Anyone who does a good deal of camping knows the importance of a good sleeping bag. Everyone's preferences are different and a "good" sleeping bag is one that will meet all of your personal requirements. Many options are available in a number of areas and only you can determine what is ideal for you. Things to consider are size, style, filler, lining and climate in which the bag will primarily be used.
Once you decide on the style of your sleeping bag, it can help to make the rest of the choices a little easier. There are three basic shapes to choose from - mummy, rectangle and combination. The mummy sleeping bag is generally the warmest as it conforms to the contours of your body leaving considerably less room for cold air to be trapped compared to other styles. It has a hood to cover your head, and an elastic or drawstring draft collar to keep the warm air inside the bag from escaping past your neckline.
The rectangle style bag allows much more space for movement but does not have a hood or draft collar. Rectangular bags are indeed a great deal wider and arguably more comfortable. As an addition, two rectangular bags could be joined together to form a much larger double sleeping bag to hold two people. The combination sleeping bags use different features from each style, enabling you to possible have the best of both worlds, depending on your preferences. It is important to look at all styles and judge what you would personally feel more comfortable in.
Once you have chosen the style you want, the next step is to choose a lining and filler. The filler is especially important if you are allergic to down, or have a particular sensitivity to down with asthma or other respiratory conditions. There are two fillers to decide on - synthetic and down. A synthetic fiber filler is generally heavier than down but when wet, it does not absorb water so therefore insulating ability is not reduced. A down filler is lighter than synthetic fiber but it requires more care and you must not get it wet or it will be useless.
Always look at the temperature ratings that the sleeping bag is designed for. If you are usually cold, then aim for a bag which is designed for temperatures colder than the environment that you will be staying. It is much harder to warm up if you are cold then it is to cool down if you are too hot. As a final point, an important and obvious factor many people seem to miss when deciding on the correct sleeping bag is size. Always ensure that the length is a few inches more than your height so you have room to stretch if needs be. There is nothing worse than trying to sleep in a sleeping bag that is too short!
Once you decide on the style of your sleeping bag, it can help to make the rest of the choices a little easier. There are three basic shapes to choose from - mummy, rectangle and combination. The mummy sleeping bag is generally the warmest as it conforms to the contours of your body leaving considerably less room for cold air to be trapped compared to other styles. It has a hood to cover your head, and an elastic or drawstring draft collar to keep the warm air inside the bag from escaping past your neckline.
The rectangle style bag allows much more space for movement but does not have a hood or draft collar. Rectangular bags are indeed a great deal wider and arguably more comfortable. As an addition, two rectangular bags could be joined together to form a much larger double sleeping bag to hold two people. The combination sleeping bags use different features from each style, enabling you to possible have the best of both worlds, depending on your preferences. It is important to look at all styles and judge what you would personally feel more comfortable in.
Once you have chosen the style you want, the next step is to choose a lining and filler. The filler is especially important if you are allergic to down, or have a particular sensitivity to down with asthma or other respiratory conditions. There are two fillers to decide on - synthetic and down. A synthetic fiber filler is generally heavier than down but when wet, it does not absorb water so therefore insulating ability is not reduced. A down filler is lighter than synthetic fiber but it requires more care and you must not get it wet or it will be useless.
Always look at the temperature ratings that the sleeping bag is designed for. If you are usually cold, then aim for a bag which is designed for temperatures colder than the environment that you will be staying. It is much harder to warm up if you are cold then it is to cool down if you are too hot. As a final point, an important and obvious factor many people seem to miss when deciding on the correct sleeping bag is size. Always ensure that the length is a few inches more than your height so you have room to stretch if needs be. There is nothing worse than trying to sleep in a sleeping bag that is too short!
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