A sleeping bag keeps you warm and lets you sleep when the heat goes out at home or when you have to leave and sleep somewhere new. Good rest keeps your body warm and your judgment clear through a long emergency.
Choose a sleeping bag rated for the coldest night you expect, then match its weight to how you will carry it.
- Temperature rating: Pick a bag rated 10 to 15 degrees below your coldest local nights, since listed ratings tend to run optimistic.
- One per person: Stock a bag for every family member, with child-sized bags so smaller sleepers stay warm without extra dead air inside.
- Fill type: Choose synthetic fill for damp conditions because it keeps insulating when wet, or down for the lightest pack weight.
- Packed size: Keep a go-bag sleeping bag compact enough to strap to your pack without crowding out water and food.
- Storage: Store the bag loose in a large breathable sack between uses so the fill keeps its loft for years.
- Moisture and cold ground: Pair it with a waterproof stuff sack and a sleeping pad, since cold ground pulls heat from below.
