Buying your Sleeping Bag for your Next Camping Trip

Buying sleeping bags can be a difficult task, with prices ranging from a few pounds to a few hundred. Ultimately you have to ask what you want to use it for. The sleepig bag is an important part of the kit. If you are hiking then you ideally want something that will pack tightly and is quite lightweight, such as a compact sleeping bag, although you have to be careful as these sometimes don't provide the best insulation. Temperatures drop at night more than ost people expect, even in the middle of sumer so you should make sure you're prepared. A sleeping bag traps the warm air around your body which provides the best insulation possible. The best sleeping bag is one which allows moisture to escape while keeping warm air trapped.If you are in a couple, you might prefer a double sleeping bag (there is no better central heating than the body heat of someone else.

Slepping bags are given temperature rating based upon their intended use. One season sleeping bags are designed for use in the sumer months only and aren't suitable for camping in the winer (they just won't keep you warm). Two season sleeping bags are suitable for the extended summer months (from early spring to late autumn, but aren't suitable for sub zerotemperatures. Three season sleeping bags will provide warmth intemperatures which are slightly sub zero and four season bags are designed to be used all year round and will be the most expensive type ofsleeping bag.

Temperature ratiings should be taken as a general rule, remember, temperatures can drop below zero in spring, particularly at higher altitudes so you should follow specfic directions of the manufacturer. The amount of heating that different people will need can vary widly, with some people requiring more warmth than others.

What you sleep on is also very important, a good ground mat provides great insulation and is very important when camping.

If you are just planning on camping in the summer, you probably don't need to spend too much, if you are looking at trecking, climbing, mountaineering etc then you really want to look at the top end, as the cheaper models simply won't keep you warm enough. You might also want to consider a "bivvy bag", as this can be useful in emergencies, or if temperatures drop lower than expected.

The fill in sleeping bags can be made of a wide range of things, most commonly goose, duck or down. Down is the warmest and often most expensive but not very good if it gets wet.

You may aso want to look out for a bag with a 2 way zip so you can stick your feet out the bottom. Double sleeping bags are also available and singles that join together to form a double. Insulated zips are also important if it gets very cold. A good ground mat is also an essential. They are only cheap and provide excellent insulation.

Camping Now - About the Author:

Camping Now have great deals on Sleeping Bags from suppliers across the UK

Selecting a Camping Air Mattress

When you go tent camping, you don't have to rough it to prove anything to anyone.  You should have the right camping equipment to make the camping trip enjoyable.  The right equipment includes what you plan on sleeping on.

Going camping doesn't mean you have to sleep on the ground. Even the Army issues you a pad to sleep on. Some of the options for something to sleep on are: foam pads, thin pads used mainly for backpacking, and air mattresses. With the improvements in technology over the past few years inflatable air mattresses offer a great sleeping option for a good night's rest.

You owe it to yourself to get a good night's sleep. You'll be active during the day hiking, swimming, or fishing, and other activities. These activities will be a lot less fun if your back hurts or you're sore from lying on a rock or tree root.

Inflatable air mattresses in the past would go flat before the night was through, and was often plastic, so you could feel the plastic through a sheet on a hot night making it hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. Now air mattresses have a soft covering on one side, which makes them much more comfortable. They're also a lot less prone to losing air. Most come with an air pump that will inflate them in just a few minutes.

The size of inflatable air mattress  to get will depend on the space you have available in your tent. If you have a cabin tent, you can fill the sleeping areas with the air mattress, but if you have a dome tent, you'll want to have room around the air mattress to walk around and store things.

There's something out there for every price range, but you pay for what you get. You can really set the amount you're willing to pay and then see what you like in that price range. You'll have many options to choose from.

All you need to do is set-up your tent on a relatively flat area, bring in yourair mattress, unfold it in the space you'll be using it, turn on the air pump and wait just a few minutes for it to inflate. Make sure you have a battery operated pump for tent camping.

Another nice thing about these newer inflatable air mattresses is that you'll also be able to use them as an extra bed at home when you have company.  If we're visiting family or friends for an overnight stay or a longer visit, we'll bring our inflatable air mattresses to make things easier for our hosts.

Camping is a great activity for those who enjoy the outdoors. An inflatable air mattress makes sleeping in your tent as comfortable as possible considering you're in the outdoors.  There's no need to bring pieces of foam rubber, which take up a lot of room in your car or pick-up.  These inflatable air mattresses fold and store in a compact package, taking up little room.  Check out the dimensions and weight and you'll see what I mean.

My Camping Tents - About the Author:

I've been tent camping for over 30 years and as a retired Airborne Ranger, have experience in wilderness survival. For more information on camping tents and camping hiking gear, please visit us athttp://mycampingtentsandmore.com. We carry a nice selection of camping gear from tents to flashlights at reasonable prices. Check us out.

Coleman Two-Mantle Dual Fuel Lantern with Hard Case

Don't sit in the dark when you can light up your world. The Coleman 285-748T Two-mantle Dual-fuel Lantern with Hard Case is just the thing you need to illuminate your camp site. This lantern has a fuel capacity of 1.3 pints and uses Coleman number 12 mantles. You can depend on seven to 14 hours of burn time and the durable carrying case features a tough, double-wall construction. See more

Coleman Rugged Battery Powered Lantern (Family Size)

Light up your campsite with instant, long-lasting illumination with the Coleman rugged battery-powered lantern. The family-size lantern boasts a 13-watt fluorescent twin U-tube bulb that delivers a bright white light, along with a heavy-duty thermoplastic and rubber housing that holds up to heavy use. More significantly, the lantern will keep your tent well lit for hours, with a runtime of up to 28 hours on the low setting and 18 hours on the high setting (the lantern runs on eight D batteries, sold separately). And should the bulb eventually burn out, you can replace it in seconds thanks to the lantern's quick-release system. Other details include a comfortable handle grip, an easy three-position switch (off, low, and high), a weather- and shatter-resistant exterior, and a nonslip rubberized grip. The lantern--which runs cool thanks to the cool-touch bulb design--measures 9 inches in diameter and 15.25 inches tall and weighs 3.26 pounds without the batteries. See more

Coleman Premium Dual-Fuel Lantern

The Coleman 285-700 Two-mantle Dual-Fuel Lantern is the lantern that made camping cozy. Clean-burning Coleman fuel provides a soft glow for late-night stories or a beacon to guide you back to camp. This Coleman two-mantle lantern lights with matches and has a control knob that works like a dimmer switch to let you adjust the brightness and burn time. The porcelain ventilators will prevent rusting and help this lantern last a long time.

This dual-fuel lantern can be powered by 1.3-pints of Coleman Fuel or by everyday unleaded gasoline, and will burn for up to seven hours on high or 14 hours on low. Shop here