{"id":1145,"date":"2019-07-05T18:42:03","date_gmt":"2019-07-06T00:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carcampingtips.com\/?p=1145"},"modified":"2021-11-19T06:35:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T12:35:16","slug":"sleeping-bag-for-summer-camping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/sleeping-bag-for-summer-camping\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need a Sleeping Bag for Summer Camping?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summer is the perfect time to head outside and go camping. Verdant forests and refreshing lakes invite us to explore while clear warm nights tempt us into blissful stargazing. But considering how warm those nights can be, you might wonder if you can save space or weight and leave your sleeping bag at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Summer nights are still too cold to sleep outdoors without a sleeping bag in many locations. Sleeping bags are recommended for temperatures below 64\u00b0F (~18\u00b0C). Hypothermia can occur at 50\u00b0 F or even higher temperatures. There are, however, other options than sleeping bags for cold temperatures.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I Really Need a Sleeping Bag for the Summer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is so tempting to save space and\nweight and leave your bulky sleeping bag home, but you may quickly find you\nregret that decision. Sleeping bags exist for more than your comfort. They are\na safety item that can mean the difference between a dangerous situation and\nhaving a wonderful time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes, you need to bring something to sleep in, even for\nsummer camping, but it might not have to be your sleeping bag.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Need A Sleeping Bag For Camping At All?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are camping in weather 64 degrees Fahrenheit and above, you do not need a sleeping bag and will be fine with a couple of blankets.<\/strong>
If the weather is below 64 degrees you should invest in a sleeping bag.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, there is no one specific temperature that is the cut-off for whether or not you should bring your sleeping bag. You can always pile on more blankets. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, at some point, it becomes more cost and weight-efficient to use a sleeping bag rather than bringing a bunch of blankets to your campsite.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypothermia, a situation where the\nbody loses heat faster then it can be produced, is a serious condition which\ncan lead to delirium, unconsciousness, and death if left untreated. A healthy\nadult can experience hypothermia in temperatures as mild as 50-degrees\nFahrenheit. So you might think that if the temperature is forecast to be above\n50-degrees, you should be all set. But it isn\u2019t that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one, weather is always changeable,\nand what is predicted to be a mild night might end up becoming a blustery\nevening, which will make you feel colder. The wind causes increased heat loss,\nso without something to bundle up in, you\u2019ll be susceptible to hyperthermia at\na warmer temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water, including air humidity and even\nperspiration in your clothing (especially cotton), is another factor that can\nsap your warmth. Water as warm as 70-degrees F can cause hypothermia if you\nremain in it too long. So if you go swimming late in the day or at night and\ncan\u2019t adequately dry off or get warm, you may also start shivering, which is\nthe beginning stages of hypothermia. Humidity, or moisture in the air, can have\na similar result, making you feel colder than the thermometer reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One last factor is altitude. If you\nare hiking and camping at a higher elevation, the air temperature will, in most\ncases, also be colder, especially if it is a clear night perfect for star\ngazing. So, while the forecast down in the valley looks warm and inviting, you\nmight find you need gloves and a hat to stay warm up in the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worst case, if you bring your sleeping bag and it’s not that cold, your sleeping bag makes a great pad to sleep on top of and gain some extra comfort. So there really is no loss to have one along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should You Look For In A Sleeping Bag?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might need to bring a sleeping\nbag, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that massive sleeping roll that you\u2019d carry on a\nfall or winter camping trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most summer sleeping bags are slimmer\nand pack down into small bundles. Look for a sleeping bag that has a rating of\n40\u00ba F and up. Also, look at the material the bag is made from; a synthetic fill\nmaterial will keep you warm even if it gets wet. A down-filled sleeping bag\npacks smaller and is lighter weight, but won\u2019t help you out if you or the\nfeather filling gets wet, though many new and quality models offer some\nwater-resistant coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to stay away from a sleeping\nbag made from cotton. Not only will it absorb moisture, including your own\nsweat and the humidity in the air or ground, once it is damp it will start\ndrawing heat from your body, exasperating, instead of preventing, any heat\nloss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to know that\nalthough a bag has a degree rating, it does not mean you will be comfortable to\nthat listed specification.  If you are a\ncold sleeper, even a 40-degree bag may not be enough, so a 20 or 30-degree bag\nmay be more appropriate. I\u2019m definitely one of these types, needing something\nwarm and toasty on any night below 60 degrees!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Some Sleeping Bag Alternatives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, if you need to have something to\nkeep warm, what are some good choices? You might think that having a fire will\nbe sufficient, but unless you plan on staying up all night to keep it going,\nyou will find those early morning hours awfully chilly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of pulling an all-nighter and\nspending the next day in a sleep-deprived fog, which makes your camping a lot\nless fun, there are a few alternative things you can toss in with your gear\ninstead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping Bag Alternatives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Sleeping Quilt<\/li>
