What You Need To Know About Buying A Sleeping Bag
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With camping season upon us, it’s time to take the gear out of storage and take a look at what is probably the most important piece of equipment for your comfort: your sleeping bag. If your current sleeping bag is worn, it may be time to choose a new one. When you are shopping, look for one suitable for you and your needs, of the right size and style, and with the proper filler and lining, which will determine if it is warm enough for the climate you will be in.The first decision is to choose the shape or style. Once this decision is made, the others fall into place more easily. The basic choices are mummy, rectangle and combination and each addresses different preferences of each individual user. If warmth is your primary concern then the mummy style may be just what you need. It adapts and molds closer to the body and allows less space for cold air to get in than other styles while the drawstring hood or draft collar keep warm air from escaping around your neck.Rectangle bags allow more space for ease of movement but forfeit the hood or draft collar which allows considerable heat loss. Rectangle bags do have the advantage having the ability of zipping two together to accommodate two people. Combination bags are mixtures of the features from the other styles and allow you to choose the best fit for your needs. It is definitely advisable to look at all styles in order to know what is available and what would work best for your camping style.Once you have chosen the style you want, the next step is to choose a lining and filler. The filler is especially important if you are allergic to down, or have a particular sensitivity to down with asthma or other respiratory conditions. There are two fillers to decide on - synthetic and down. A synthetic fiber filler is generally heavier than down but when wet, it does not absorb water so therefore insulating ability is not reduced. A down filler is lighter than synthetic fiber but it requires more care and you must not get it wet or it will be useless.Always look at the temperature ratings that the sleeping bag is designed for. If you are usually cold, then aim for a bag which is designed for temperatures colder than the environment that you will be staying. It is much harder to warm up if you are cold then it is to cool down if you are too hot. As a final point, an important and obvious factor many people seem to miss when deciding on the correct sleeping bag is size. Always ensure that the length is a few inches more than your height so you have room to stretch if needs be. There is nothing worse than trying to sleep in a sleeping bag that is too short!
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