Mountain Equipment sleeping bags have been used on expeditions to the worlds highest peaks for the last 50 years so they have a wealth of experience which translates into their range today. The brand new for 2016 Glacier SL 600 is a high performance Superlight (SL...get it) down bag with a water resistant outer making it perfect for mountaineering and trekking in freezing and wet conditions and will cope with sub-zero temperatures and nasty weather. The Glacier SL is a hybrid of M.E's ultra-lightweight Helium bags and the classic Glacier bags and they have been developed through experience and exacting testing in the worlds most hostile environments. This Extra Long version is perfect for taller users who would otherwise struggle to fit in a regular length bag.
The Glacier SL 600 Extra Long packs in a bit more down to fill the extra space and has a 650g fill weight and 725 fill power. Mountain Equipment use Down 725 in the Glacier SL, this is a premium duck down from the very cold North East of China and is collected from ducks that live a truly free-range existence. The birds are sold when they no longer produce eggs or when the market price for eggs drops below the break-even point. The birds are normally around 700 days old when slaughtered, they are then plucked and the down is shipped to the processing plant for cleaning and grading. Because these ducks are older and have lived in a free-range environment and a cold climate the down they produce is of an exceptionally high quality. All Mountain Equipment bags adhere to the Down Codex, a scheme that was developed to ensure that both animal welfare and down quality were put firmly at the heart of each and every one of M.E's down products. The Down Codex is a completely transparent and auditable system to ensure that:
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The down used does not come from birds which have been live plucked or live harvested
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The down used does not come from birds which have been force-fed
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The down used should be from birds which have raised in good conditions and to high standards of animal welfare
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The down used should be a by-product of the meat industry and come from birds which have been humanely slaughtered.
Each down product is marked with a 12 digit code that can be entered at the Down Codex website to gain access to the specific information relating to the down source of that product, go to http://www.thedownproject.me.uk/index.php to find out more about how M.E have become the only brand to go beyond accepting written guarantees from down suppliers and to make their audit results and independent quality reports publicly available.
All this ethically produced and high quality down is encapsulated in DRILITE loft II fabric which is exceptionally light and water resistant with a hydrostatic head of 1500mm to protect the down from moisture ingress. A series of technical baffles ensure that the down stays where its needed to achieve the optimum insulation according to the needs of the user. Slanted box wall construction provides a superlight structure with excellent stability and control, each baffle has lightweight 30g baffle walls for maximum loft and minimum weight and bulk whilst the foot area uses 4 trapezoid baffles with Bullseye technology to surround your feet with warmth and to minimise weight.
A high percentage of your body heat is lost through your head so Mountain Equipment have used their lightweight DC5 hood which uses 5 baffles to create a truly anatomical shape to surround your head with luxurious warmth. To further reduce weight and bulk M.E have used the Solus Collar system that provides insulation around your shoulders and neck and features a down filled draft tubes to lock in the heat and keep out the drafts.
Supersoft 20 fabric is used for the lining as it is exceptionally lightweight, highly breathable, down proof and durable.
No matter how much technology you build into a bag its fundamental shape is critical, if a bag is just too big and baggy it will be inefficient so M.E have used their Mountain Fit for the Glacier SL that has a semi-tapered profile that combines excellent thermal efficiency with comfort for all-round mountain use.
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High quality and ethically sourced Down 725
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Down Codex
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DRILITE loft II outer fabric
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Supersoft 20 inner fabric
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DC5 Hood design
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Solus collar
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3/4 length left hand zip
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Supplied with a lightweight stuffsack and mesh storage bag