Camping is a fun activity that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Therefore, you need to pack the proper food and equipment for camping. However, humans are not perfect and can make mistakes which might include accidentally leaving things back home but the main item that one must not forget to bring is a sleeping bag or else you will be spending the rest of the nights sleeping on the cold ground which will definitely ruin the whole camping experience for you.
Even after you do bring a sleeping bag, you could run into several problems with maintaining it. Well, look no further, as we will discuss how to keep your sleeping bag dry and help you keep your sleeping bag dry and warm during winter. We also suggest you learn how to stay warm in a pop camper, it will be really beneficial during your camping.
Your sleeping bag is very important compared to the rest of the stuff you need to bring, as it acts as the mattress and blanket for you when you need to go to sleep. Without it, you will have to sleep on the ground, which might not be completely flat and will be cold due to the weather.
If you sleep without any blanket, you will be a possible patient for hypothermia, as it is easy to catch hypothermia like a moth to a flame. Even after you sleep in a sleeping bag, if you don’t take care of it properly, you might get hypothermia the next morning due to the cold weather outside.
Without further ado, let us see which type of sleeping bag can stay dry the most and protect you during winter.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR SLEEPING BAG DRY
TRY 2 TYPES OF SLEEPING BAG
1. Synthetic bags:
Camping in dripping weather means you definitely need to get a synthetic sleeping bag. They are made of strong plastic fibers, which is highly beneficial as they can easily repel water than a down sleeping bag, which is created using feathers. Since they are made of plastic, the water cannot penetrate the inside of the bag and stays on the surface, which makes it easy to evaporate and dry off easily and faster. They are also considerably cheaper in the market.
Aside from all these benefits, it also has some problems. They are very bulky, and they are very hard to pack up. They are also surprisingly very delicate and do not last long enough, which means you will need to buy several. Furthermore, they are also not that comfy and don’t provide much warmth, but they do provide warmth for a longer period of time during wet conditions due to their water-resistant properties.
2. Down bags:
To make this type of sleeping bag, feathers are extracted from the wispy plumage feathers, which are detected underneath a water bird’s exterior body. They are usually extracted from geese. These feathers are also used to make insulated jackets and duvets. These kinds of the sleeping bag’ warmth is measured using Fill Power which I won’t be telling you now as I will need to write another article on the mechanics of how Fill Power is measured but to put it into simple words, more Fill Power means warmer sleeping bags.
These bags are much better when it comes to durability as they can survive for several years due to their capability of compressing easily and not wrecking the bottom interior.
They provide much more warmth, are lightweight, and are more compressible. They also provide more comfort compared to synthetic bags. These bags however does not perform well around wet conditions as when they get damp, the bottom starts to thicken and starts to lose insulation. There are ways of fixing this by applying water-resistant chemicals, but they do not hold on for a long period of time.
Now, let us discuss the possible ways to make sure our sleeping bags can stay warm and dry while camping in the wild.
ANOTHER 5 POSSIBLE WAYS TO KEEP YOUR SLEEPING BAG DRY
Using a sleeping bag cover:
To protect our phones from harm, we put them in a protective cover just so that they won’t get wet or get scratches. Just like that, we need to store our sleeping bags in their own protective cover to make sure it stays dry and clean. We also have to make sure there is proper breathability inside the bag or else you will end up creating a mini swimming pool inside the bag due to condensation.
If you want to make your own type of cover, you can always use your raincoat and wrap it around your sleeping bag, which will provide protection against dew and other watery situation and keep the sleeping bag dry as raincoats are made to be water-resistant.
Having a liner:
Using a liner while camping during rainy climates can be highly beneficial; as it will make sure your sleeping bag is dry and prevent it from soaking up. You can also use a double liner if possible as that will provide more protection and that is a necessary need if the weather is too supreme wet. You can just simply put the sleeping bag in a new and clean trash bag and seal it up with a liner, and sleeping bags can easily compress and fit inside without any hassle.
Meddling with the water on the surface:
Since your sleeping bag is made up of synthetic or feather materials, water beads will form on the surface of your sleeping bag due to dew. This also proves that the water-resistive properties of your sleeping bag are working at their finest.
However, you must resist all urges to touch that water beads as if you touch or wipe them done, then you will end up disturbing the process which might push the water through the water-resistant shields and might even probe them deeper into your sleeping bag. Instead, do not disturb the water and then either roll off from the surface or evaporate under the sun and head back to the atmosphere.
Hang up your bag:
You cannot always protect your sleeping bag from the morning dew, so after your sleeping bag gets wet, how will you get it back to its dried condition? The answer is easy as all you have to do it hang it up somewhere high in an open area where there’s plenty of sunlight available and then wait for it to dry up. Synthetic bags tend to dry faster due to it’s plastic fibers than down bags. Hanging up your sleeping bag can also clear out crumbs of dirt from inside, as it will be upside-down and gravity will do its work.
Ventilation:
Your sleeping bag needs some airflow inside it to clear the mephitis that is present inside it. It also requires some airflow to prevent condensation inside the sleeping bag. Therefore, the next time you wake up, try to take your tent outside and make sure airflow passes through it and clears up unwanted guests in it but make sure that it does not get dirty.
FAQs:
1. What sleeping bag should I buy?
Answer: We suggest you choose two types of sleeping bags.
- Synthetic bag
- Down Bag
2 . How often should you wash sleeping bags?
Answer: It depends on how often you go outings or camping as it gets dirt during camping as well as smells stink, so we advise you to wash your sleeping bag every time after coming back from camping. We have seen several online suggestions not to wash your sleeping for more than once a year. But we do not suggest you do that at all.
3 . What are the benefits of using the synthetic sleeping bag??
- Made of strong plastic so that easily repel water .
- Water cannot penetrate it .
- Cheaper in the market.
4. How long do down sleeping bags last?
Answer: It depends on what type of sleeping bag we are choosing or buying for camping and outdoor activities. There are a few aspects to be considered here –
- Built Quality -if the build quality is good then easily it lasts 2 to 3 years . In that case, we recommend down bags, but they are a bit expensive.
- Usage-Usage is also another reason for lasting long time . So it depends on how many times we are using same sleeping bags different camping .
- Weather-Weather is another crucial reason for lasting sleeping bag longer time . If you use the same sleeping bag under harsh weather, that means under very hot and dry weather on the hand using it under rainy weather than this sleeping bag won’t last long
5. Why do you need a sleeping bag liner?
Answer: It will make sure your sleeping bag is dry and prevent it from soaking up. You can also use a double liner if possible as that will provide more protection and that is a necessary need if the weather is too supreme wet
Conclusion:
Well, most of the time, we would prefer to blame the wet sleeping bag rather than blaming our bad habits which led to it being wet and ruining expensive sleeping bags. So, from next time onwards, let us follow the proper rules and regulations on how to keep a sleeping bag dry and make sure to have a fun experience while camping. Happy Camping!
