Sleeping bags have a big impact on how much you enjoy a camping trip. Even one cold, damp night can ruin an entire trip and sour you to the camping experience. The right bag depends on a number of factors, chief among them the conditions that will be found where you are camping. While camping in warmer climates may not require heavy duty camping equipment, more temperate areas generally require thick, well insulated bags.

When determining the temperature for which your bag should be indicated, it is important to consult the average night time low temperature. Many areas will remain comfortable throughout the day with temperatures dropping precipitously once the sun goes down. This is doubly true for areas that are heavily wooded or near a large body of water. For this reason, one should not only consult the forecast for the days that they will be camping, but the average yearly temperatures for their vacation spot. This will give a more complete picture of the conditions that are expected, even if the forecast changes after you pack.

Bags are generally divided by the temperature ranges for which they are designed. The lower the temperatures in which they may be used, the thicker they generally are. Campers should also be aware that bags indicated for use in low temperature conditions tend to be on the upper end of the price scale, so campers are not advise to get bags that are far thicker than they will actually need. One should also make sure that any bags they purchase can be machine washed, as this will ensure that they will be used for many trips to come.

Finding sleeping bags indicated for the conditions that you will encounter on your trip can make all the difference. They make it possible to get a good night's sleep, where ever you set up camp.