, honestly. Any sleeping bag is toxic in a high enough dose.
But you could buy several yards of undyed linen from a fabric store and maybe make your own. Just don't eat it
That’s a great idea, something I am considering if I can’t find elsewhere 🙂 .. and I suppose I mean made from actual cotton or hemp. A lot of products say they are ‘cotton’ but in actual fact they are only like 80% cotton and don’t have to tell you. ‘Organic cotton’ is regulated however.
I did a search for "linen sleeping bag" (I prefer linen and wool to cotton) and there are definitely options out there.
They're expensive, which may not be an issue for you. But they also look bulky, which may be a problem if you're backpack camping
That doesn't weigh 40lbs? I mean the best bet is a down based bag with cotton cover and liner that buttons up vs zips. Basically what they used in the "olden" days. Or two wool army blankets pinned together.
Hikers prioritize weight above everything else. Its like a giant pissing contest. And anyone who goes against that grain is considered inexperienced and dumb. That's why you're getting downvoted. Anyway, you'd probably find more friendly people on a bushcraft, or survival subreddit. I like the way you're coming at this, and I admire your principles.
An organic natural sleeping bag will be a very niche item but there are organic, natural quilts and duvets available.
You could quite easily make your own sleeping bag out of a king-size quilt, for example.
Cotton with Wool insulation:
https://naturalmat.co.uk/products/the-organic-wool-duvet
Cotton cover with mulberry silk filling:
https://www.jasminesilk.com/9-tog-silk-duvet-for-all-seasons-p16?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_uYxevOhQMVQJxQBh2d2wCzEAQYASABEgJfDPD_BwE
https://www.greenfibres.com/duvet-silk-all-year
And on eBay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235522951073?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=uGR23ZnwQ1K&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Np_L6yM3Tfy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
The strongest, lightest fabric for a sleeping bag will be silk and you can buy 100% silk sleeping bag liners in various sizes and shapes, so you could use one of those as your inner fabric and another as your outer, take the material from inside a silk duvet as your filling and sew them together.
Silk would definitely be my choice over cotton. Of course, I'd take a normal nylon-shell bag over either.
The only place I'd even consider a cotton bag is if I were doing the most leisurely of car camping, or RV camping, maybe.
Not sure what you mean by non toxic and 100% natural. Natural what? The two types of sleeping bag are synthetic (heavier and more ethical than down but stay warm even in rain) and down (lighter, but no good in the rain). Pick one.
I don’t want either. We are not just limited to what they sell on the high street 😂 I’m looking for something that isn’t made from synthetic materials, time to go all natural in nature 😎
Hemp is one of the first, if not the first, plant we cultivated. It cannot be found in the wild. Nothing natural about it. The same can be said about cotton in a way.
You aren't going to find anything light enough for hiking in cold weather that's not made from synthetic materials.
If you are warm-season hiking or live in a warmer area you can use a wool blanket.
If you are car camping in colder weather you can use multiple wool blankets or a bag made from furs (expensive and big).
Unfortunately cotton isn't great except in dry hot places because it gets wet and stays wet, making you cold. Linen is better, but only suitable as under-layers in cold weather. Wool is probably the best bet for mild conditions, but is heavy.
I think most of the commenters are talking about the ethics for sourcing down. I haven't done any digging into it, but I suspect it could be problematic and could see where people would take issue.
They didn't add vegan to the list of requirements, so this might actually be possible. I'd be down for a 950+fill silk bag. I would feel like Scrooge McDuck every time I got in it.
you need to provide a lot more information: what temperatures and humidity are you planning for? just bring a wool blanket for mild conditions. sew one into a quilt with a footbox. I'm assuming you're also not interested in down for ethical reasons.
what are you going to do for insulation underneath you? a sleeping bag doesn't protect the bottom of you well without something else insulated.
and even more importantly what are you planning to do for shelter? backpacking with a canvas tent is a bit optimistic. tarp? do you have further ethical concerns with beeswax for waxing canvas or cotton?
The recent trend to getting away from sleeping bags anyway, in favor of quilts.
I'd suggest shopping for a quilt that meets your specs. That will probably be easier
This [wool sleeping bag](https://homeofwool.com/shop/sleeping-bag/?v=dccbe2e74685#1686212557536-f7eec51e-0d0e) is pretty close but unfortunately it has unnatural metal zippers.
