You can never go wrong choosing lite sleeping bags! Not only are they easier carry (important for the backpacker) but they are typically also some of the most compactable sleeping bags on the market. This saves space in your backpack or in your car and leaves room for other essentials like a tent and food. They are perfect for anyone; from kids to adults and you may be surprised at how warm a lite sleeping bag can keep you!

Here are my top 5 picks for the best lite sleeping bags on the market today:

BRAND NEW for 2010!  The GoLite UltraLite 1-Season Quilt Sleeping Bag is an awesome lightweight down sleeping bag that is designed to keep the fair weather adventurer cozy and warm when they turn in for the night. Rated for temperatures down to 40 degrees Fahrenheit – this GoLite sleeping bag features 800+ fill power Eastern European goose down insulation – a quilt style design for ideal temperature regulation – and waterproof and breathable fabric construction to protect against condensation in critical areas such as the hood and foot.

The Aleutian Bx 20° Sleeping Bag by The North Face is a synthetic bag that offers incredible warmth for your camping, or backpacking experience.  Constructed with a Heatshield Optimal Technology (H.O.T. SL) synthetic insulation that was created by The North Face themselves.  Built with 100% polyester hollow core fibers, the Aleutian Bx offers powerful thermal efficiency, because the fibers are of variable thickness, they compress easily without breaking down, giving you a bag that’s convenient to pack, yet doesn’t lose its softness, warmth or high loft.

The Lafuma Warm’n Light 800 30°F women’s sleeping bag is ideal for cold sleepers that want to go light and need a 3-season bag. And it packs down to an unbelieveably compact size. 650-fill-power down insulation delivers impressive warmth for its weight, and is one of the lightest, warmest and most compressible insulations available. Women-specific bags are cut to match a woman’s shape, and provide extra insulation and warmth in the hood and feet areas. Full-length 2-way zipper is backed its entire length by a draft tube that keeps the warmth in and the cold out; comes with a glow-in-the-dark zipper pull. Ripstop shell with Durable Water Repellent finish sheds water; nylon blend lining is soft and breathable.

    The Kelty Light Year XP 40 Degree Sleeping Bag is a summer-weight synthetic bag with a hip-length zipper and zippered foot vent that is perfect for light and fast adventures in unpredictable conditions.

The Men’s Wicked Light 45 Degree Sleeping Bag by Sierra Designs is rated to 45 degrees F/7 degrees C. We realize that skimping on details will only result in a poor night’s rest – so we dial the Wicked Light out with removable Pad Locks – continuous baffle construction – and Snag Free Zipper Tracks. According to our research – cramped – overheated feet result in disturbed sleep – and Foot Box Venting allows you to regulate temps in the bottom of your bag. At just over a pound – the Wicked Light offers an unbeatable warmth-to-weight ratio…and a great night’s rest.

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Copyright (c) 2009 Rhonda Budden

Even though it’s so tempting to pack your bags and head off with your off road camping trailer, you should always take certain safety precautions into account. Bear in mind that if you head out to some remote area without being properly prepared, you could find yourself faced with a disaster. If for example you have a breakdown or an accident, there’s not much chance of someone coming to your rescue if you don’t even have any means of communication. Whenever you decide to head out into the great outdoors with your camping trailer, always make sure that you take the following three safety precautions into consideration.

1) Driving Skills

If you’re going to be driving a 4WD vehicle amd towing a tent trailer, then you need to be sure that you are confident in doing so. If you’ve never driven one before then you should seriously consider a 4WD training course. For the most part, these courses are not only designed to refresh your memory and prepare you for a 4WD experience, but they’ll also teach you certain recovery techniques, and even a certain amount of vehicle maintenance. Let’s just say that if you’re unfamiliar with things such as being able to check your tyre pressure, recover your vehicle and tent trailer from deep sand, or even get across a small stream, then you should seriously consider enrolling yourself on a training course.

