Trips to the wilderness are especially, incomplete and utterly uncomfortable if you do not invest in a good quality sleeping bag. The best sleeping bags serve a variety of purposes and are ideal companions for trekking, camping, backpacking, and various other adventures. Performance-enhancing Features to Choose in a Sleeping Bag.
Crucial Features to Look for While Buying a Sleeping Bag
Before you begin searching for your new sleeping bag, it is essential to know what features you will need for a comfortable outdoor experience.
- Compression Sack – To efficiently store sleeping bags with minimum spacing, and in a compact design that is easier to carry for backpacking, trekking and cycling, you will have to rely on a compression sack.
- Fit – You can take your pick from a standard men’s and women’s sizing or even go for a unisex size, depending on your built and body structure. Select the correct size for maximum insulation and heat to your entire body when sleeping outdoors. While the standard sizing usually fits a man, a women’s sleeping bag is wider around the hips, narrower around the shoulders with extra insulation at the feet.
- Temperature Ratings – Sleeping bags come with temperature gauge wherein you need to select the one with a Comfort level option. It is going to be your guide to the bags limitations. There are mainly three options, Upper limit, Comfort level, and the Lower limit wherein the Comfort level will help you determine the temperature at which you start to feel cold.
- Weight – This is essential because you will be carrying this weight throughout your trip. Ideally, the best sleeping bags combine lower weight with higher warming capacities, and those are the ones you need to invest your bucks in. Also, remember to check that it fits your luggage after storing into the compression sack.
- Zips – Two-way zips that open through the length would help you in case you need to vent your feet during use. Ensure that it offers a substantial size baffle of fabric, and the sleeping bag allows you to fill behind the zips to help keep draughts at bay.
- Shape – There are primarily two shapes that are available when you go for sleeping bag shopping, a rectangular shape and a tapered body shape. Both have their own set of benefits. While you can unzip the rectangular shape and enjoy a duvet, the tapered shape accentuates heat retention.
- Fill – The best sleeping bags are available in two different fillings called down and synthetic. The down insulation is lighter to carry since it is made with feather and down and induces appropriate warmth-to-weight ratio. Synthetic insulation, on the other hand, is made with a soft polyester material that is budget-friendly and water-repellent, where the only concern is the weight of it.
- Shell Material – Are you on the lookout for a water-resistant sleeping bag? If yes, then you will have to pay a few extra bucks to shell your sleeping bag with a waterproof and breathable fabric that will not only keep away rainwater but also keep away sweat puddles.
- Internal Pocket – These storing options come with a Velcro fastening which is popular among travellers since they help store your valuables inside the sleeping bags, they remain on your person, and you sleep peacefully through the night.
- Inner Lining – Sleeping bag liners help prevent sweat and moisture from permeating it. It is advisable to use an inner lining if you share your sleeping bag with others. These linings also make it easier to wash the bag.
We hope these features will help you choose your next travel sleeping bag for an upcoming adventure.
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