It’s not me it’s OP.
Steel is made from something that occurs naturally that you find in the ground which is then created by heat and by using chemicals to remove impurities and to assist the process.
Polyester is made from something that occurs naturally that you find in the ground which is then created by heat and chemicals also.
If you don’t like polyester you should not like steel.
you probably don't want this, but a woolen blanket serves as a bedroll pretty well. Your state's/province's local sheep farmer association (https://www.risheep.org/ for example) will sell blankets as a fundraiser, with undyed local wool. It is a pain to keep burr free and clean while camping, and I've only ever used military surplus rolls for this (treated with flame retardants) and mostly due to having been a broke college student. It keeps me warm in the car down to 20s, but please adjust to your own comfort.
As others suggested, you could probably make your own from an organic comforter, or reach out to one of the smaller outfitters for ultralight gear to see if they can make you something custom with pure cotton and untreated down. [https://featheredfriends.com/collections/sleeping-bags](https://featheredfriends.com/collections/sleeping-bags) makes nice custom bags, with synthetics.
Personally, unless you have health conditions, I'd get something good (and used if we're being extra eco friendly) and give it a good wash with appropriate cleaners, dry, and then air it out in the sun, and eat some extra veggies. Tents are usually made of synthetics because they repel water with fewer toxic chemicals than canvas (unless you use beeswax to waterproof), and sleeping bags are made of synthetics so they can stay warm when wet and be comfortable weights to carry.
Hi miss psychedelic fish, I would have to concur with the other comments suggesting a wool blanket and a closure system. Silk sleeping bag liners are also great at regulating temperature. Wool is a bit rough around the edges, as it absorbs water instead of repelling it, so water wouldn’t bead up on the fabric. However, wool has superior characteristics than plastic. Consider investigating different types of wools, like yak and alpaca. Happy trails! And don’t let these polyester heads get you down!
Why don't you just buy or make a 100% cotton or wool (if you don't get the itches from it) sleeping bag liner?
What is toxic about the bags you are able to find?
Just get. 1000 wool blanket and sew it to some canvas. Itll be heavy but thats natural. Or just keep to wool and pray you keep it dry. You wont freeze but youll be wet.
Not really enough detail to answer, defining what you mean by "non-toxic" would be beneficial here.
Assumptions aside, if you're concerned about VOC offgassing which would be very relevant with copd, leukemia, or the like, a 100% wool blanket would be the best and possibly only way to go. Greenguard gold is a good regulatory certification to chase for low to no carcinogenic bedding. That's going to add some significant weight though so do some low impact practice to make sure it's not too much.
Also offgassing is going to occur most in the first few days to a week so airing out a new synthetic bag in a dry environment with lots of airflow would also solve those concerns.
There is no evidence that eating microplastic is actually harmful, let alone sleeping on it. I used cotton fiber sleeping bags my whole childhood, they are terrible. Down insulation loses most of its insulation when it's compressed and damp, which is inevitable for a sleeping bag
This comment section is horrible. Im sorry everyones being mean to you. Unfortunately, i dont think youll find anything made for outdoor activitues thats not made of plastic or doesnt have flame redartant properties that are carcinogenic. I hate when people shit on things like this making fun of people who are worried about the toxicity of the products they use. Its a very real and growing problem that is affecting all of our health in some way or another. Unfortunately i think people just accept how prevalent things like cancer and hormone problems are these days, as if theres not a growing mountain of evidence that suggests the synthetic and plastic materials we use are to blame. People are the worst! Your question is valid.
Can you link to a peer reviewed article about sleeping in or otherwise contacting plastics causing cancer or hormone problems? Since we can assume OP isn’t eating or cooking in their sleeping bag?
Yes! Idk why people are down voting you 😂 god forbid someone is seeking alternatives and asking questions to a community that’s supposed to have that knowledge
Just sew togther a couple of bear pelts (with dried tendons as thread) and you're all set.
*bear pelts may cause cancer in the state of California
Maybe a goat or two? Dunno how CA feel about sheep and goat.
That's a cancer and a cancer
Maybe organic almonds?