2) Maintenance

Never even consider heading out to remote places unless you’re absolutely sure that your vehicle and camping trailer are capable of dealing with the sort of terrain you’ll probably encounter. Ideally, you should make a point of having both your vehicle and your tent trailer inspected and serviced at a reputable service center. Even though you have your vehicle serviced before you leave, you should still make sure that you take a few spares with you in order to minimize the risk that you’ll end up getting stranded. If possible, you should consider taking two spare tyres, jumper cables, spare fuses, wire, insulation tape, some oil and grease, and a workshop manual specific to the model you’re driving. In fact, you should also take a fire extinguisher and a tow rope. Obviously, if you’re taking spare parts with you then you’ll also need a tool kit in order to get any spares fitted. You should also determine whether or not there’s a jack packed in just in case you need to change tyres. Most importantly of all; you should carry a UHF radio with you in case you need to call for help.

3) Comfort for Passengers

Once you’re confident that you, your tent trailer, and your vehicle, are all ready for the task that lies ahead, you obviously need to pay attention to passenger comfort. For example, you need to make sure that you have sufficient water, fuel and also enough basic food supplies. Ideally, you should make sure you’ve got enough of the above mentioned to cover everyone for a few days at least. The RACQ for example, recommend that one should take at least seven litres of water per person per day. Also, it’s your responsibility to ensure that everybody takes suitable clothing, and that there’s a fully stocked first aid kit in the vehicle. If you don’t already own a fully equipped first aid kit, you can purchase a good one online.

It’s no secret that exploring the remoteness of Australia affords you a magical experience, but always remember how important safety is for you and your passengers. Providing you do, you can be rest assured that you’ll have a camping holiday of a lifetime.

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Marmot sleeping bags happen to be most of the best-designed sleeping bags available on the market today. Although some corporations can be quite happy with building a name for themselves and then manufacturing low quality items, you’ll be able to constantly rely on Marmot to provide the highest quality, revolutionary hiking gear.

Any time you are stuck debating between Marmot bags, you should think about a couple of issues.

1. Exactly what environment will you be using your sleeping bag?

For hikers who travel in drier parts of the world, a down sleeping bag would then be best.

Marmot Never Winter 30 Degree Down Sleeping Bag At sub-two pounds, the Marmot Never Winter 30 Degree Down Sleeping Bag is an ideal summer bag for camping and river trips, but it also has enough down insulation to keep you warm when frost is in the air.

For damper parts of the world, synthetic is probably needed, as down is relatively ineffective after it gets wet. Then again, you are able to combat this buy investing in a water-proof stuff sack for your sleeping bag.

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree Synthetic Sleeping Bag The Trestles 15 Degree Synthetic Sleeping Bag features Marmot’s famous quality and rich experience in sleeping bag design in a bag built for backpacking and river trips undertaken in cooler climates. Wave Construction, used to build this bag, is the warmest shingle construction available, fitting extra insulation into these bags by creating an overlapping wave of shingles throughout the bag. These bags will keep you warm and dry in the wettest of environments. Micro muff cushions the drawcord around your face.

2. Will you be hiking or camping?

If you are planning to exclusively camp and explore locations on day hikes, feel free to use a synthetic sleeping bag. This really is beneficial, as synthetic bags are typically less expensive than down.

On the other hand, in case you are exploring the back country, you will need an ultralight sleeping bag.

Marmot Atom 40 Degree Sleeping Bag The Atom 40 Degree Sleeping Bag is Marmot’s lightest bag. The perfect bag to take with you on any summer backpacking/climbing trip with its warmth to weight ratio being remarkable. The Atom also has a smooth feel like you are sleeping on silk sheets, which can definitely help you on that summit push the next day. Filled with certified 850+ Fill Goose Down, the best down in the market; independently tested and certified by International Down and Feather Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. Retested at fill time in Santa Rosa to ensure 850+ fill power every time. Sewn through baffles makes the overall weight lighter and a side blocked below the end of the zipper keeps the down evenly distributed eliminating any cold spots that could occur.

Marmot produces a number of fantastic, lightweight sleeping bags that will fit the bill. Because of this, down sleeping bags often performs best, because they are actually lighter in weight than synthetic.

