Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag
When you are going to be sleeping outdoors, a sleeping bag
provides comfort and security from your surroundings. To
ensure you are going to be as comfortable as possible, here are a
few tips and things to look for in your new sleeping bag.
Down Bags - Down sleeping bags are made from the feathers of
geese and ducks. These feathers are found beneath their
main layer of feathers and are very soft and excellent
insulators. These feathers are the same ones they use for
building soft, warm nests.
Advantages
Synthetic or Down? Well it depends on how you will be using
your sleeping bag. If you require a highly compactable bag
that you will be carrying into the backcountry, don't mind paying a
little more and don't plan on getting it wet then a down bag is
right for you. If you have a lot of allergies, don't want to
pay quite as much, and don't mind the weight then a synthetic will
work.
Typically the best fit for the beginning camper is synthetic, but
down usually works the best for everyone if there is less of a
chance of it getting wet.
Comfort Ratings
The coldest outside temperature that a sleeping bag can keep you
warm is called the comfort rating. So for example, if a bag
were rated to +10 degrees, then, according to the manufacturer, you
should be comfortably warm inside your bag at that temperature or
above.
These recommendations are not for everyone though. Some
people tend to be colder than others at night and visa versa.
If you are the one that has cold feet and hands while you sleep then
you will want to be safe and buy a bag with a comfort rating many
degrees less than what you think your coldest camping night might
be. If you are the type to kick off the blankets at night then
the manufacturers comfort rating is probably right for
you.
Consider the following, you should always have a lower rated bag
than you think you will need. If you think that the coldest
weather conditions you will ever encounter will be no less than say
20 degrees, I recommend, no matter how you sleep, buying a bag that
will keep you warm down to at least 10 degrees. You can always
unzip the bag a tad to help you cool off but it is a bugger getting
up in the middle of the night to put on more clothes if you get
cold.
Shape and Fit
There are two general shapes that sleeping bags come in.
The first is a mummy shape. These bags can be found throughout
the comfort rating but are very popular shapes for colder rated bags
due to the fact that they can encompass your whole body, even your
head, leaving you a small hole to breathe out of. (Tip - Never
breathe inside your bag. That can cause moisture to build up
inside your bag, thus making the insulation less
effective.)
The second general shape is a rectangular shape. Since
these bags do not cover the head and have more space inside the bag
for the body to heat up, it is generally the shape for warmer
climates. If you are like a lot of people you have one of
these you got for Christmas many years ago that you use when guests
come over or for the kids in warm weather. I have found that
these bags make an excellent extra layer to your mummy style bag if
you encounter conditions that are a little colder than you
expected. Simply slip your mummy style bag inside your
rectangular and slide in!
Things to Consider