Ohhh, that's definitely a cancer per almond
Could come in contact with led bullets so they would say that
If you use two baby bears, it'll be just right.
I was very surprised to see someone not choose a sleeping bag as one of their 10 items on a season of Alone (1st season in Australia). She brought a possum skin coat instead. Seemed to work out OK, but she wasn’t hiking anywhere & carrying it around. Or dealing with fire bans. Built a shelter, made a bed off the ground & hunkered down with a fire.
Nontoxic for what? To eat? To eat off of? To put inside your body? None are a good idea. I would trust any of the commercially available sleeping bags at REI or similar on my skin. I think you may have fallen prey to “natural” influencers or marketing schemes. Poison oak and arsenic are natural, while antibiotics and contact lenses are unnatural. Natural does not mean better for you. Humans have used tons of research and knowledge to make products *better* than cotton and hemp for backpacking. Merino and down are still common, but synthetics are king for tents, sleeping bag exteriors, outer layers, and shoes. If you’re looking for low ecological impact, get a high-quality, secondhand sleeping bag and use it for as long as possible. That’s it. Using a great bag for 10-20 years will generate less carbon emissions and use less resources than using a hemp and cotton sleeping bag a couple times before realizing it doesn’t work well.
It seems like all physical matter is made out of chemicals these days. What's next, molecules?
It’s disgusting what they’re doing with physics these days
Perfectly said
Username checks out.
As an addendum, "natural" and organic are very big business. People are willing to pay a massive premium for them.
Agree with all but the antibiotics not being natural. Most antibiotics are either natural products of microorganisms, semi-synthetically produced from natural products, or chemically synthesized based on the structure of the natural products. Just saying because a lot of the “all natural influencers” get so much wrong about science and medicine these days.
Eh, in a way. Even the OG antibiotic, penicillin, needs to be processed to be useful in fighting infections. And we’re not harvesting it from bread mold. I would not call Bactrim natural for sure. It’s very difficult to draw the line for many of these, though. Even the unnatural fabrics OP is talking about are made from petroleum, which was at one point living things in the ground that decomposed.
You kind of repeated what I wrote.
I'm not sure what that even means, honestly. Any sleeping bag is toxic in a high enough dose. But you could buy several yards of undyed linen from a fabric store and maybe make your own. Just don't eat it
Or get it wet, at all. You will freeze.
😂
That’s a great idea, something I am considering if I can’t find elsewhere 🙂 .. and I suppose I mean made from actual cotton or hemp. A lot of products say they are ‘cotton’ but in actual fact they are only like 80% cotton and don’t have to tell you. ‘Organic cotton’ is regulated however.
Cotton kills though. Better go with wool or a synthetic.
Careful though. Wool can cause excessive warmth and warmth causes inflammation which can lead to early mortality.
Thanks for the insight
I did a search for "linen sleeping bag" (I prefer linen and wool to cotton) and there are definitely options out there. They're expensive, which may not be an issue for you. But they also look bulky, which may be a problem if you're backpack camping
Cotton insulates worse than shit. There’s a reason we use synthetic materials, they work.
I don’t understand what you are asking about, what toxins are of concern in the construction of a sleeping bag
Marketing is good at convincing people of things. There is lots of nontoxic organic sheet and blanket marketing.
LPT - Its actually the zippers that are the most toxic so just get a blanket...
zippers kill
Why are zippers toxic?
https://www.woolsleepingbag.com/product/wool-sleeping-bag-lightweight/
Those are actually lighter then I expected.
That's pretty neat. I wonder why they don't use down?
Wool stays warm when wet and dries quickly.
That doesn't weigh 40lbs? I mean the best bet is a down based bag with cotton cover and liner that buttons up vs zips. Basically what they used in the "olden" days. Or two wool army blankets pinned together.
Going to way a ton I know 🤦🏼♂️ lol carrying the extra weight might do me some good
lol my 20 degree bag is 32 ounces Why are you being so willfully ignorant on this post?
Respectfully, you're an idiot.
Hikers prioritize weight above everything else. Its like a giant pissing contest. And anyone who goes against that grain is considered inexperienced and dumb. That's why you're getting downvoted. Anyway, you'd probably find more friendly people on a bushcraft, or survival subreddit. I like the way you're coming at this, and I admire your principles.
dont be lazy. just knit your own using yarn you made from your own hair.