  • Sleeping Bag Liner<\/li>
  • Wool Blanket<\/li>
  • Bivvy Sack<\/li>
  • Sufficient Outdoor Clothing (such as\ninsulated puffy jacket, hat, gloves, and extra socks)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    A sleeping quilt looks and functions\nvery much like a sleeping bag. The difference is sleeping quilts usually don\u2019t\nhave a zipper, are generally cheaper and lighter, and actually, have a higher\nwarmth-to-weight ratio. So if you are looking for something very lightweight\nbut with the warmth that you\u2019ll need while not taking up much room, this is a\ngreat alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A sleeping bag liner is a good idea,\neven with a sleeping bag. A simple silk or thermolite liner can bunch up into a\nbag smaller than your coffee cup and is much easier to wash than your entire\nsleeping bag. But on their own, a heavier weight liner, normally used to add\nextra warmth to a winter sleeping bag, might be the perfect alternative to your\nsleeping bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, there isn\u2019t anything better\nthan a good, old-fashioned wool blanket, except possibly for a new and often\nsofter one. Wool will keep you warm even if it and you are both soaked. Make\ncertain the blanket is 100% wool (not a cotton blend) and big enough to cover\nyou from head to toe as well as top and bottom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A bivvy sack is actually a very small,\nsingle person tent and not a bag at all. However, since they fit so snuggly,\nthey warm up very quickly and might be sufficient to keep you from being\nuncomfortable overnight. Plus, they offer protection from insects, which also\ntend to like the warmer summer weather!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are just heading out for a\nsingle overnight trip and you are reasonably certain the weather will be mild,\na good thermal jacket, especially one with some waterproofing and a hood, along\nwith gloves, a hat, and thick socks might be enough to see you through. Of\ncourse, you might look a little odd carrying your late fall jacket and gear to\nyour next summer outing, but you\u2019ll be happy when you manage to stay warm and\ncozy without your sleeping bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While it might not be a sleeping bag,\na sleeping pad is also a good piece of equipment to bring along. Not only do\nthese help you stay comfortable, having the barrier between you and the ground\nwill help keep you warmer as a considerable amount of heat is lost through the\nground. With a sleeping pad, you might be able to get away with an even lighter\nweight bag than without one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Should You Wear in a Sleeping Bag?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you are warm and trying to use your\nsummer sleeping bag, you might be tempted to forgo clothing at all, but for\nyour sleeping bag that isn\u2019t the best option. Sleeping bags can be a bit of a\npain to wash, and any that has a coating may require special handling such as\nno detergent or it will lose its waterproofness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is best to sleep in a sleeping bag\nliner to keep your sleeping bag clean. This keeps things like your dirty feet\nseparated from your bag. However, if you don\u2019t have a liner, the next best\nalternative is thin socks and comfortable pajamas. It is still best to avoid\ncotton since it can actually cause heat loss. Instead, look for\nmoisture-wicking fabrics used for athletic gear such as yoga or running shirts\nand pants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With these tips, you should spend your\nnext summer night camping out in comfort so you can wake up ready for more\nadventure the next day. Have fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Summer is the perfect time to head outside and go camping. Verdant forests and refreshing lakes invite us to explore while clear warm nights tempt us into blissful stargazing. But<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,28],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":24,"label":"Camping"},{"value":6,"label":"Sleeping"},{"value":28,"label":"Weather"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/sleeping-bag-summer-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Peter","author_link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/author\/outsidedecider\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":24,"name":"Camping","slug":"camping","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":24,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":132,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":24,"category_count":132,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Camping","category_nicename":"camping","category_parent":0},{"term_id":6,"name":"Sleeping","slug":"sleeping","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":24,"count":28,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1","cat_ID":6,"category_count":28,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Sleeping","category_nicename":"sleeping","category_parent":24},{"term_id":28,"name":"Weather","slug":"weather","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":28,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":24,"count":13,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":28,"category_count":13,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Weather","category_nicename":"weather","category_parent":24}],"tag_info":false,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1145"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7238,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145\/revisions\/7238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}