How to choose a sleeping bag for camping?

Your choice of sleeping bag should depend on your activities. When we talk of camping, we generally talk about car camping or backpacking. 

Car camping is about sleeping in a tent while keeping your camping gear and other stuff in a car nearby. When you have a car with you, it is not really necessary to worry about the weight or compactness of your sleeping bag. You should focus more on comfort so that you get restful sleep at night.

However, if you plan to trek or hike on your camping trip, it means spending several hours in the wilderness while carrying your camping gear on your back. If this is your idea of camping, you need something that is lightweight and compact.

Here are a few sleeping bags you may consider depending on your activity:

Camping sleeping bags are designed for comfort. They offer more room to move about and are cozy and comfortable to give you a good night's sleep. They are heavier and bulkier and are definitely not designed to be hauled around in your backpack for long distances.

Since they are extremely comfortable, they are perfect for family car camping trips and other country sojourns. They are also quite inexpensive since they are not very technical. You can pick a sleeping bag in any shape that you like. 

As long as you get the temperature rating right for the season of the year, you can pick any sleeping bag that you feel is comfortable. We will discuss the temperature ratings later in the post.

Picking a rectangular sleeping bag gives you more room to move around. Also, down filling is expensive but will last you for a long time. Synthetic fills are cheaper, but not as long-lasting.

We recommend the Arpenaz 10 if you plan to camp solo and the Arpenaz 10, which is ideal for two people.

If you plan to trek or hike weight and compressibility should be your prime considerations. You do not want your sleeping bag taking up a lot of space in your backpack.

Also, you will be on your feet for a long time. You do not want to be lugging around a lot of weight. The lighter your sleeping bag, the easier it is for you.

The right backpacking sleeping bag should be able to strike the right balance between compressibility, weight, and warmth.

Again, you have to be mindful of the temperature rating. If you are shopping for a sleeping bag, look for one that is lightweight but warm enough to keep you comfortable. Ideally, your sleeping bag should weigh about one kg or so.

If you are backpacking in 15°C or above temperatures, the Trek 500 15°C sleeping bag is a great choice. For temperatures between 10°C and 15°C, the Trek500 10°C  is highly recommended.

If you plan to backpack in a cold area where the temperatures are between 0°C and 10°C, go for the Trek500 0°C sleeping bag.

If you are the adventurous sort who likes mountain climbing, picking the right sleeping bag is extremely important. Your sleeping bag should be a lot like a backpacking sleeping bag, but warmer and water resistant.

Keeping warm in alpine environments is important, which is why these sleeping bags use the best insulation possible. The shell material would also be water resistant but breathable at the same time. Some may even come with water repellant coatings that are useful in areas where the moisture level is high.

For alpine climbing or mountaineering sleeping bags, your focus should be on high-quality insulation and water resistance while keeping the sleeping bag lightweight. Since these bags use top-quality materials, they also tend to be pricier than regular sleeping bags.

If you plan on mountaineering in temperatures 10°C or above, we recommend the Trek 900 10°C. For colder places where the temperature ranges between 0°C and 10°C, the Trek 900 0°C is a great buy.