Sleeping Bag Ratings
Sleeping Bags, like most things today are rated. This enables the totally ignorant like me, to choose one that should keep us from getting frost bite should we decide to risk sleeping in the great outdoors without the protection of our Caravan or luxury Motor Home. Of course, with Adventure Cycling this type of nocturnal arrangement is a pre-requisite along with the hope of a good night's sleep! You can't exactly cycle for miles on end with your face doing a good impression of Droopy Dog now can you?!
So let us try to unravel the wonders of a
sleeping bag shall we? Well there appears to be a number of different types as you will see below:
Sleeping Bag Shapes
Square
sleep bags are the most basic and have the advantage of giving you enough room to be able to move your feet (if like me you don't like being constricted). They also, in some cases can be doubled up should you want to be nice and close to your partner...forget romance and think WARMTH!
Mummy
sleep bags are tapered at the bottom enabling you to be almost swaddled in the warm air that is trapped around you. A rather large caterpillar comes to mind when I look at these, but given they range from single season up to thick expedition and have been designed for sub-zero temperatures then they certainly have their benefits. Again warmth is the name of the game...you can't exactly take your hot water bottle on one of these adventures can you (if only!!)
So you have now chosen the shape of your bag, now it's onto the technical stuff. When choosing your sleeping bag, consider what time of year you're heading out on your trip and whether or not (like me) you are more susceptible to the cold...did I mention that hot water bottle?! As you have probably figured out, being cold is one of my absolute hates, no slinky Pjs for me, give me brushed cotton any day!! However I digress...
Sleeping Bag Season Ratings
Nearly all sleeping bags are rated by season to help you choose the right one for the time of year you are planning your peddling expedition.
1 Season Sleeping Bags are lightweight, compact and ideal for use in hot summer months or when camping abroad and are a great addition to the Adventure Cyclists inventory, if July and August are your preferred dates of travel.
2 Season Sleeping Bags are great for late spring to early autumn and are really your typical family camping bag.
3 Season Sleeping Bags are used from early spring to late autumn.
4 Season
Sleeping Bags are THICK and often down insulated (ooh yes please) and are made for use in the winter months when temperatures can drop below zero. Well normally, but if you read my last Blog you will realise that this doesn't quite ring true at the moment!
5 Season Sleeping Bags are known in the industry as expedition bags for high mountain use and for extremely cold temperatures. These, in my opinion have absolutely no use in Adventure Cycling. I mean who in their right mind is going to cycle up a mountain???! Or have I just shown how lazy I am? Don't answer that one.
Sleeping Bag Comfort Ratings
Comfort ratings offer the completely ignorant the best chance of judging if the bag is right for your own personal body temperature (told you it was technical!) Sleeping bags generally offer a comfort rating and an extreme rating so if you find you don't like the cold (like me) you would opt for a higher comfort rating but do remember these ratings are just a guide and everybody sleeps differently. Plus it's worth remembering that male and females differ quite significantly at night. If you are planning a longer trip a silk liner is also a good idea as they are very lightweight, quick drying and will add a couple of degrees to the rating of your bag. They also help to keep the bag from getting smelly...a HUGE advantage in my book!
The Humble Zip
Although it may seem a trivial point, it is worth mentioning that it is actually very hard to do up a bag if the zip is on the wrong side. So if you are right handed choose a left hand zipped bag and vice versa.
Pack Weight
Although not important if you are caravanning and the car is taking the strain of carrying your new bag, it does become rather significant if you are cycling and have to attach the bag to your backpack, so it's worth noting the weight before choosing. Oh and make sure it's the right length..wouldn't it be dreadful to find half your torso sticking out due to the bag being too short?! For thicker sleeping bags make sure you invest in a compression sack, which will reduce the volume of your packed bag so something quite manageable.
Other Options For Sleeping Bags
Down sleeping bags are typically associated with 4 or 5 Season Bags. These are very warm and may just “over cook” you on a standard camping trip!
Synthetic bags are much more common and come in a great price range from super cheap (like the one I bought my daughter for a Brownie Camp out in the Village Hall!) to more expensive bags. These bags cope better with water so if your tent suddenly develops a leak then you might be glad of one like this in your camping gear!
Women's Sleeping Bags
More technical again, these bags have been developed in order to better fit the female form. They are usually narrower at the shoulders while offering more room for a curved body shape...they think of everything don't they?
Kids Sleeping Bags
And lastly we move onto
sleep bags for our little darlings. Since excess space can mean that warm air is lost, which by association means a grumpy cold child. Children's sleeping bags are by default much shorter in length aiding their insulation and the hope that they will sleep the night through!
So now you have had a quick review of sleeping bags. I hope it has helped to focus your mind on your adventure kit list and enabled you to mentally ditch the idea of the hot water bottle in favour of a technically superior and warmer night's sleep. Check out the
sleeping bags we stock to see if there is one right for you.
Keep an eye open for my next Blog – roll mats, airbeds, pumps and sleeping accessories to complete your night time paraphernalia.