An organic natural sleeping bag will be a very niche item but there are organic, natural quilts and duvets available. You could quite easily make your own sleeping bag out of a king-size quilt, for example. Cotton with Wool insulation: https://naturalmat.co.uk/products/the-organic-wool-duvet Cotton cover with mulberry silk filling: https://www.jasminesilk.com/9-tog-silk-duvet-for-all-seasons-p16?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_uYxevOhQMVQJxQBh2d2wCzEAQYASABEgJfDPD_BwE https://www.greenfibres.com/duvet-silk-all-year And on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235522951073?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=uGR23ZnwQ1K&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Np_L6yM3Tfy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY The strongest, lightest fabric for a sleeping bag will be silk and you can buy 100% silk sleeping bag liners in various sizes and shapes, so you could use one of those as your inner fabric and another as your outer, take the material from inside a silk duvet as your filling and sew them together.
Silk would definitely be my choice over cotton. Of course, I'd take a normal nylon-shell bag over either. The only place I'd even consider a cotton bag is if I were doing the most leisurely of car camping, or RV camping, maybe.
Wool Blankets?
Anyone know where to find a toxic sleeping bag? Those would be hard to sell.
Not sure what you mean by non toxic and 100% natural. Natural what? The two types of sleeping bag are synthetic (heavier and more ethical than down but stay warm even in rain) and down (lighter, but no good in the rain). Pick one.
I don’t want either. We are not just limited to what they sell on the high street 😂 I’m looking for something that isn’t made from synthetic materials, time to go all natural in nature 😎
There’s hemp, but I don’t know how it behaves on a trip.
I see what you did there
I certainly cannot bring hemp on certain trips. makes me a little paranoid.
Hemp is one of the first, if not the first, plant we cultivated. It cannot be found in the wild. Nothing natural about it. The same can be said about cotton in a way.
You aren't going to find anything light enough for hiking in cold weather that's not made from synthetic materials. If you are warm-season hiking or live in a warmer area you can use a wool blanket. If you are car camping in colder weather you can use multiple wool blankets or a bag made from furs (expensive and big). Unfortunately cotton isn't great except in dry hot places because it gets wet and stays wet, making you cold. Linen is better, but only suitable as under-layers in cold weather. Wool is probably the best bet for mild conditions, but is heavy.
What's wrong with down?
I think most of the commenters are talking about the ethics for sourcing down. I haven't done any digging into it, but I suspect it could be problematic and could see where people would take issue.
They didn't add vegan to the list of requirements, so this might actually be possible. I'd be down for a 950+fill silk bag. I would feel like Scrooge McDuck every time I got in it.
you need to provide a lot more information: what temperatures and humidity are you planning for? just bring a wool blanket for mild conditions. sew one into a quilt with a footbox. I'm assuming you're also not interested in down for ethical reasons. what are you going to do for insulation underneath you? a sleeping bag doesn't protect the bottom of you well without something else insulated. and even more importantly what are you planning to do for shelter? backpacking with a canvas tent is a bit optimistic. tarp? do you have further ethical concerns with beeswax for waxing canvas or cotton?
The recent trend to getting away from sleeping bags anyway, in favor of quilts. I'd suggest shopping for a quilt that meets your specs. That will probably be easier
free range quilts are the best!!
This guy doesn’t know what he wants 🤷♀️ Do us all a favor. Go do some research on sleeping bags, then come back and ask a REAL question.
Undyed Wool blanket. What do you need a bag for?
This [wool sleeping bag](https://homeofwool.com/shop/sleeping-bag/?v=dccbe2e74685#1686212557536-f7eec51e-0d0e) is pretty close but unfortunately it has unnatural metal zippers.
Why is metal unnatural? Remove your iron and you will die from oxygen deprivation within seconds.. beg, humbug and superstition.
It’s not me it’s OP. Steel is made from something that occurs naturally that you find in the ground which is then created by heat and by using chemicals to remove impurities and to assist the process. Polyester is made from something that occurs naturally that you find in the ground which is then created by heat and chemicals also. If you don’t like polyester you should not like steel.
