Tips on sleeping bags & pads for hiking
When I was kid sleeping bags were like big thick blankets with a zipper around the perimeter. They still make them like that but they’re not for backpacking. What you need is a tapered, lightweight mummy bag that will seal you from the cold.
Buy a mummy bag. It’s the standard for backpacking. They are narrow, light and conserve body heat. It has a hood that envelopes the head and traps warm air.
Bags come with a temperature rating.That’s the temperature you’ll begin to feel cold. Get 20 degrees or less for most warm-weather camping.
Choose between goose down or synthetic fiber fill.
PROS & CONS Down
● Lighter.
● More compact.
● More durable.
● More comfy over a wide range of temperatures because down breathes better than synthetic.
● May cause allergic reactions.
● Initially more expensive (but lasts longer).
● Requires more care (must wash with special soaps). Takes a long time to dr y. Loses loft and warmth when wet. (Loft is a bag’s ability to fluff up, trap air and insulate.)
Synthetic
● Drys more quickly. Retains loft when wet and up to 85% of a sleeper’s body heat.
● Stuffing over time breaks down loft.
More bag bullets
● An ideal bag weight for backpacking is three pounds or less.
● Use a bag liner to add warmth (up to 20 degrees) and to keep the inside of your sleeping bag cleaner.
● Wear dry clothes and a cap to extend the temperature range of your bag.
● Look for an insulating strip behind the zipper and a well-shaped mummy hood and drawstring.
● You may need to buy a larger stuff sack since you may not be able to restuff your bag into the manufacturer’s original stuff sack.
● Don’t store your bag in the stuff sack.This compresses the fibers, reduces the loft and damages your bag’s insulating capability. Hang or gently fold after the hike.
Peeing in your bag
I suppose one of the major hassles in camping has to be getting out and back into a sleeping bag during the night because you must take a leak. Here’s a hint for the guys: Snuggle up with a plastic bottle.Those wide mouth juice containers work pretty well. Make sure the cap screws down tight.
Less
On a biking/camping trip through Catalina Island, I slept on a discarded shower curtain under a simple blanket. Each night before I turned in I gathered a heap of leaves and pine needles to sleep on. It was amusing to the more expansively equipped on the trip — those with mummy bags, specially designed sleeping pads and tents (even I had to admit it was a bit eccentric) — but I slept great for less (less bulk, less weight, less hassle, less expense).
Only two things had me concerned — wart hogs and the buffalo that roamed through our camp at night. Without a tent I was afraid of being routed or stepped on. Neither happened, although a group of buffalo did gather within a few feet to munch on a nearby bush sometime in the wee hours. I simply sat up and kept an eye on them until they left. (They are actually rather docile creatures, nothing like the ferocious beasts in the movies.A loud yell would have sent them scampering.)
My simple sleeping arrangement worked because the weather was warm and dry, there were no crawling bugs in my leaf mattress or flying insects biting and swarming around my head. Sometimes being outside isn’t all that different from being inside (except for the buffalo!). On this particular trip, my Spartan preparations turned out to be the perfect solution for sleep.
Parting Words
● Buy a name brand mummy bag with a tempera - ture rating of 20 degrees or less.
Sleeping Pads
Everything’s perfect. Weather, plans, preparations, your physical and mental well-being. You’ve hiked 10 miles, made camp, prepared a decent meal and it’ s time to turn in. You bundle up in bag and tent and soon you’re sawing Zs. Around 2 a.m. you wake on the hard ground. The sleeping pad has lost air. Sleep after that is intermittent and pocked with wicked dreams. Without a repair kit you can forget about enjoying the rest of your hike. You’ll be counting the days to get back home to a good mattress and a full night’s rest.
You cannot sleep directly on the ground in your bag.You’ll lose heat to the cold ground. Forget about comfort and a good night’s sleep.
Backpackers opt for self-inflating foam mattresses or closedcell foam pads.
The former is constructed of spongy, opencell foam encased in a nylon shell. Closed-cell pads are made of a dense foam filled with enclosed air cells. Do not use air mattresses. They will puncture and become useless.
PROS & CONS Self-inflating foam mattresses
● Excellent insulation. ● Most comfortable.
● Somewhat less bulky than closed-cell pads.
● Relatively heavy.
● More expensive.
● Can puncture, must carry a repair kit.
Closed-cell foam pad
● Good insulation.
● Little cushion.
● Light.
● Inexpensive.
● Indestructible.
● Use as sitting pad in camp.
Pillow
Use stuff sack or fleece pullover filled with clothing.
Parting words
● Buy a closed-cell pad or a self-inflating foam mattress with a repair kit.
● Never use a plain air mattress (the kind kids use in pools).
Get Your Perfect sleeping bag here !!
Get Your Perfect sleeping pad here !!
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