How To Choose A Sleeping Bag for Camping

A sleeping bag is something everyone ought to have, whether you are only going to use it infrequently or you are someone who likes to do a lot of camping and/or roughing it.

Here are some ideas on how to choose a Bags for Sleeping

You first need to decide what you will be using the bag for and this will help you know what to look for in a bags for sleeping. Is it to be used for when your buddies occasionally stay overnight and are going to sleeping on the floor? Or do you want to use it for going camping with your spouse, family or friends?

There is the best sleeping bag for indoors or in an RV, but it is not going to be the same one you would want for sleeping in a tent or sleeping out under the stars. To help decide to check out the temperature rating of the bag and locate one that is right for the temperature you are most like going to using it for.

Also, you might want to take into account how much the bag weighs. This is often overlooked. Some bags can be quite heavy and if you plan to carry it some distance in your pack it is important to find one that is light. But weight is not such a factor if you are just taking it with you in the car.

The materials that it is made from determining how heavy a bag for sleeping in is. The low-end sleep bags are made from nylon/polyester, canvas and cotton and the high-end bags are made from materials such as DryLoft and ripstop. You’ll find as expected that the lower end bags are cheaper but you will find problems with warmth, moisture control, breathability, and waterproofing.

The next consideration is to look at the shape of the bag and why you might choose one before the other. There are 3 sleeping bag shapes – hybrid, rectangle, and mummy.

The mummy, named after the Egyptian mummies, enclosing your whole body including your head and is made to keep as much heat in as possible. Your body touches all areas inside the bag so you won’t turn over and touch any cold areas. Many people find the mummy bag constricting or possibly claustrophobic. This is something I feel when in one of these bags, but if you aren’t going to be like that, it is a very good type of sleeping bag for keeping you warm.

The next shape the rectangle and is probably the most common one. They don’t keep you as warm as a mummy due to the air escaping out the top of the bag, but if you are doing warm weather camping this is not going to be much of an issue. You have much more freedom to move about in this bag. (My personal favorite because of this).

And lastly, there is the hybrid which is a combination of the two and allows for more movement in the wider middle part of the bag. The top and bottom are tapered.

If your budget can stretch to it a higher end bag is going to have what you want. Choose the one that will do want you to want it for. Depending on your circumstances you might want to look at more than one too for the different situations you are going to use it for.