How to Choose a Backpacking Sleep System When Camping

Video Transcript

"Hi! I’m Kate and I’m with Zoar Outdoor on behalf of expertvillage.com. I am going to talk to you about hiking and backpacking. Backpacking sleep systems consist of a couple of things. The first thing is your sleeping pad. I like to have one that self-inflates, that isn’t foam all the way through and it’s a little cushier. This is women’s specific so there is more insulation in my torso area and my foot area compared to my head area. This inflates on its own and then you seal it up. Insulating yourself from the ground is very important so if you are tend to get cold and you brought yourself a crazy creek chair, you could also use this underneath your therma-rest; an extra outer layer of insulation. Next you have your sleeping bag. You should get a sleeping bag rating based on what you plan on doing. This is a 20 degree bag and I plan on only backpacking in late spring, early fall when I know 20 degrees is the coldest it is going to get. Some of these have spots where you can attach your sleeping pad to the bag. I don’t but I also have what is called a bivy sack. This is what I am shoving everything into, this red thing is a bivy sack. This is a water proof sleeping bag. It has no insulation in it. It’s just water proof. It adds 5 degrees to my sleeping bag itself and it keeps me warmer in general. If you plan on sleeping without a tent, bivies is a way to go. If you are going to be inside a tent, you can always just use your sleeping bag and sleeping pad. If you tend to get cold, you are going to want to put all your clothes with you and it will help insulate you and you can also boil water and put it in a Nalgene. Put it at your feet or where you tend to get the coldest or you can even put it on the side of your body. I stay kind of cold so I am always making sure I have my hood done up nice and tight and then I have tons of insulating clothes around me. I’m not necessarily wearing it. I might just be wearing my long underwear but I have it all in there with me. Another good thing with your sleep system is if any of your clothes has got damp throughout the day. You can dry it out overnight because your body is going to be producing heat and hopefully it will go right through the loft of your sleeping bag and dissipate. "