3. What temperature range are you going to use the sleeping bag in?

Do you intend to use this sleeping bag solely during the summer time? As long as you are in the continental 48 states, a 30 degree sleeping bag rating will be all you need. However, if you intend to camp for 3 seasons, you might want a bag which goes as low as a 15 degree temperature rating. Personally, I’m leary of temperature ratings. As long as you’ve got a sleeping pad, that stops body warmth from escaping into the ground, a 30 degree sleeping bag should really satisfy all your requirements.

Unless you are a mountaineer and intend to camp close to the summit of 14,000 foot mountains, you should not squander the cash on a a below zero degree sleeping bag. Of all manufacturers, Marmot sleeping bags provide a multitude of choices when it comes to 30 degree sleeping bags. Several are economical yet others are slightly too costly. Make sure you perform sufficient research prior to purchasing a sleeping bag so that you don’t pay too much for features you don’t need.

Click here for a Sleeping Bag Guide which can help you choose the right sleeping bag for your needs.

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Even though they have existed for nearly 4 decades, Moonstone sleeping bags continue to maintain a solid position as the industry innovator of the outdoor gear creators. It owes its steady overall performance to its invention routines leading to the creation of the most cozy, synthetically insulated or down-filled sleeping bags for its consumers.

Moonstone sleeping bags possess a flexible usage taking into consideration the idea that not only can they be used in damp and dry conditions, they provide warm comfort and high-compressibility for light and portable packing as well.

This kind of outstanding overall performance is achievable only due to the fact Moonstone attends to each and every tiny detail that goes into creating a great sleeping bag. This really is mainly the key reason why many hikers and campers continue to rely on Moonstone for their sleeping bag needs.

Every good corporation’s achievements are built on a commendable vision. Moonstone established its vision in the Northern California’s mountain rescue teams requirements for exceptional sleeping bags crucial for rescue experditions in damp coastal climates. It is that project which has resulted in the corporation Moonstone is today.

Prior to the Moonstone era, hikers and campers primarily relied either on synthetically insulated or down-filled sleeping bags. Having said that, Moonstone offered them the all-important half synthetic insulation and half goose down comfort which transformed the world of outdoor camping equipment permanently.

Goose-down typically looses its warmth ability in damp situations, so it is not suited to stormy or humid climates. Moonstone cracked this restriction successfully and introduced sleeping bags which had synthetic insulation at the base (which protects against moisture) and natural goose down filled on the upper surface area. This particular strategy gained immediate popularity from hikers and campers around the globe because they could safely depend on a sleeping bag designed to not get soaked as a result of unstable weather conditions.

Outstanding wind and water-resistant materials go into the shell design of Moonstone sleeping bags. In the interiors, you will discover ultra-light materials making significantly sought after comfort and warmness for hikers and campers.

Sleeping bags from Moonstone additionally provide desirable features such as glow-in-the-dark zippers (they can be a blessing whenever one gets the urge for natures call during the night), hoods, excellent length draft tubes and much more.

Those who have used the Moonstone sleeping bag believe it to be a fantastic value for the money and vouch to its exceptional top quality and comfort.

Moonstone is well know for its research and development methods that leave absolutely no stone unturned in going into engineering domains few other companies might dare, simply to help to make their sleeping bags beter for their consumers. A few of these journeys have resulted in improvements like in-built sleeping pads and detachable hoods which have made camping easier for hikers and travelers everywhere. Focusing it’s energies in order to create serious items aimed at serious camping and hiking lovers makes Moonstone the world-class business it is within its field.

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Ultralight Sleeping Bags can be one of the most effective ways of minimizing pack weight and being an ultralight backpacker. Although numerous lightweight sleeping bag varieties exist–selecting the perfect ultralight bag which will fit the bill is often a challenging process. Additionally, many have substantial costs. But is it worth it to spend the money? Why don’t we find out.

