Gruezi Bag Biopod DownWool Ice Sleeping Bag

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The “Biopod DownWool Ice” sleeping bag is the ideal companion for trekking, camping, and mountain tours down to freezing temperatures, or as a 3-season sleeping bag for those who get cold easily.

Grüezi Bag says: 

What sets this sleeping bag apart is its innovative insulation. In a DownWool® sleeping bag, you’ll quickly notice that you won’t feel too cold or too warm. It creates a dry body climate and evens out temperature fluctuations.

This is achieved through the innovative combination of natural materials, down, and wool. This patented combination acts like a lightweight and natural air conditioning system. The DownWool® sleeping bag from Grüezi bag® offers significant advantages over pure down or synthetic sleeping bags:

Nothing insulates as effectively as high-quality down because down has a very high insulation capacity with low weight.

· However, down insulates only when it’s dry and fluffy. In increasing moisture, the fine branches of down collapse, causing it to clump and significantly reduce its insulating ability. Often, chemical treatments are used to make down water-repellent. DownWool® eliminates the need for this by adding wool, which naturally keeps down drier and thus preserves its insulating effect.

· Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture through its capillaries and then release it to the outside, preventing evaporative cooling. This ensures effective moisture regulation and temperature control. Even when wet, wool retains its insulating properties like no other material. Wool naturally creates a comfortable microclimate due to its unique climate-balancing properties. Additionally, wool neutralizes unpleasant sweat odors.

· Thanks to the unique properties of DownWool® insulation, your body can save some of the energy-consuming work of regulating body temperature. The saved energy is available for recovery during sleep.

The result is excellent insulation and a broad temperature range where you can feel comfortable and sleep well, making DownWool® sleeping bags from Grüezi bag® popular for various purposes.

Our Verdict

The Grüezi Bag Biopod DownWool Ice sleeping bag is a versatile and innovative bag designed for camping, trekking, and mountaineering in cold weather. Its DownWool insulation, a blend of down and wool, provides superior warmth when dry and effectively regulate temperature. This insulation prevents the down from clumping when moisture is present, thus maintaining its insulating capabilities.

The down offers exceptional warmth, while the wool wicks moisture away from the down clusters, preventing them from collapsing and losing loft. Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in vapour without feeling wet, keeping the down drier for sustained insulation, especially in humid environments or when using a bivi bag.

Grüezi bags areover stuffed with down, they also provide more internal space than traditional bags, allowing for comfortable movement and a cosy, warm experience.

At the same time, wool has inherent temperature-regulating abilities, as anyone who uses merino wool can attest. It can release absorbed moisture to prevent overheating and evaporative cooling of the body. This more comprehensive, comfortable temperature range makes you less likely to wake up shivering or sweating.

Beyond the insulation, the Grüezi bag® is meticulously designed. The adjustable contoured hood and collar prevent heat loss. An anti-snag zipper allows easy opening from inside or out, and the zip can be opened from the bottom as well as the top, which helps with ventilation. The pre-formed foot box gives your feet ample space.

– Reviewed by Basecamp Gear

Features

• Pillow pocket: Slide, for example, a fleece jacket into the pillow pocket for a non-slip pillow.
• Adjustable hood with face baffle: The warmth collar fits perfectly to the shape of your head. When it’s cold, only a small face hole remains open, reducing heat loss.
• 3D warmth collar: Automatically closes in the zipper area, preventing cold spots in the zipper region.
• Drawstring pocket: To securely store the drawstring at the warmth collar without it getting in the way.
• Interior & exterior pockets: For valuables and items you’d like to keep close.
• Two-way auto-lock zipper: The zipper can be opened and closed from both ends and from the inside and outside. The auto-lock feature prevents unintentional opening.
• White zipper: To help you find the zipper more easily in the dark.
• Zipper with anti-snag zipper and reinforced ribbon: Allows for easier operation of the zipper without catching the outer fabric.
• Zipper with reinforced zipper cover: Prevents heat from escaping and the creation of cold spots.
• Foot ventilation system: The innovative zipper placement allows feet to be placed comfortably on top of the sleeping bag, and excess heat can escape.
• Pre-formed foot box: Provides enough space within the sleeping bag to keep your toes upright.
• Feater loops: A heating hip bag with a heating element (Feater – The Feet Heater) can be additionally installed.
• Chamber construction: H-chambers, V-shaped (on the top), pre-formed foot area with multiple chambers.
• Package includes: Sleeping bag, compression stuff sack, storage bag.

Specifications

Temperature Rating

Temperature range according to EN 2353

• Comfort: -1°C (30°F)
• Comfort Limit: -8°C (18°F)
• Extreme: -26°C (-14°F)

Regular Specs

• Weight: 1550g (excludes storage bags)
  
• Size: Mummy sleeping bag with dimensions of 215 x 80 x 50 cm (suitable for a height of 176 cm to 190 cm for normal body types. For individuals with broader statures, the larger sleeping bag variant is recommended starting from 185 cm height).
• Packed size: 22 x 38 cm, compressed 23 x 25 cm.
• Pack volume: 14 liters, compressed 10 liters.

Long Specs

• Weight: 1778g (excludes storage bags)
  
• Size: Mummy sleeping bag with dimensions of 230 x 85 x 60 cm (suitable for individuals with a height between 185 cm and approximately 200 cm with a normal build.)
• Packed size: 23 x 39 cm, compressed Ø 24 x 26 cm
• Pack volume: 16 liters, compressed 11 liters.

Material & Construction

• Outer and inner fabric: Ultra-light, durable, and recycled 20 denier 380T nylon (100% polyamide), which feels incredibly soft, supple, and silky on the skin. This is achieved by pulling the fabric over hot rollers to narrow the pores, making it downproof and impervious to clothes moths while remaining naturally breathable without the usual plastic coating. The pores do not clog, neither due to the biobased BeSoDRY-ECO impregnation nor the sustainable BEMACRON dyes. The outer material is windproof and highly water-repellent.
• Insulation: 786g DownWool® consisting of 70% down (90/10 with a fill power of at least 650 cuin) and 30% mechanically refined wool.
• Material composition: Shell 100% polyamide, filling 70% down/30% wool – contains non-textile parts of animal origin.
• RDS-certified down (RDS CU 859743), mulesing-free European sheep wool.
• OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification for all materials used. This label for textiles tested for harmful substances guarantees that the product is safe for health.
• PFC-free: No perfluorinated chemicals are used
• The sleeping bags are equipped with a permanent water-repellent impregnation based on biobased raw materials (BeSoDRY-ECO).
• Colors: Selected BEMACRON dyes from the CHT Group are used. They are non-toxic for nature and meet both Cradle to Cradle requirements and the bluesign® standard.
• Recycled fabrics.

Help & advice:

• The Ultimate Guide to Lightweight Sleeping Bags
• Time-Saver Guide to Choosing a Sleeping Bag
• About Gruezi Bag and DownWool® Sleeping Bags
• The EN13537 Standard
• All About Down