How to Choose a Sleeping Bag for Your Child

Title: Kids Sleeping Bags Review

Article: If your kids spend any serious time in the outdoors, then they will really benefit from a quality kids sleeping bag. Just like well fitting hiking books or good raingear, a well functioning sleeping bag is a key ingredient in keeping your pint sized camper or hiker happy.

How do you find the right sleeping bag? Any quality outdoor sleeping bag for kids should be light (we recommend 2.5 pounds or less for most cases), durable, and easily washed. Once you are sure a kids sleeping bag meets these qualifications, there are two additional factors to consider. How tall is your child, and how cold is your climate?

In mild climates, most kids will do well in a basic, light summer kids sleeping bag. Make sure to find one under 2.5 pounds, there is no excuse for a sleeping bag like this to be heavy. A summer sleeping bag will keep most children comfortable when nights dip down into the 45F range, and they’ll survive the occasional colder night as well.

For kids who camp in cooler conditions, the right bag is a more important choice. In temperatures below 40F, a quality sleeping bag is an essential piece of safety gear. A sleeping bag rated to 20F or 30F is a good place to start, but there are several more things to consider.

The first consideration is to find a bag sized correctly for your child. For kids under four feet tall, a regular kids sleeping bag (or adult bag) will be much too large. In cooler weather, your child won’t be able to keep the air space in a larger sleeping bag warm, no matter what the supposed temperature rating is. Also remember that smaller children can get cold easily, even if they normally feel like little heaters when they sleep. Properly sized small kids sleeping bags will keep them far more comfortable and happy in most weather conditions.

For larger kids, the important factor in finding a good three season sleeping bag is quality of construction. You want to find a bag made by a reputable outdoor manufacturer, like Marmot, Sierra Designs, Big Agnes, or NorthFace. These brands produce quality kids sleeping bags that share features with their adult bags – draft collars, high quality stitching, well functioning zippers, etc.

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