When researching lightweight sleeping bags, it immediately became obvious that 3 ultralight sleeping bags stand above the others:

• Western Mountaineering AlpinLite 20 F Sleeping Bag
• Golite Adrenaline 20F Sleeping Bag
• Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 Sleeping Bag

Down below you can find reviews of each, the advantages, downsides and suggested conditions. For anyone who is looking to move into ultralight backpacking, these ultralight sleeping bag critiques are your go-to source.

• Western Mountaineering AlpinLite 20 F Sleeping Bag

If there were a backpacker’s dictionary, the meaning of top quality would be considered Western Mountaineering sleeping bags. Designed for ultralight backpacking gear, not many lightweight sleeping bags possess as many advantages as the Western Mountaineering AlpinLite 20 F Sleeping Bag, that include:

• Super lightweight – This ultralight sleeping bag weighs only 1 pound, 15 ounces
• Goose Down – Down sleeping bags provide you with the ultimate comfort and with a huge 19 ounces of goose down fill, this Western Mountaineering sleeping bag makes you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud
• Cold Climate Sleeping Bag – The Western Mountaineering AlpinLite sleeping bag was created for 20F conditions, which means it can be used for 3 seasons.

However, there exists a specific drawback: Western Mountaineering sleeping bags are very pricey.

While virtually any lightweight sleeping bag will probably dent your savings account, the Western Mountaineering AlpinLite 20F can cost as much as month’s rent.

However, you absolutely get what you pay for and in terms of ultralight backpacking, this particular ultralight sleeping bag lasts decades and is light like a feather.

Suggested Personality: A seriously deep pocketed backpacker seeking to go ultralight

Find out more about the Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20F Sleeping Bag.

• Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 Degree Sleeping Bag

Mountain Hardwear sleeping bags blend frugality with top quality. Although down sleeping bags tend to be the most effective lightweight bags, the Ultralamina 32 is synthetic and ultralight. Because of this it will not become worthless when wet. Huge advantage in the event you backpack through damp conditions.

The Ultralamina 32 Synthetic Sleeping Bag is better than other lightweight sleeping bags in lots of ways:

• Price – At under $200, this Mountain Hardwear ultralight sleeping bag will not break your budget
• Lightweight – Under 2 pounds. And you bet, it is still synthetic
• Enhanced Loft – Forget about feeling any more cold pockets

Every one of these helped the Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 Sleeping Bag to be awarded the 2007 Gear of the Year honor from Outdoor Magazine.

Nevertheless, this lightweight sleeping bag possesses its disadvantages.

Drawbacks include:

• Comfort – Synthetic fill just is not as cozy as down filled sleeping bags
• Compactness – Although this Mountain Hardwear sleeping bag is a lot more compactable compared to its predecessor, synthetic will not pack as tightly as down. Not a way around it.

Suggested Personality: An individual coming into ultralight backpacking that does not have a limitless savings account or an ultralight backpacker that hikes in damp areas.

Find out more about the Mountain Hardwear Ultralamine 32 Synthetic Sleeping Bag

• GoLite Men’s Adrenaline 20 Degree Sleeping Bag

Down sleeping bags manufactured by GoLite, like the GoLite Adrenaline 20F Down Sleeping Bag, blend the best of all worlds.

The GoLite Adrenaline sleeping bag is not really as costly as the Western Mountaneering Ultralite 20F Sleeping Bag, yet is down filled and much more comfy than the Mountain Hardwear lightweight sleeping bags.

Benefits of GoLite Adrenaline Lightweight Bag include:

• Weight – Under 2 pounds. Now that is ultralight.
• Down Fill – 800 Down Fill. Although it is not as comfy as the Western Mountaineering lightweight sleeping bags, 800 down still means serious comfort
• Price – Although not really cheap, you will not be breaking the bank when you buy this sleeping bag.

An additional endorsement: The GoLite Adrenaline 20F Ultralight Sleeping Bag won 2009 Outside Gear of the Year Award AND the 2008 Backpacker Magazine Editors’ Choice Honor.

For those who have the cash and are thinking about an ultralight sleeping bag, absolutely nothing beats the down sleeping bags by GoLite.

Find out more about the GoLite Adrenaline 20F Sleeping Bag

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