Camping Sleeping Bags - How to Choose the Best Sleeping Bag For You?

Camping used to be about bulky sleeping bags. Other times, when you are really lucky, you do not have any sleeping bags to sleep on at all because you ended up carrying heaps of other things and sleeping bags are just not a priority (thinking that you can just find a nice person to share with). For many people, camping before means being at a state wherein you are uncomfortable. But now, gone are those days! Camping nowadays means feeling just like home with the best sleeping bag with you.

As camping sleeping bags vary in shapes and sizes, it is a must that you know what sleeping bag in the market suits you best. Here are my strongest suggestions on how you can choose the best sleeping bag that can make you feel just like home:

a. There is a common type of camping sleeping bag called the Mummy Bag. If you are situated in a place or country with colder temperature and you are after the warmth of your sleeping bag, you better go and look for this type of sleeping bag. A Mummy Bag is made to confine warm air on your head as it provides a hood ensuring that heat will not escape even from your head. It takes off human body shape that is why it surely maintains heat better than those other shapes of sleeping bags. As the name suggest, it really feels like you have your Mum around wrapping you with her warm embrace all through the cold shivering night.

b. If you are living or camping in a place with warm weather, you must go for Rectangular type of camping sleeping bags. Although this is not specifically designed to trap heat as good as a Mummy Bag, this bag is roomier and absorbs more body heat to warm. Other things must be considered for this sleeping bag to perform at its best such as its fabric, construction, and fill.

c. Now that you have just enough appreciation of the two most common types of sleeping bags available in the market and you find yourself in a dilemma as to which one is better, check this out: You do not need to choose at all! If you want the warmth of a Mummy Sleeping Bag at the same time the softness and coziness of a Rectangular Sleeping Bag, producers can modify their versions of sleeping bags giving you the best sleeping bag ever!

I understand that you have to be aware of other accessories that you can suggest to the producers of camping sleeping bags that is why, for your convenience, I have listed down these things that you may want to add to your personally-modified and very unique sleeping bag. Here are your options:

1. Zippers - The main purpose of zippers is to permit ventilation. You can actually have a Two-way Zippers if you wish to so that you can unzip the other one to let ventilation of cooler air through the sleeping bag from your foot or head without having to unzip it especially on summer nights.

2. Hoods - A special part of Mummy Bags, hoods are your most effective option if you want to trap heat from your head keeping you warm from head to toe all through the night.

3. Multi sectioned Hoods - Compared to just hoods, multi sectioned is made from multiple panels. This fits your head better with less chance to compact insulation.

4. Chest Baffles - The use of this accessory, from the name itself, is to provide a barrier at the top of your chest to help you keep warm as it traps warm air from breaking out at the same time preventing cold air from coming in.

5. Foot Boxes - This is designed to keep your feet and toes warm. Also found in majority of Mummy bags, you can lay your foot naturally as it traps warmer air without reducing insulation.

6. Round and flat pull cords - Part of Hoods in Mummy Bags, these cords are ideal if you want to fine-tune your sleeping bag in the middle of the night.

7. Ground level seams - These are found on the side of your sleeping bag which are vulnerable to exposure specifically during windy conditions. The only way to minimize your risk of exposure is to have well insulated ground pads.

8. Ground Pads - Commonly known as sleeping pads, this accessory makes you feel warmer against the ground surface area as well as the ground level seams.

9. Staggered Seam - Also called as off set seams, this is another type of accessory that confines heat and blocks air from breaking in your sleeping bag.

10. Zip together compatibility - This is an amazing accessory if you want to sleep and be zipped together with another person. Most rectangular camping sleeping bags zip together but for Mummy Bags, you need to have this accessory to be compatible enough to zip with other sleeping bags.

11. Insulating and/or wind stop baffle behind the zipper - Simply known as Zipper Draft Tube, this option helps keep warm air inside your bag and cool air outside through the zipper of your bag.

12. Wallet and flashlight pockets - If you want your wallet and flashlights to be secured and close to you even when you are sleeping, you may want to look for these accessories.

With all these information already available to you, I hope that in your quest in looking for the perfect camping sleeping bag, you will find both enjoyment and excitement as you are just one step away from your wonderful time at the camp with your best sleeping bag with you! Definitely no need to worry because whatever the activities at the camp the following morning, you will surely make it because you are assured of your good night sleep that will keep you going all day, all night.