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7. Choosing a Sleeping Bag
Choosing a sleeping bag is next in importance after your tent. Like your tent, your sleeping bag
can be one of many types depending mostly on personal preferences and outside temperature.
The shape, roominess and fabric feel should be tried just as you would try out a new mattress at
home. Sometimes the weather will be warm and dry, so you might not even need a sleeping bag,
just a light cover as you would at home. Other times, the cool night air will dictate a warm bag or
combination of warm clothes and warm bag.
Style and Shape
Unless you are backpacking where weight is the overriding factor, you can choose
whatever shape you like. Most manufacturers offer two basic shapes, rectangular and
mummy, plus some variations of each.
The most common bag is the rectangular style. It is roomy and comfortable inside, and can
be opened and used as a comforter on warm nights. Many rectangular bags can be opened
and zipped together to make a double size bag - great for very young kids and especially
good for parents!
The mummy style is meant to wrap tightly around the sleeper, so it will provide maximum
warmth with minimum weight. If you will be camping in cold weather, like 40 degrees and
below, you might want to consider the mummy. This efficiency will also keep the bag's
weight to a minimum, making this style the best choice if you will be backpacking. Not
everyone likes the confines of the mummy, so you might want to try one before buying.
Variations on these include the "barrel" shape, which is a mummy with extra space in the
middle. This is a good compromise if you want a mummy's warmth but need a little space
for comfort. There is also a "tapered" shape, which is a rectangular bag that gets narrow
towards the feet.
Size
All styles of bags can be bought in three lengths, junior, standard and extra long. The
juniors are for small children. If weight is not importance, I suggest you get a standard
