How to Choose a Sleeping Bag

  • 30th Apr 2015

A sleeping bag is one of the most important things when it comes to camping comfort. There is nothing worse than having a perfect pitch in a beautiful place and being all cold and uncomfortable because you have a dodgy sleeping bag. So how do you go about choosing the right sleeping bag for you? Which are the best sleeping bags on the market? Are they really best for the sort of camping that you personally enjoy? Here are some of the things you should consider so you can be as snug as a bug in a rug.

How Cold Do You Go?

Be realistic. If you have to face it that you will always be a fair-weather, summer camper then there is really no point in spending a lot more money on something that will keep you comfortable down to minus 20 C. In fact, you may be far more comfortable in summer with a less insulating and lighter bag, which the sun floods into your tent and fries you so you have to get out quick. If, however, you camp early in spring, in autumn or winter then you should definitely consider investing in a good sleeping bag – like Vango's Ultralite 900, rated down to -22 for extreme use.

Any Allergies?

If you have allergies this is not a good idea, obviously, but some people swear by the high comfort levels given by choosing a goose down sleeping bag over a synthetic one. One of the best on the market is arguably the Yeti Companyon Passion Five, which has been treated to retain the goose down's effectiveness in wet weather.

Weight:

The Yeti bag is also the smallest and lightest bag in this comfort range. If you are a car camper then obviously you will be less concerned with weight. If you are backpacking, however, a light sleeping bag could be just what you are looking for and all explorers and adventurers out there will know that a good, light sleeping bag could be the difference between success and failure.

Size:

If you are trying to pack ultralight then the size of the sleeping bag will be as important as the weight, allowing you to really bring down the size of back needed for a particular expedition. The Vango Ultralight is less bulky than many other competing sleeping bags with similar specifications while the Yeti bag is one of the smallest, if not the smallest, on the market still rated for fairly bad weather conditions.

Price:

At the end of the day, much of your decision will come down to how much you can afford to pay. The Vango, rather good value for what you get in my opinion, retails at £90, while the impressive but pricy Yeti bag retails at £500! You can get a reasonable summer sleeping bag for next to nothing, so you don't have to spend a fortune. But I would say one thing – always spend as much as you can afford and you will get your money's worth.