Choosing Sleeping Bags and Tents

Sleeping bags and tents are essential camping gear for overnight hikes. A flimsy tent or inappropriate sleeping bag can mean the difference between a successful camping trip and one that's uncomfortable and frustrating. Before you buy sleeping bags or tents for camping, understand your options and what you'll need.

Comparing Sleeping Bags

When you're comparing sleeping bags, consider shape, shell material, fill material and comfort ratings.

Shape determines a bag's insulation efficiency, bulkiness and interior room. Shapes include:

• Mummy-style sleeping bags, which have a tapered cut that provides excellent insulation, resulting in a lighter and less bulky bag with comparable heat-trapping capabilities. Mummy-style bags are ideal for camping in cold weather and high elevations.
• Rectangular sleeping bags, which tend to be bulkier and heavier than other options and provide less heat insulation. However, these bags provide more room for different sleeping positions and can be unzipped and used as blankets.
• Semi-rectangular sleeping bags, which are a combination of mummy and rectangular bags. They are less bulky than rectangular bags and roomier than mummy bags.

Shell materials vary in their levels of windproofing, waterproofing, breathability, weight and ruggedness.

Fill materials can be down or synthetic. Down-filled sleeping bags take up little space and tend to be light and very warm, but they're expensive and don't dry easily if they get wet. Synthetic bags are hypoallergenic, dry quickly, and are less expensive than down bags, but they tend to be bulky and heavy, and they don't trap heat as well. If you're a beginning hiker and you won't be camping in very cold temperatures, you probably just need a simple synthetic sleeping bag.

Sleeping bags are given a comfort rating, which is the approximate lowest temperature for which the bag is designed. When looking at this comfort rating, consider whether you're sleeping inside a tent, your natural tendency to be warm or cold, your weight and clothing.

Comparing Tents for Camping

When it comes to tents for camping, there are four main categories:

• Three-season tents can be used in the spring, summer and fall, and can withstand several inches of snow.
• Four-season tents can be used year-round, and are designed for harsh winter weather. They can withstand heavy snowfall and high winds.
• Convertible tents are year-round tents that can be converted from four-season tents to three-season tents by using fewer poles. They often feature detachable vestibules and closeable mesh screens.
• Summer/warm weather tents are made mostly of mesh to provide maximum ventilation.

Tents are given capacity ratings, based on how many people they can comfortably hold. Higher capacity tents tend to be heavier; consider the tent's weight if you're hiking long distances.

Tent shapes affect weight, interior room and stability. Tent shapes include:

• Dome tents, which are wind-resistant, aerodynamic, provide ample headroom and are freestanding.
• Single-wall tents, which are lightweight and have minimal features.
• Tunnel tents, which are lightweight and ideal for long-distance hikes. Their wedge shape is wind-resistant and provides ample interior room.