Sleeping Bags

USA CAMPSITE, CAMPING, HIKING

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping Bags, camping bags, inflatable bags, child's bag, double bags, bag liners, mummy bags, fleece bags, kelty bags, lightweight bags, ultra-lightweight bags, down bags, air mattress, pads, for sale bags, and cheap and discount bags are offered in this section. A bag provides warmth and insulation protection to the sleeper. It protects against adverse weather exposure such as rain, wind and, of course, cold weather. While many people sleep in a bag directly on the ground surface, others will use a mat, air mattress or pad to improve the comfort of the sleeper. A basic bag is simply a blanket with a zipper on two sides allowing it to be folded in half and secured in position. This works well for most camping needs but is inadequate under more demanding circumstances. The second major type of bag is called the mummy bag because of its tapered shape, fitted drawstrings, and synthetic fill.

The basic sleeping bag consists of the inner liner and cover, and a zipper on two sides. The bags are square or rectangular depending on the size of the bag. The basic design of the bag works well for most camping needs but is inadequate under more demanding circumstances. The second major type of sleeping bag, the mummy bag, has characteristics that are shown below:

It tapers from the head end to the foot end, reducing its volume and surface area, and improving its overall heat retention properties.

It usually does not unzip all the way to the feet. The zipper is a weak point in any bag's insulating qualities. Together with the tapered shape, this design feature helps protect the feet.

It usually has a drawstring at the head end, to help prevent the escape of warm air.

A mummy bag often cannot be rolled like a rectangular bag. Instead, it is simply stuffed into a stuff sack or compression sack.

Many different insulating materials are available. Outdoorsmen usually prefer either synthetic fill or down.

Synthetic fill does not readily absorb water, dries easily, and provides some warmth even when thoroughly soaked.

Down fill weighs less than synthetic and retains heat better, but usually costs more. Down must be kept dry; a soaked down bag may provide even less insulation than no bag at all.

Other materials, cotton and wool, have also been used in the bags. Wool repels water nicely and resists compression, but weighs a lot. Cotton suffers from high water retention and significant weight but has low cost.