Do you think there is any functional (thermal) difference in terms of color? I can see where black on at least one side of a bag/quilt would be beneficial for drying it in the sun. I seem to remember reading something Ray Jardine wrote about radiant heat loss and colors. I'll have to check my old Beyond Backpacking book, but I am curious as to what people here think. My gut feeling is that it probably doesn't make a noticeable difference in the field if at all.

Jeff

Black - much better drying in the sun than lighter colors - I have a white sleeping bag that doesn't dry nearly as well

Losing heat at night? Good question. Probably not as much difference.

Edited by retiredjerry on 05/05/2012 16:17:35 MDT.

I believe MLD says they use all black fabric for faster drying.

Like Jerry, I doubt it would matter too much for radiant heat loss. If it did, it seems black should lose heat more rapidly, not less. (At least, if I recall my Environmental Controls classes correctly).

David,

I checked and that is what Jardine had said. Black should lose more heat. Whether this is negligible is up for debate.

Jeff

Ok I'm a little confused. Are we saying that the color white "gains more heat" since black looses more heat? On a hot summer day, A roof with white shingles can lower the temperature of the attic below it by 20 to 40 degrees, compared to a black shingle roof.
Darker (or lower emmisive) colors allow for more radiant energy to be absorbed while higher emmisive colors (like white) bounce the energy back. The analogy of color gaining or loosing heat is misleading, in my opinion.
Sleeping bags are about reducing conductive and convective heat transfer while desperately trying to be vapor permeable (and of course to be comfy!) In the grand scheme, color will not make any thermal difference other than help it dry out faster.

I use a black quilt, mostly for faster drying. I don't think there's a meaningful difference in warmth....I tried to write a longer explanation than this but it just comes out confusing to read and long winded.

Matt,

Yes black absorbs a lot more of the suns heat than white does, hence your roof analogy. This is what makes a black quilt faster drying.

The discussion on warmth is referring to the night time when the sun is gone. Then it's a discussion of how easily heat radiates from a fabric, but I think you could make a good case that this radiation is tiny to begin with (ie. conduction is way more significant) and then the different in radiation between colors is small, so the total different is really small.

Another thread goes into detail about heat gain/heat loss according to surface "color": http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=57444&skip_to_post=488842

My take-away was this: "Black" surfaces both gain *and* lose heat more rapidly. "White" (or reflective) surfaces gain *and* lose heat less rapidly. Note that it's the surfaces "color" with respect to infrared light (heat) that matters, not visible light. So it's at least possible that the lighter and darker fabric colors we see will make little difference.

I agree that convective heat transfer is the biggest deal for sleeping bags/pads/clothing. How big a deal radiant heat transfer is I don't know--certainly the use of aluminized surfaces in sleeping pads and emergency blankets make it seem like someone cares about it. Maybe just a minor effect (or gimmick?).

ok, heres one for you. forgetting about convective heat transfer, reflective this, radiant that, how about say... having a red sleeping bag, is that going to make me even more hungrier in the morning when i get up. or, even more eager to hit the trail?

A color psychologist would probably tell you that: red is the color that makes people hungry. Red instantly attracts attention and it also makes people excited, energetic, and increases the heart rate.

functional? aesthetics? just wondering

sorry O P, might be getting 'off track' here a little

Edited by mrjones on 05/06/2012 00:04:51 MDT.

I'd be interested in seeing what peer-reviewed research the color psychologist had available.

yeh same. i work with color every day at a decorating store & every now & again people ask about color & how it affects moods. usually its the parents wanting a color to calm their kids down, i think its green (maybe thats why going bush is nice & relaxing for most people), but im sure prisons use pink to keep some inmates calm. there are a lot of various opinions when it comes to color & the psychological effects on the human mind, im sure people have spent years researching this stuff.

an office at work is painted red, i dont think i get hungry when im in there, probably too busy working to think about it

All I know is that when I sleep in my lime green Marmot Hydrogen on top of my "limon" Neo Air, the squirrels don't respect me in the morning. But that might just be a squirrel thing...?

> what peer-reviewed research the color psychologist had available
??? Heresy!!
We don need no peer review ...

Cheers

I must admit that I still use my TNF "Purple Haze" bag most of the time because it is just so cool, especially at night :) Over the past 25 years of use, I've sent it back twice to TNF for cleaning and both times they've sent it back re-lofted to its original specs. It's still as comfy as it was the first day I used it.

No Worries. I am appreciating the direction that the thread is taking. I really had not considered the relationship between color and mood or say respect from small woodland creatures. All details worth studying for a true BPLer.

Jeff