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Joined: Aug 2009
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First and foremost, thank you Doug Sr for this awesome board, and all you helpful members with your wealth of info! I am a day-hiker finally getting into backpacking, and have a newbie question.
When camping at Lone Pine Lake a week ago, I noticed blue sparks every time my hand (skin) brushed against the inside of my brand new Western Mountaineering UltraLite sleeping bag. Well, the outside as well. I could basically generate sparks by brushing the fabric. I was wearing midweight top, lightwight bottom, and smartwool socks.
I was freaked out! I was terrified that the sparks might create a fire somehow, as my tent is the BA Fly Creek UL1 (silnylon fabric, very flammable?). Also, at Trail Camp the following night, I asked my hiking buddy to keep the stove / canister fuel in his tent, still afraid of the sparks...
Has any of you experience this? How did you take care / minimize the static problems? I called A-16 in WLA and they told me to contact WM, as they hadn't heard of this before. The guy at WM said it was unusual, but shouldn't be a problem.
I love the bag, it is very warm, and don't want to have to return it if there's a way I can take care of this problem.
Thanks!!
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Joined: Aug 2009
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I have generated sparks while taking off my fleece jacket. never gave it much thought (this was couple of years ago in TX).
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Joined: Oct 2006
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My marmot bag does that. never had a problem.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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There is voltage with those sparks, but I don't think the amperage is high enough to set fire , but an electrical engineer might advise us.
I get crackling sparks flying any time I take off my synthetic North Face t-shirt, even though it is 50% humidity here in VA even with AC on. When I was in dry SEKI last month, the static did not seem any worse in the low humidity high altitude air.
Rubbing fleece and slick synthetics together often does it so it would be no big surprise that it happens in a sleeping bag. But I've never noticed it. Perhaps the bag is grounded by contact with tent bottom or pad and that stops the potential difference (voltage). Again, we need an EE. Harvey
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Yep, that's static electricity. It happens all the time to me, both summer and winter (seems more often in the summer). It should cause no problems, since fumes from fuel will dissapate pretty quickly in an open area. But I wouldn't have an open gas canister or leaky fuel bottle nearby to test the fumes' ignitability.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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Actually I think the light show is pretty cool!!!!
Not to worry. I experienced this in my Fly Creek all summer and I'm still alive to write about it.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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My NF Cats Meow does this really well, it's a great light show. The sparks are not enough amperage to start a fire on fabric. Maybe with gasoline, but even then probably not. The sparks do not induce pain if you are on the receiving end, so they are a lot less potent than the ones we used to generate by scuffing our feet on the carpet in the winter when I was growing up in upstate NY (indoor humidity is very low when the outside air is -20 and indoors is 70). Those sparks hurt! Not to mention what we used to do with a large Van de Graff generator.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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First time at Outpost Camp, first night in my MH synthetic bag I saw the lightning show inside the bag as I ran my fingers along the fabric. Didn't even consider the possibility of a fire, and my snoring kept my hiking partners awake in their tent 15 feet away.
Don't lose any sleep over it.
Dan
daustin.smugmug.com
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Lambertiana probably knows the answer, but I doubt that air fuel ratio needed to ignite from a very mild static discharge would be reached in most tents with a very slight leak from a canister. If the canister had a significant leak you would know it and wouldn't have it near your tent. I cant imagine it being problem with a non-leaking canister. When I was a kid we used to make all the sparks we could. We thought they were cool.  There were never any singe marks on us or our gear.
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Thank you! You guys are awesome!! Whew! I feel a lot better now,
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Joined: Sep 2005
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Speaking of air/fuel ratios perhaps you should refrain from eating too many beans before you spend the night in an enclosed tent with sparks flying.  Maybe a subject for Mythbusters?
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Speaking of air/fuel ratios perhaps you should refrain from eating too many beans before you spend the night in an enclosed tent with sparks flying. Maybe a subject for Mythbusters? Hahahaha After many an outing with the Scouts I can assure you that the tent wont explode. It might float a little so be sure to stake it down. 
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Speaking of air/fuel ratios perhaps you should refrain from eating too many beans before you spend the night in an enclosed tent with sparks flying. ROTFL... You are hilarious!! 
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Anonymous
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Speaking of air/fuel ratios perhaps you should refrain from eating too many beans before you spend the night in an enclosed tent with sparks flying. Hahahaha After many an outing with the Scouts I can assure you that the tent wont explode. It might float a little so be sure to stake it down. Now THAT would be a really great horror story to tell your scouts on their first camp out. Go into a long, sad story about when you were a cub scout, and they first came out with nylon bags....... I remember the kid really well ...his name was Rob Flatski, but everyone knew him by his nickname. You see, he was really a big kid. When it was cold and windy, the other scouts would stand in his shadow to protect themselves from the cold! So they started calling him Windbreak.
Anyway, on one of our camp outs, Windbreak brought a brand new nylon mummy bag. Most of the boys then had cotton bags, since they were much less expensive. But the nylon down-filled bags were really great, since they could be stuffed into smaller stuff sacks, and the down filling was a lot lighter and warmer.
So on the first night, Windbreak had set up his one-man tent, with the new nylon bag inside. He climbed into his tent, and got into the bag, and pulled the hood up around his head. Unfortunately, as you all know, those nylon fabrics cause a lot of sparks.
But we couldn't believe what happened next. Apparently, Windbreak let a whole bunch of gas go, and he must have then rolled over, causing the nylon static electricity to spark. Next thing we knew, his tent was on fire and he was screaming like crazy!
Fortunately, the camp leaders had a water supply with several buckets full of water right there. They quickly grabbed the buckets, and doused the fire. But poor Windbreak. He never quite dried out that night, so he spent a very cold night. And his tent and mummy bag were destroyed, too.
So just remember, if you have one of those nylon mummy bags, you know what NOT to do! ...or lie very very still.
We'll be sure and have the water buckets ready, just in case.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Just remember not to kiss anyone under you have grounded and discharged the static on something - otherwise you both might receive the hottest kiss ever!
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Joined: Sep 2005
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.....and kissing after a nice big gulp of 180 proof whiskey would make it even hotter!!!!
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