This may seem like a relatively easy question for many experienced campers but for anyone new to camping it might be worth a little research.

There are a few important questions to ask yourself when trying to pick out a sleeping bag for you or your kids.

Is this sleeping bag for outdoor use or indoor use?

This may seem like a silly question, but it is one you definitely need to ask yourself. Most of the time this comes up when purchasing a bag for a child. If the child is going on an outdoor camping trip you want to make sure the bag that you buy for them is an outdoor sleeping bag. There are many children's sleeping bags that are actually "slumber bags", or bags designed for indoor use. They are usually made from natural fabrics instead of synthetics. These are made for sleepovers or other situations where a bed may not be available. Basically, these are not for outdoor use.

What style of sleeping bag do I want?

There are two major types of sleeping bags: rectangular and mummy.

A rectangular sleeping bag is basically a square blanket with zippers around it (except for the top). Once folded in half, the zippers can be zipped up around the person leaving the upper portion exposed and unzipped. The bag can easily be stored by being zipped up, then folded in half or thirds, then rolled up and secured with straps.

A mummy sleeping bag is different in a number of ways. The mummy bag is not rectangular in shape but actually tapered from the head to the foot. The bag also does not unzip all the way like the rectangular sleeping bag does. The top of the mummy sleeping bag also has a spot for the head of the person that can have a drawstring pulled around it so only the head/face is visible outside the bag. The reason for these differences is simply heat retention. The mummy bag general does a better job of retaining heat then the rectangular sleeping bag.

In all cases the mummy bag is going to be warmer, but again that doesn't make it better. The decision for which bag to go with definitely depends on the night time temperature at which you are camping.

What temperature (comfort) rating should I look for in a sleeping bag?

This question is a little more difficult than the first two. There are many different factors that go into deciding what rating you should look for in your bag. GORP has a great article detailing some ways to calculate your rating.

Basically the rating on a bag means that as long as the temperature doesn't drop below that number, then the user should be comfortable. So if a bag is rated 30F, then as long as the temperature doesn't drop below 30F most people will be comfortable.

However, this doesn't mean you should be going commando in the bag. Proper outdoor sleeping attire is suggested.

There are other things to consider depending on your outdoor adventure, but for those of us just starting, this should get your on your way with the correct sleeping bag for your first big trip out into the wilderness.

top picture provided by: madmaven

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