How To Pick Warm Comfortable Sleeping Bags For Camping.
By Marc Wiltse, Thu Dec 8th
Should sleeping bags be made of down or synthetic? What sleepingbag is best for camping, hiking or backpacking? A guide to makeyour decision easier.
First off it should at least be rated for the lowest possibletemperature you'll encounter. You may want to even go a littlelower just to be on the safe side.
Obviously the main purpose is to hold your body heat in toinsulate you from the cooler air. So the better the insulationholds your body heat in the warmer and more comfortable you'regoing to be.
Insulation
Down-the filamentous and fluffy layer underneath the feathers.Positives: All being equal down is warmer, lighter, morecomfortable, compresses smaller, and can last a lifetime ifcared for properly. Goose down is the standard others arecompared to. The more it lofts the better it insulates. This isknown as fill-power, the higher the number the better it retainsheat.
Negatives: Down looses most all of it's insulating propertieswhen wet, takes a long time to dry outdoors, is more expensiveshort-term, and may require professional cleaning.
Synthetic- These are usually hollow plastic threads that serveto trap warm air. Positives: Synthetic sleeping bags retain heatbetter when wet, costs less short-term when compared to the sametemperature rating as down, dries quicker than down, and ishypo-allergenic. It's usually well-suited for recreational use,but consider your own individual needs.
Negatives: They're bulkier, heavier, less conforming, and canlose their insulating properties after a few seasons of hard usebecause of breakdown. More expensive long-term.
Shapes/Styles
Child's/Kid sleeping bags- A kid has a harder time staying warmthan an adult, so keep this in mind when you're getting them asleeping bag. A cool summer night can chill a child quickly soconsider a mummy bag like the Tigger
