We are reasonably new to camping and still using the sleeping bags that my family used for indoors sleeping when I was a child! Having camped last night, we realise we need something a little warmer but really don't know where to start. Hoping at this time of year we might get some good bargains.
We want to be able to camp from April to October - does that count as 3 seasons? We have children, but budget is tight, so were considering adult bags for them to grow into!
Even if your budgets are tight : the best is always to buy what you can afford and its better to be too warm than cold : so buy a 4 season if you can (have a look at the go discover outdoors (Wigan) they always have some could bargains : and we did buy a youths sleeping bag (from argos really cheap and warm) and he has just out grown it. He is now 13 and stands 5ft 3" !
But we did have a little baby bag which was bought for him when he was 8mths old and we tied a belt round the bottom of the bag : effectively making it smaller but we were concerned that the bag would contain a lot of cold air : so it might be better to get smaller bags (easier to stay warm in )
If there are two of you (and you don't mind sharing) we have found a coleman hudson bag excellent, this has been great compared to mummy style bags which we found restrictive getting in and out of, they are longer than average, and are really warm for 3 seasons so having initially made a mistake with mummy style bag now we are very pleased with this bag.
One thing is that in cooler months you may be best with a wooly hat as this can be a problem if the bag does not have a hood but having said that if you are tall the average mummy bag will be difficult to get your head into the hood so beware of this problem.
A lot of posts will recommend that you take into account heat loss through your head in a tent in colder weather and in our experience this is where you can feel the cold when the rest of you is warm.
We've given up on sleeping bags altogether - I'm 6' 3" and can't fit in a mummy bag and neither of us can stand the restricted movement. In cool weather we lay on a summer weight duvet and use a winter duvet on top of us. Bliss!
Some adult sized bags, (Snugpak springs to mind), have clips which effectively shorten the length of the bag, so that small people can't slip down into the lower depths and get lost for ever.
A good simple idea, which could be added to any bag, if you know how to use a needle and thread.
I agree with all of the advice here too. I've heard several people say duvets work really well but that depends on how you camp and how much you can take with you. The higher season bag is also better as you are much better off too warm than too cold and finally the woolly hat is an essential item for me.
Don't forget though that it's not only your sleeping bag that keeps you warm. You also need to consider what you're sleeping on in order to insulate you from the ground where you can lose a lot of heat. Better insulation here can make a huge difference to your sleeping bag comfort.
You'll also need to think about what to wear too. Try and cover your extremities wherever you lose heat from the most, feet, head and hands so along with the woolly hat try socks and in colder conditions gloves. I don't know what other people wear in bed but I use track suit bottoms and a loose fitting top or t shirt. I personally don't go for pajamas because if nature calls in the middle of the night I prefer not to show people my nelly the elephant fluffy cotton pj's. Plus the good thing about wearing warm clothes is that you can always take off some of it if you get too warm. I find just removing my hat normally helps to regulate my temperature but then again I love to be toasty!
Try not to get too cold before you go to bed. I've read somewhere that before it gets too cold at night some people put on their bed clothes under their normal clothes so they stay warm outside and makes going to bed easier and warmer too, which seems a sound idea.
Finally, if you do find yourself struggling with warmth, from experience you can get some pretty surprising ground frosts so try taking some reusable hand warmers for that extra boost if needed.
Sorry this is so long but I hope it helps.
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I have tried several sleeping bags, the mummy is warmest but I can't cope with being too tight. I actually find a Tesco sleeping bag works fine. Though I also add a 'throw' for real warmth. I camp in good and bad weather, though its worth noting that hot days usually have very cold nights. My advice, don't go to bed wearing everything, add things if needed in the night. The tighter the bag you can cope with the warmer it will be. Putting a throw on top adds warmth more than you might expect.
We have Vango astra sleeping bags.You must make up layers though.What you have underneath you also have on top.Fleece blankets stitched across the bottom and up the side just a bit.
This is my set up:
picnic mat, air bed ,thin blanket, fitted sheet, bottom of sleeping bag.fleece blanket,us, another 1 or 2 blankets then zip up.
PJ's on well before turning in ans if still cold my stripy hat or hoodie.
Using a sleeping bag liner, in my case hand made stitched up fleecs blankets means i dont have to wash my sleeping bags.Which is bad for them as it knackers the filling up over time.
Hang them on the line for a while to freshen up when you get home.