Backpacking Sleeping Bags – 4 Useful Tips To Purchase The Right One

As the modern-day equivalent of the ancient explorers, the backpacker will be exposed to all kinds of climatic conditions on many different types of terrain. He or she must be self-sufficient and prepared for the worst at all times. And preparedness starts before leaving home, with the selection of backpacking gear. Of particular importance is your backpacking sleeping bag. Not getting a excellent nights rest can lead to mistakes that can mean the difference between enjoying that view of the sunset from a mountain ridge and seeing that same sunset from a Search and Rescue helicopter.

1. The Backpacking Sleeping Bag – All Sleeping Bags Are Not Made Equal

Before choosing a sleeping bag, it can be helpful to know what some of the key differences are between the backpacking sleeping bag and other sleeping bags. The needs of a backpacker lead to special considerations that the backpacker must address:

The backpacking sleeping bag must be light. A typical backpacker will already be carrying food, extra clothing for rain or snow, fire-starting and cooking gear, flashlights, water bottles, first aid supplies and other survival gear, and any special equipment for traversing the terrain the backpacker will be in, such as ropes, pitons, etc. Adding a 25 pound sleeping bag to this load can make the weight unmanageable for someone not blessed with a Herculean physique.

It must be simple to store. The backpacking sleeping bag should roll into the smallest space possible, for simple stowage and maneuvering. A huge, bulky sleeping bag tied to your back can be a major impediment when moving through hard or heavily forested terrain.

The backpacking sleeping bag must adequately protect the backpacker from the elements. This is a more complicated issue to address and will be explored in more depth below.

2. Nature and You – Protecting Yourself from the Elements

Before you choose which sleeping bag to take with you on a given excursion, consider where you will be going. You wouldn’t take the same backpacking sleeping bag with you on a trip to the Rocky Mountains as you would on a trip to the Louisiana bayou. Is the area you are going hot? Cold? Humid? Dry? Is it the rainy (or snowy) season there? What kind of temperature variations are there between day and night? A polyfill or synthetic type insulated backpacking sleeping bag will keep you warm better when it is wet than a down filled, but a down-filled bag will keep you warmer in frozen, windy environments. A simple nylon shell may work well in a warm, humid climate, but cold winds will cut right through it. Microfiber linings will work well when wet, and provide excellent wind protection, but can be heavy and costly. And of course, the amount of a given material the backpacking sleeping bag uses directly influences both weight and bulk.

3. One Size Does Not Fit All

Although it would be nice if you could choose one backpacking sleeping bag for all climes, this is just not possible. Using a light shell in the mountains will make you freeze all night, and using a down-filled backpacking sleeping bag on a warm beach somewhere will lead to a night of sweltering in your bag. Even within groups of bags appropriate to a given climate, what works well for one person may not work for someone else. Metabolic and circulatory differences between people lead to differing needs in their backpacking sleeping bag. Look at the sleeping bag’s temperature ratings, they will give you an thought of the temperatures that a bag will keep you comfortable in. Also consider whether to buy accessories such as hoods for minimizing heat loss through your head, or draft tubes to get rid of excess heat in the backpacking sleeping bag.

4. Final Words

After choosing a backpacking sleeping back that will work for you, also consider purchasing a liner for your sleeping bag. Using a liner will cut down on having to wash the entire sleeping bag. This will greatly extend the useful lifetime of your sleeping bag, since washing tends to make the insulating fill “clump”, greatly reducing comfort and effectiveness. Choosing a excellent, quality backpacking sleeping bag and properly caring for it will allow years of backpacking enjoyment.

Needing Insomnia Help?

Why is getting a excellent night’s sleep so vital? Because studies have shown that failure to rest completely at night can have a devastating effect on your performance during the day. And we’re not talking about just dozing off at your desk or spending all your time at the break room coffee pot. Research has linked increased numbers of serious workplace injuries and traffic accidents to insomnia and sleeplessness. If you suspect you’re not getting enough sleep at night, then you need to seek out insomnia help right now.

Eliminating your insomnia involves at least three major areas. First, you need to make a bedtime routine. This is also called sleep hygiene or a sleep program. Next, you should take a look at where you’re sleeping. If it isn’t a relaxing sanctuary where sleep comes easily, then you must make some changes. Finally, there are several outstanding natural sleep aids that can make a huge difference in how quickly you can fall asleep and how well you sleep.

First, let’s look at the routine. You really need to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night. That’s every night, including weekends. Sleeping in on the weekends just ends up resetting your body clock and making it hard to wake up Monday morning. Besides, if you can sleep well all week long, your bone idle Sunday mornings will no longer be necessary, because you won’t be trying to make up a sleep debt.

Next, your bedroom (or wherever you sleep) should be like a worship center devoted to sleep. You know, like an office is designed for work. Your goals should be to make it as silent as possible and as dark as possible. Lots of soft surfaces (pillows, curtains, etc.) will help make the room seem more restful, as well as making it quieter. Plus, you need to have brilliant control over the temperature. Most people sleep better in a cooler room. Some experts suggest that your bed should only be for sleeping and intimacy (that would mean no lap desks and computers).

Once you’ve got your schedule and your house in order, it’s time for you. Start by limiting alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, especially after noon. Stay away from heavy meals at night. But, a light, high-carbohydrate snack may help you get drowsy.

If, after all of this, you still need insomnia help, then consider using natural sleep aids. Valerian, chamomile, melatonin and others have proven to be safe and effective, without the negative side effects of prescription medicines. A combination of routine, bedroom improvements, excellent diet choices and gentle, natural remedies should help you banish insomnia for excellent.

All About Insomnia: Its Causes, Symptoms and Solutions

Insomnia is a physical health condition in which a person fails to get sound sleep at night. It takes different forms such as restlessness, disturbance in sleeping, difficulty in staying asleep, frequent wakening up and so on. When it takes a severe form, it leads to whole night wakefulness.

Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder and there can be varied reasons for this. Below are listed some of the common causes, so read on:

Aching body is mostly responsible for causing sleeplessness. Arthritis is the most known root cause for pains in different areas of body.
Some people have a frequent need to urinate and thus they wake up quite often at night
Leg cramps also leads to sleepless nights
High stress
Excessive intake of caffeine just before bedtime
Watching television at late hours

Insomnia is not a chronic sleeping disorder but tends to have an impact on your personal and professional life. It tends to make you irritable as well as aggressive. Temperamental changes are quite common in the case of insomnia.

Talking about how long insomnia usually lasts, there is no fixed time duration to get over from this problem. Well, it really depends upon how quickly you bring about modifications in your lifestyle.

Where Does The Solution to Insomnia Lie?

There are different self help methods that can be of fantastic help in treating the sleeping disorder of insomnia.

Exercise: Exercise makes the best solution as it will not just take care of your sleep but will ensure your overall well-being. If you go for a small walk an hour before going to bed, you will be able to get a excellent sleep at night.

Drink a glass of warm milk just before going off to sleep. Milk has a sleep enhancing compound that helps you fall asleep soon.

Bathing with warm water is also known to help in treating insomnia.

Memory foam mattresses are quite effective in enabling you to sleep better. They relieve your pressure points, reduce joint pains and give a cushioning effect to your body. These mattresses have the ability to adjust as per the shape and temperature of your body.

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