Having a sleeping bag that's not fit for purpose isn't going to be help you get a good night's sleep and in some cases it can be dangerous. Before the camping season really begins it's probably time to review your sleeping bag and see if it's good enough for your needs.
Sleeping Bag Rating
Sleeping bags are rated by 'Temperature' and 'Season'. The season rating is just for guidance and gives you the general time of year the sleeping bag is intend for. Two season sleeping bags are generally fine between May and August, three season bags are for summer, spring and fall and four season ones can be used all year round, but might be too warm during the summer. The number that is most important is the lower comfort temperature of the bag. Manufacturers either give a comfort range or they have a Comfort/Limit/Extreme temperature. The limit temperature is the temperature at which you'll start to feel really cold and the extreme temperature tells you at which point you will start to feel the effects of hypothermia. If your summer camping, and not at altitude, always choose the 'Comfort' figure as a starting point to work out whether the bag will be adequate.
Check out average night time temperatures
To make sure you've got the right bag, compare the comfort rating to the normal night time temperatures of your destination. For example, in Oregon in February the average nightly temperature is -5.1 degrees C and in July it's 7.9 degrees C. Compare this to the United Kingdom where the February figure is 1.1 degrees C and in July it's 11.7 degrees C. Be sure to get a sleeping bag with the correct rating for your destination. In winter, to be on the safe side, I'd definitely look at the 'Extreme' rating of the bag and compare it to the lowest record temperatures of a region.
Do you sleep warm or cold?
Do you sleep in your bed socks in July? If you do I'm willing to bet you're a cold sleeper. If you're a cold sleeper I would certainly adjust all the figures down. Go for the three season sleeping bag in summer and the four season one in September. Women, in general, need a sleeping bag that's 5 degrees lower than men as do older people. Manufacturers assume you're going to be wearing baselayers or reasonable pyjamas while sleeping, if you prefer to go naked, again, adjust the figures.
Down or Synthetic?
There are two main material options: down or synthetic. If you're a hiker and you want to keep the weight and size of your pack to a minimum then definitely try out the down sleeping bags, they pack small and don't weight as much as the synthetic bags, but they're expensive and you need to keep them dry. If you're a family camper and you only have to get the bags from the car park, then I'd go with synthetic. Synthetic bags are relatively cheap, they can stand getting a little bit wet and they'll keep the kids lovely and warm (if you buy one with the correct rating!).
What else?
What you are sleeping on will affect your warmth and your sleep. A lot of heat is lost into the ground so make sure your mat is insulated. Also make sure the sleeping bag fits, so have a look at the dimension before you buy. Mummy shaped sleeping bags fit more snuggly and will therefore keep you warmer. Square or Envelope sleeping bags aren't quite as warm but they give you more room to kick your legs about.
Sleeping Bag Rating
Sleeping bags are rated by 'Temperature' and 'Season'. The season rating is just for guidance and gives you the general time of year the sleeping bag is intend for. Two season sleeping bags are generally fine between May and August, three season bags are for summer, spring and fall and four season ones can be used all year round, but might be too warm during the summer. The number that is most important is the lower comfort temperature of the bag. Manufacturers either give a comfort range or they have a Comfort/Limit/Extreme temperature. The limit temperature is the temperature at which you'll start to feel really cold and the extreme temperature tells you at which point you will start to feel the effects of hypothermia. If your summer camping, and not at altitude, always choose the 'Comfort' figure as a starting point to work out whether the bag will be adequate.
Check out average night time temperatures
To make sure you've got the right bag, compare the comfort rating to the normal night time temperatures of your destination. For example, in Oregon in February the average nightly temperature is -5.1 degrees C and in July it's 7.9 degrees C. Compare this to the United Kingdom where the February figure is 1.1 degrees C and in July it's 11.7 degrees C. Be sure to get a sleeping bag with the correct rating for your destination. In winter, to be on the safe side, I'd definitely look at the 'Extreme' rating of the bag and compare it to the lowest record temperatures of a region.
Do you sleep warm or cold?
Do you sleep in your bed socks in July? If you do I'm willing to bet you're a cold sleeper. If you're a cold sleeper I would certainly adjust all the figures down. Go for the three season sleeping bag in summer and the four season one in September. Women, in general, need a sleeping bag that's 5 degrees lower than men as do older people. Manufacturers assume you're going to be wearing baselayers or reasonable pyjamas while sleeping, if you prefer to go naked, again, adjust the figures.
Down or Synthetic?
There are two main material options: down or synthetic. If you're a hiker and you want to keep the weight and size of your pack to a minimum then definitely try out the down sleeping bags, they pack small and don't weight as much as the synthetic bags, but they're expensive and you need to keep them dry. If you're a family camper and you only have to get the bags from the car park, then I'd go with synthetic. Synthetic bags are relatively cheap, they can stand getting a little bit wet and they'll keep the kids lovely and warm (if you buy one with the correct rating!).
What else?
What you are sleeping on will affect your warmth and your sleep. A lot of heat is lost into the ground so make sure your mat is insulated. Also make sure the sleeping bag fits, so have a look at the dimension before you buy. Mummy shaped sleeping bags fit more snuggly and will therefore keep you warmer. Square or Envelope sleeping bags aren't quite as warm but they give you more room to kick your legs about.
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It can be a hassle looking for products online, so have a look at these sleeping bag reviews , it'll make your life a little easier. Or if you want to find more camping gear info, this link should be useful.
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