How to Buy a Backpacking Sleeping Bag

Keep yourself warm and comfy in those cool climes with a sleeping bag that suits you and your sleeping habits.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Credit Cards And Loans
• Wilderness Permits
• Bivy Sacks
• Camping Mugs
• Camping Stoves
• Camping Trowels
• Sleeping Bags
• Tents

1. Know the average temperatures and weather conditions in which you intend to use the sleeping bag, and buy a bag for those conditions.

2. Err on the side of buying a sleeping bag for colder climates if you are not sure where you will be camping - better to be too warm and have to unzip the bag than too cold and shivering through the night.

3. Choose a sleeping bag made of synthetic material, which retains its insulating qualities when wet, if camping in wet conditions. Down-filled bags, though warmer, lighter and more compressible than synthetic-filled sleeping bags, are useless wet and take forever to dry.

4. Choose a mummy bag (a form-fitting bag that can be cinched around the face) over a square-shaped bag if you are looking for extra warmth and insulation.

Tips & Warnings

• Carry a bivy sack for added warmth when camping in conditions too cold for your sleeping bag.
• Most companies make different versions of their standard models with the zipper down the right-hand side for use by left-handed people.
• Extra features to look for in cold-weather bags: a hood that keeps your head warm (you know what they say about heat loss), a collar that prevents heat from escaping from the bag's opening, and draft tubes that reduce heat loss through the zipper.

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on 2/8/2006 Save weight and buy a warmer rated bag. Then just sleep with another layer of clothing on if you get cold. Remember when you're cold to put on a hat.