Sierra Blogging Post Archives

All sleeping bags are not created equal. Just ask anyone who's ever spent a camping trip freezing because his sleeping bag didn't provide enough warmth for the conditions.

When camping or backpacking, there are few things as important as having the right sleeping bag. When you make the decision to purchase one, be sure it's a wise one. Read the Sleeping Bag Guide for helpful information on the the different types of bags on the market.

Here's an excerpt from the Sleeping Bag Guide...



Sleeping bags are designed for specific temperature ranges to meet the demands of different climates or seasons. A bag's temperature rating or comfort rating can be defined as the absolutely coldest temperature at which the bag is designed to keep you warm. There is no industry standard for determining a bag's comfort rating, though, and no two people are exactly alike (for example, women are generally colder than men in the same air temperatures). Therefore these temperature ratings are meant only as general guidelines.

We've found these ratings to be most accurate under a set of specific conditions: if you are fully sheltered from the wind (inside a tent or other structure) and have some sort of sleeping pad underneath you, these minimum temperature ratings apply best.

To be on the safe side, we recommend adding 10 degrees to the temperature rating on a sleeping bag for a more realistic picture of its ability to keep you warm. For example, a bag rated for 30°F should only be used in temperatures that never drop below 40°F. On the other hand, don't think you'll be comfortable in a 10° bag when it's a 70° night. People in warmer climates should buy bags with higher temperature ratings.

Read the rest of the Sleeping Bag Guide.