Childs Sleeping Bag Temperature Rating

Slecting a sleeping bag for a child is very important becuase you want to make sure they get plenty of sleep and enjoy their camping experience. Childs sleeping bags are sold with temperature ratings that range from approximately +40F to -20F, so you’ll need to select a sleeping bag based on how you sleep (hot, cold or average) using the manufacturer’s temperature rating as a starting point.

The temperature rating of a sleeping bag is the lowest temperature at which an average person will sleep comfortably. So first you need to know what an average sleeper is and how your child compares? The best way to illustrate this is to look at the extremes (hot and cold), so that if you fall in the middle, you are average.

A ‘hot’ sleeper, is someone who typically will sleep covered in nothing more than a sheet, no matter what the temperature. Little boys, like my son, tend to be hot sleepers kicking off all of their blankets reguardless of how cold it is at night.

The opposite, naturally, is the ‘cold’ sleeper. These people are easily recognised by the pile of sheets and quilts needed to remain warm during the night. My daughter is a classic cold sleeper, always keeping the sheets & blankets tight up under her chin (women are typically cold sleepers due to their lower metabolism).

So with this in mind, hot sleepers can select a sleeping bag based on the rating as is possibly even 5 – 10 degrees higher, while cold sleepers should add (actually subtract) an extra 10 – 20 degrees. For example, if you’re a cold sleeper looking for a sleeping bag that will keep you comfortably warm in temperatures as low as 30F, you will want to select one that is temperature rated down to at least 20F (possibly as low as 10F if you really pile on the blankets at night).

By using the manufacturers temperature rating as a guideline, and knowing your sleep type, you can easily select the proper sleeping bag for your outings.

Tagged with: Sleeping Bag Selection • Temperature Rating

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