Buy the wrong sleeping bag and you鈥檒l have lots of sleepless time in a听tent to regret your听decision. Buy the right one听and you鈥檒l sleep better than you do at home. Here are听five tips to help you choose wisely.听
Always Go Warmer听
Temperature ratings are pretty accurate, but they don鈥檛 account for human variability. Some of us run hot. Others run cold. To be safe, I suggest purchasing a bag that鈥檚 rated 10听to 15听degrees cooler than the lowest temperature you expect to encounter. It鈥檚听easy to unzip your bag to vent extra heat, but it鈥檚 hard to warm up if you鈥檙e cold.
Choose the Appropriate Fill
As a rule of thumb, down has the best warmth-to-weight ratio and packability. If you鈥檙e going someplace听where weight matters (backpacking, bike packing), go with down. Synthetic is better when wet and tends to be cheaper. Go with synthetic if you car camp or plan to spend a lot of time in the rain or near the water.听
Find the Right Shape
Historically, sleeping bags have come in听two shapes: mummy bags, which are warm but restrictive, and rectangular bags, which are roomy听but don鈥檛 retain heat as well. Today, there are more options. Take听, which provide the warmth of a mummy bag听but give you听more space to roll around. Or听the , which has slots at the top听so you can sleep with your arms outside the bag.听
Be Realistic
Super-lightweight, ultra-warm bags are sexy, but they鈥檙e overkill for most of us. Plus,听they can听break the bank (think $600 to听$800). A standard 15- to听30-degree three-season bag like the $170 North Face听听should be enough for the majority of us who like to backpack and car camp from spring through fall.听
Don鈥檛 Forget a Good Sleeping Pad
Sleeping pads will keep you warmer by insulating you from the cold ground. Avoid a flimsy piece of foam鈥攇o for something that elevates your body, like the two-inch-thick . Even if you buy the nicest sleeping bag on the market, a lousy pad will听ruin your night because you鈥檒l feel every rock and twig underneath听you.
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