by Tim Guy

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: June 26, 2008

So your going camping this year, and you've decided where you're going, who's coming with you, and how many kitchen sinks you can fit in your backpack!

I bet that the one thing you didn't consider was that when you went to the garage to get your trusty old sleeping bag from your scouting days, it was damp, smelly, and totally un-usable. Sound familiar? Well I've been there, and it was confusing to say the least! So here is a five step guide to the perfect sleeping bag to buy for that trip to the mountains.

First off you must decide on a purpose for your bag, whether it be lightweight to hike with, or durability for climbing trips, everything is made with a purpose. For example if you're going hiking in the mountains in winter you need something that is warm, comfortable, large enough for two people, and durable. Let's face it; you're not going to pack a blanket to sleep in!

You need to think about how warm your sleeping bag is. As of 2005 legislation was introduced as follows:

Sleeping bags that meet the required standard will display 4 temperature ratings:

Upper Limit - highest temperature that a man would have a comfortable night's sleep without sweating.

Comfort - lowest temperature that a woman would have a comfortable night's sleep, lying on her back and relaxed.

Lower Limit - lowest temperature that a man in a rolled up body posture would have a comfortable night's sleep.

Extreme - temperature below which a man could expect strong sensation of cold and maybe actual physical injury from cold (e.g. hypothermia).

So as you can see it's a simple concept, and easy to interpret once you know what each rating means. It's not much help when the label just says Upper limit 25 degrees is it? If you didn't know what an upper limit was then you might have been put off purchasing the bag of your dreams!

Again, think about where you're going and what time of year it is, and even what you may use it for in the future, personally, if I was going camping in the summer in lowlands then I'd choose something light, comfortable and with a fairly decent lower limit. Remember that it's easier to get cooler when you're hot than it is the get warmer when you're cold!

Next up is material. I can almost hear you saying what does it matter if it's made from gortex or wool? Cotton or nylon? Well hang on, because I'm about to tell you.

Now, the subject is split into two sections. Shell fabric is the bag that the sleeping bag is made from and insulation is whatever said bag is stuffed with.

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