Cheap Sleeping Bags
A lot of people may object if I say, “Cheap is best.”
But you know, sometime cheap really can be the best. There are a lot of affordable things that have good quality and sleeping bags happens to be one of them. Why spend too much if you can just spare a few bucks for an equally sturdy material? This is so true for sleeping bags. There are a lot of reasonably priced sleeping bags to choose from, you just have to know where to look and which one to go for.
If you are looking for cheap sleeping bags, the synthetic sleeping bags are the ones to go for. In general, they are inexpensive compared to Down sleeping bags, and are easier to clean and dry. A synthetic sleeping bag is firm and elastic. It also provides warmth even when the bag is soaked.
A lot of synthetic sleeping bags are heavy and bulky. Recently, however, there are new types of synthetic fills that can be as light and as compact as down without losing their attributes in a wet environment. In addition, they do not form clumps like down sleeping bags. This type of sleeping bag is best used in sailing, caving, or rainforest camping.
To ensure that a low-priced sleeping bag has good quality, there are certain factors to consider before purchase:
Fill – this measures how much space is occupied by down or synthetic material stuffing (in cubic inches), thereby determining the insulation of the sleeping bag. In general, the more fill, the better its insulation. On the other hand, too much fill means a heavy sleeping bag.
Construction – it ensures the equal distribution of the stuffing for uniform insulation in the entire sleeping bag.
Resilience – the ability of the sleeping bag to fluff up to its shape when removed from its sack, and then easily compressed back to its compact size after use.
Comfort – the comfort of a sleeping bag depends on the construction, the fill, the resilience (including the ability to retain shape and insulation even when the person sleeping on it is tossing and turning), and the heat-retention features (e.g. hoods, collars, etc.).
Three-season synthetic sleeping bags weighing just below three pounds are recommendable. These may be used during spring, summer, and fall (Hence, the name three-season). Below are four top brands:
- Primaloft
- Polarguard HV
- Lite Loft
- Microloft
Cheap sleeping bags like the usual synthetic sleeping bags can have a price tag between $26 up to a $160. The new synthetic fills have price tags ranging from $150 to $200.
In the end, there’s really a way of enjoying both quality and affordability.