Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Is Your Sleeping Bag Lying To You? Maybe
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Hi ya'll! It's been a while—I know. I've been back from Australia for a couple of weeks now, and life has been busy, busy. I turned 32 the day after I returned, and for the next week, my sleep schedule was not at all aligned. It's probably the worst I've slept since I was 1. And then it's been catching up on life, writing new articles, and starting to book summer travel. (I have some AMAZING places I think you'll love seeing and learning about.) But after exploring the Northern Territory, we headed down to Tasmania (I'll have a photo newsletter soon), and it was fantastic. For those who enjoy mountains, hiking, and lakes, this is a really cool place to explore! Today, though, I wanted to talk about sleeping bags, how to choose them, and a few options. This was fun and interesting to research, and I hope you'll learn a thing or two as well! What Your Sleeping Bag's Temperature Rating Really MeansHave you ever woken up in the middle of the night camping or backpacking, a little cold, and wondering why you aren’t warm in your cozy sleeping bag that should definitely be warm enough for the temperatures outside? While the world of sleeping bags is much more regulated now than, say, 40 years ago, it is far less precise than we expect or think. But that’s not a nefarious ploy. It’s just how life is with 8 billion different people on planet Earth, all regulating their own temperature slightly differently. What Does Your Sleeping Bag Temperature Rating Mean?When you look at a sleeping bag’s temperature rating, you might be confused by all the numbers. I have been, too. My The North Face sleeping bag has three examples of levels. It all depends on how warm or cold you are as a sleeper. Comfort Rating Vs. Lower Limit RatingIf you look closely at a sleeping bag’s temperature rating, you’ll see the comfort and lower limits. These are kind of what they sound like. REI writes:
Why they use “comfort” for womenResearch has consistently demonstrated physiological differences between genders, revealing that the “average woman” tends to feel colder in the same conditions as the “average man.” Therefore, the comfort rating, which indicates the suitable temperature for colder sleepers, was established as the appropriate specification for women’s sleeping bags. This standard remains in use for women’s bags in the industry today. Top Backpacking Bags on the MarketI personally have a 15F Ultralight bag from Big Anges, which I think makes great bags. But there are plenty of other brands that make top-tier products, too.
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Hi! I'm Alec, an outdoor writer, photographer, and content creator.
Alec Sills-Trausch
Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Huge sales don’t come around often, and if you’re a camper or backpacker, you know how expensive high-quality tents can be. At $400, $500, or even $600 a tent, it’s a sizeable investment and a big decision for most folks. That’s why outdoors people should jump at the deals for the pricier items when sales come around. In this case, grabbing some backpacking tents. If you can save $200 on a tent just by buying it now versus in 10 days, it’s a brilliant financial move! Full transparency: I own...
Today is the start of the 2024 REI Anniversary Sale. It's the biggest of the year, and top brands are up to 30% off (or more if you look at the REI Outlet. Members also get 20% off one full-priced item and one REI outlet item. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be back next week with more gear picks. My Picks For the Sale I wrote a big article that highlights 32 great deals, but I'll share my seven favorites below! 1. Ignik Gas Growler Deluxe - 25% off A big backyard propane tank...
Note: Hi! You might notice this is coming from a different email address. Don't fret; it is still me. With email rules changing, I moved to an email hosted via my website, which looks more official. Hopefully, the email gods smile down on me. The weather's warming up, and backpacking season will be here before you know it! Some of you surely have all your gear lined up and ready to go, but others may need a few additions or be totally new to backpacking. If the latter is you, I know how...