Sleeping bags are insulated, lightweight coverings for a person and can be closed with a zipper to form a tube-like shape. They function as beddings when a person has to sleep outdoors, like when you are camping, hiking, hill walking, or climbing.
These bags provide warmth and ensure a good night’s sleep even in the most unusual spots. People simply unpack these bags and sleep inside them in their tents. So how does one make the most out of a sleeping bag? Read on to know more.
1. Shelter and Ground Insulation
These external factors do not depend on you, but they often have the greatest impact on your sleep. As is obvious, shelter is very valuable, even though it is just a sleeping bag.
With reference to ground insulation, make use of sleeping liners and other clothing accessories to add more warmth to the insides of your sleeping bag.
2. Clothing and Liners
As stated above, Liners add the much-needed warmth to your bag and also help in keeping it clean. They help maintain cleanliness by protecting your bag from the invisible sweat and oils that your body secretes.
Pieces of clothing can also be used for the same purpose, and they also prove advantageous by not adding extra weight to your backpack.
However, along with ordinary clothes, if you are prepared to pack clothes that can withstand almost any kind of weather, we suggest you find a bigger backpack. This way, you can fit almost everything you need.
Nonetheless, thermals and underwear are a necessity even in the case of a lighter bag. You can also go further and extend the performance of your sleeping bag much beyond its normal capacity by wearing down your clothes inside.
3. Head and Feet
It is definitely worth keeping your head and feet super warm, especially if you know that you are often liable to cold feet. Use socks for your feet and a woolen hat for your head to add an extra layer of comfort. If it is very cold, you can also rely on a pair of down boots to keep your feet comfortable and warm.
4. Start Warm
Try to keep warm even before you enter the bag to sleep. Take a piece of cloth and wipe your body. If you are surrounded by water, take a dip in the river or lake adjacent to the camp spot. This helps you get rid of the dried sweat after a long day of hiking/walking/climbing and acts as an insulator of heat. It thereby does not let the heat leave your body.
Of course, there are times when this cannot be followed, and the sleeping bag is the only way of warming up your body. But if you can, this is a trick that is worth following.
5. Storage inside your bag
At colder temperatures, the nice and warm environment you create inside your sleeping bag is the ideal location to store cold-sensitive items like gadgets with batteries or any other foods and beverages you want to keep from getting cold.
If you have filled your water bottle with hot water, keep it inside the sleeping bag to let it remain warm and quickly heat up the insides of your bag. Apart from this, you can also enjoy some unfrozen water in the morning.
You
Besides everything, your body is an effective heat engine. Good quality sleeping bags like these from Planet Camping can create an effective barrier against the heat and do not let it escape the insides very quickly.
However, solid food and liquid intake is essential to keep the engine running even in the night. Therefore, make sure to supply the necessary fuel to your engine to keep it warm and cozy all through the night.
Further, tips to help you take care of your bag
- Always remember to store your sleeping bag in a dry location.
- If your bag gets wet, dry it as soon as possible. Please leave it in the sun to get rid of the moistness thoroughly.
- If your sleeping bag gets dirty and it starts losing its insulation capacity, clean it properly to restore its former glory.
- Store it loose at all times.