Salewa launches world's first heated sleeping bag

Gear news

17 July 2008 08:40

Salewa says its research reveal one main cause of dissatisfaction of women campers - they're too cold. And boy have they acted on the findings. (Reporting from Friedrichshafen in Germany at the 2008 OutDoor show.)

The Hot Flex Donna (Donna's Italian for woman, apparently) has a centrally-heated foot section powered by a Thermic battery (sold separately) originally designed to heat up ski-boots. It'll cost around 200 Euros when it hits shops next year, and not much less in pounds, as soon as a new UK distributor is announced imminently. Salewa says six months after launch it plans to sell the heated section (basically a knee-lenght mini sleeping bag with a heating element) separately for around 50 Euros, allowing any bag to be converted into a centrally-heated one. Another addition to the range is the Open Flex (150 Euros), which has apertures for the arms and legs, so chilly women campers can still take an active part in camp life after sundown without freeying their butts off.