Sleeping bags, pads, hammocks, and how to stay warm and comfortable outdoors.
If you’re planning to sleep in temperatures below 20°F, you have two routes: a high-insulation passive bag that relies on fill and draft sealing, or a battery-powered heated bag that adds active warmth. Here’s the short answer: a quality 0°F insulated bag is your safest foundation. Heated bags can supplement warmth, but they introduce battery…
The fastest way to layer sleeping bags is to place a lighter bag inside a heavier one, or drape a quilt over your main bag. The trapped air between layers adds insulation without requiring a single expensive extreme-cold bag. Start by checking that the inner bag fits comfortably inside the outer bag without compressing its…
Sleeping warm in winter camping comes down to three non-negotiable layers: a high-R-value sleeping pad, a sleeping bag rated well below the expected low, and dry, non-cotton clothing. Most cold nights are sabotaged by ground heat loss, drafts, or moisture-trapping layers. Fix those three things and you will sleep comfortably even in single-digit temperatures. Your…
Not all heaters are safe inside a tent. Combustion heaters that burn propane, butane, or kerosene without proper ventilation produce carbon monoxide (CO)—a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you in minutes. If you need heat inside a tent, your only truly safe choices are electric heaters (when you have shore power) or specifically certified…
Use a winter sleeping bag only when overnight lows drop below freezing and you expect temperatures of 20°F or colder. Use a summer bag when lows stay above 50°F. The wrong choice means shivering through the night or lugging three extra pounds of dead weight on a warm-weather trip. If you camp in all four…
The best camping hammock for you is the one that matches your sleeping style and trip length, not the one with the most features. A single hammock saves weight for backpacking, a double gives you room to sprawl (or share), and an integrated bug net solves the biggest annoyance of sleeping outside. But the most…
Hammock camping is lighter than tent camping, keeps you off uneven ground, and many people sleep better suspended. But it requires a completely different setup technique. The most common mistake beginners make is hanging their hammock tight and straight like a banana — that guarantees a sore back. The counter-intuitive fix: a relaxed sag and…
A dry hammock camp doesn’t come from cranking every line tight and sealing the tarp to the ground. That approach traps humid air against your hammock, and the condensation that forms will soak your sleeping bag faster than a light rain. The real trick is to pitch for airflow first and coverage second. Here’s the…
Even a high-quality sleeping bag leaves you shivering in a hammock because the insulation underneath compresses flat. An underquilt hangs below the hammock, trapping still air against your back without compressing. If you plan to sleep in a hammock in weather below 70°F, you need one, and the right choice depends more on your camping…
Pick a hammock when you’re backpacking on rugged terrain, expect to camp on slopes or rocky ground, and want to save weight. Pick a tent when you’ll be car camping, camping in exposed alpine areas, or sleeping with a partner or dog. For winter camping, a hammock with a quality underquilt can actually outperform a…