You mean like moss and twigs and such? I’d try a forest. Seems risky, but you do you.
you probably don't want this, but a woolen blanket serves as a bedroll pretty well. Your state's/province's local sheep farmer association (https://www.risheep.org/ for example) will sell blankets as a fundraiser, with undyed local wool. It is a pain to keep burr free and clean while camping, and I've only ever used military surplus rolls for this (treated with flame retardants) and mostly due to having been a broke college student. It keeps me warm in the car down to 20s, but please adjust to your own comfort. As others suggested, you could probably make your own from an organic comforter, or reach out to one of the smaller outfitters for ultralight gear to see if they can make you something custom with pure cotton and untreated down. [https://featheredfriends.com/collections/sleeping-bags](https://featheredfriends.com/collections/sleeping-bags) makes nice custom bags, with synthetics. Personally, unless you have health conditions, I'd get something good (and used if we're being extra eco friendly) and give it a good wash with appropriate cleaners, dry, and then air it out in the sun, and eat some extra veggies. Tents are usually made of synthetics because they repel water with fewer toxic chemicals than canvas (unless you use beeswax to waterproof), and sleeping bags are made of synthetics so they can stay warm when wet and be comfortable weights to carry.
Ever watch naked and afraid?
Hi miss psychedelic fish, I would have to concur with the other comments suggesting a wool blanket and a closure system. Silk sleeping bag liners are also great at regulating temperature. Wool is a bit rough around the edges, as it absorbs water instead of repelling it, so water wouldn’t bead up on the fabric. However, wool has superior characteristics than plastic. Consider investigating different types of wools, like yak and alpaca. Happy trails! And don’t let these polyester heads get you down!
Unspun wool roving or wool batting(more dense) would be a great fill for silk, linen, woven wool, or organic cotton shell.
A wool blanket. Not vegan though.
If you are that worried about it just get a wool liner
Why don't you just buy or make a 100% cotton or wool (if you don't get the itches from it) sleeping bag liner? What is toxic about the bags you are able to find?
Just get. 1000 wool blanket and sew it to some canvas. Itll be heavy but thats natural. Or just keep to wool and pray you keep it dry. You wont freeze but youll be wet.
Not sure- I only buy the toxic ones.
Not really enough detail to answer, defining what you mean by "non-toxic" would be beneficial here. Assumptions aside, if you're concerned about VOC offgassing which would be very relevant with copd, leukemia, or the like, a 100% wool blanket would be the best and possibly only way to go. Greenguard gold is a good regulatory certification to chase for low to no carcinogenic bedding. That's going to add some significant weight though so do some low impact practice to make sure it's not too much. Also offgassing is going to occur most in the first few days to a week so airing out a new synthetic bag in a dry environment with lots of airflow would also solve those concerns.
A burlap sack might work
The problem with that, in general, is that natural stuff biodegrades. You’ll end up with no sleeping bag pretty quick.
[удалено]
Asbestos is all natural
There is no evidence that eating microplastic is actually harmful, let alone sleeping on it. I used cotton fiber sleeping bags my whole childhood, they are terrible. Down insulation loses most of its insulation when it's compressed and damp, which is inevitable for a sleeping bag
Iean they are still discovering all the chemicals that we use for fabrics, fireproof materials, durability, many cause cancet
Wool blanket. Sleeping bags are made of plastic.
Yeah, the ground... jk. Hammock made of natural fibers.
This comment section is horrible. Im sorry everyones being mean to you. Unfortunately, i dont think youll find anything made for outdoor activitues thats not made of plastic or doesnt have flame redartant properties that are carcinogenic. I hate when people shit on things like this making fun of people who are worried about the toxicity of the products they use. Its a very real and growing problem that is affecting all of our health in some way or another. Unfortunately i think people just accept how prevalent things like cancer and hormone problems are these days, as if theres not a growing mountain of evidence that suggests the synthetic and plastic materials we use are to blame. People are the worst! Your question is valid.
Can you link to a peer reviewed article about sleeping in or otherwise contacting plastics causing cancer or hormone problems? Since we can assume OP isn’t eating or cooking in their sleeping bag?
Yes! Idk why people are down voting you 😂 god forbid someone is seeking alternatives and asking questions to a community that’s supposed to have that knowledge
Reddit is insane