The Importance of Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag for Your Next Camping Trip

There is something special in the possibility to lose yourself in the vastness of the woods. Going camping for a couple of days and spending the time in the great outdoors can be a real treat. For many, the best part of camping is enjoying a good night’s sleep under a starry sky – an experience that can give you immense pleasure and relaxation, but only if you do it right. Doing it right means gearing up appropriately, which includes owning the right sleeping bag. Here is a guide on what to look for in order to find the best sleeping bag for your needs.

Temperature Rating

This is probably one of the crucial things you need to consider when buying a sleeping bag for camping. Being warm while sleeping is essential in order to see the whole experience as an enjoyable and fun activity. The temperature rating included in the product information states the lowest temperature at which the camper will be comfortably warm inside. Most often, there are three categories for camping sleeping bags based on temperature.

• Summer Season – The temperature rating, in this case, is 1.5 °C or higher. These are most suitable for camping in warm weather;
• 3-Season – Here the rating starts from -12 °C to 1.5 °C. This type of sleeping bags is best for spring, summer and fall camping trips;
• Winter – The temperature rating for winter sleeping bags is of -12 °C or lower. These are best for winter weather.

Be that as it may, most of the sleeping bags for camping provide an exact temperature rating which can make your decision easier and simpler. And, remember, what’s important is to stay warm when the temperatures are low, and if you get hot during warmer nights, you can easily unzip the bag for additional ventilation if you need it.

Insulation

There are 3 types of sleeping bags according to their type of insulation. Let’s look through them.

• Synthetic – This type of insulation can keep you warm even if it gets wet since it has the ability to dry out quite quickly. It is durable and non-allergenic, a fact that most campers would find crucial when making a decision. One drawback regarding these bags is that they are usually bulkier and heavier;
• Goose Down – This type is more durable and more compressible than the synthetic one mentioned above. On the other hand, these lack insulating power when they get wet;
• Water-Resistant Down – These are quite similar to the goose-down insulated bags. What makes them better and more useful is the water resistance feature that the others lack. They have feathers which are specially implemented to improve water resistance and comfort.

Additional Features

These additional little things may not seem necessary at a first glance. However, their purpose is to make sleeping in the outdoors even more convenient. These include:

• Hood – These are mostly found in winter sleeping bags, and are there to make you feel even warmer;
• Zippers – Having more zippers helps with ventilation, and some bags come with a night glow zip puller for additional convenience;
• Stash Pocket – Some bags also come with a zippered inside pocket for storage of small but important things like lip balm, a watch or tissues.