New sleeping bag for slumbering in the open air
17.6.2024
Translation: machine translated
With the new "Starhopper" sleeping bag, outdoor manufacturer Bach Equipment aims to make sleeping outdoors more comfortable. In addition to an integrated mosquito net, there are a number of other useful details. Bach received an ISPO Outdoor Award for the sleeping bag.
It sounds like adventure and campfire romance: simply pack your sleeping bag and slumber under the stars. Without a tent, tarp or other protection. You doze off in the middle of nature. Then you hear it: the piercing, buzzing sound. The mosquitoes not only rob you of your sleep, but also your last nerve.
The sleeping bag for dry nights offers mosquito protection
To solve this problem, the outdoor manufacturer Bach, a Swiss company with Irish roots, has developed the "Starhopper". The sleeping bag is made for dry nights when the temperature does not drop below five degrees. An integrated mosquito net protects you from the buzzing little bloodsuckers.
The mosquito net has an inflatable, lightweight frame that keeps the transparent, fine-meshed net away from your face. If you don't need the net, you can stow it away in the pocket sewn into the sleeping bag.
Freedom of movement thanks to the ventilation slits
In addition, the open-air duvet has ventilation slits that also prevent insects from entering through netting. If you want to stick your hands out of the sleeping bag through the side openings, for example to hold a cup of coffee or a book, you can unzip the mesh insert.
Source: Siri Schubert
The "Starhopper" can be opened at the foot end so that you can walk around with it. This turns the sleeping bag into an over-dimensioned thermal coat. The filling consists of synthetic "Primaloft Insulation", the outer material is wind-repellent 20D nylon ripstop.
Julien Gautier, Product Manager at Bach, sleeps outdoors a lot himself, as he told me at the outdoor trade fair. He was also the one who came up with the idea for the sleeping bag. His need for quiet nights without buzzing pests and wind chill were the cornerstones of the development. His team colleague, Product Developer Laure Ooink, specialises in functional textiles and selected the fabrics with the desired insulation, light weight and protection from the wind.
ISPO jury recognised well thought-out details and feedback process
In awarding the prize, the ISPO jury emphasised the fact that the development team not only relied on its own experience, but also gathered feedback from the relevant target group. Outdoor enthusiasts tried out the "Starhopper" at various stages of development and made suggestions. This process resulted in the practical details.
Like many of the products presented at the ISPO outdoor trade fair, the sleeping bag is not yet available. It will be on the market in 2025. But if you don't want to wait that long, you can already find a wide range of outdoor equipment from the Bach Equipment brand here, such as this rucksack, this sleeping pad with removable seat cushion or this tent.
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Header image: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.