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Mummy Style

November 12th, 2009 admin No comments

Mummy Style

Choosing The Right Sleeping Bags For Your Camping Style

The Camping Equipment we sell at Outdoor World Direct covers every type of holiday, from home-from-home comfort on a fully equipped touring park, to rugged back-packing on a mountaineering expedition. Some essentials are common to both – sleeping bags, for example.

When you're sleeping under canvas, sleeping bags are essential. A good night's sleep is essential to any holiday, and sleeping bags are the one thing you shouldn't skimp on. If you're used to a loosely thrown duvet and a few feet of clearance space between you and the soil, you'll soon realise how chilly it can get in a canvas tent, even on the warmest of nights.

If your aim is to be "snug as a bug in a rug" you should aim for a mummy-style bag. The hood and tapered shape ensure body warmth is kept in. However, they can be very constricting, so if you're one of those people who toss and turn a lot at night you need a Large Size with plenty of leg length. It is possible to zip Mummy Sleeping bags together, but only if they are compatible.

The cheapest type of Mummy Bag is a traditional "wayfarer" type. Padded with synthetic material or down, these rely on bulk to add warmth and can thus be too large and heavy for backpacking expeditions. Best used as a two-season bag for Summer Camping, they are ideal for young children due to their comfort factor.

All the three-season lightweight mummy sleeping bags don't have the bulk of the cheaper ones – but they're a lot warmer. We at Outdoor World Direct have a range of technically advanced bags by manufacturers like Vango and Coleman, which rely on advanced padding materials and construction. Innovative features like offset double layering and wicking-effect liners trap body warmth and dissipate sweat, keeping you cool in the summer months and warm as toast in the winter. Plus, they roll up to nothing making them ideal for backpacking. If you're using an expedition tent, be sure to buy a Sleeping Bag that is long enough to store your other camping equipment.

Rectangular and semi-Rectangular Sleeping bags are both available in single or multi-season grades, and though they lack the cocooned warmth of mummy sleeping bags, they are better if you hate being enclosed or want the option of sleeping under a duvet. They're also easier to join together, although extra-large and double designs are available. Semi-rectangular bags are tapered, but lack the hood of mummy designs - although some have an optional hood that can also be used as a pillow. Ultra-light rectangular sleeping bags are among the lightest and most compact bags on the market and ideal for hiking expeditions.

As well as the shape of your sleeping bag, you need to look at the padding. Bags are equipped with either synthetic or natural down fill. Down is more compact, whereas synthetic fibres are waterproof and easier to wash – they can lack warmth, however. The sleeping bags we supply at Outdoor World Direct are guaranteed to keep you warm, whether they're natural or synthetic.

About the Author

Emma writes articles on Outdoor World Direct's tents including product guides on Sleeping bags.