Don't Forget Temperature When You Buy Your Next Sleeping Bag

If there is one thing to consider when buying your next sleeping bag, I say its all about temperature. Get the right range! If the forecast says its going to be warm during the day and then cool off overnight, find out how cold cool off really is, then buy the sleeping bag that is good to 20 degrees below that!

A couple of years ago, I was preparing for a 2 day boat trip to the 1000 Islands. After shopping around all Summer, my husband and I found a boat in late October which suited our needs. We decided to drive the boat back home down river rather than trailer it to save some money, but the boat had no heater.

So, how to keep warm? I did not feel like bringing sheets and blankets, so warm sleeping bags seemed logical. Knowing it might get chilly at night, I checked a few weather sites and determined 45ish would be the low. So, on-line I went to find SO much information and so many decisions to make, it all became a blur.

I ended up choosing a sleeping bag from Mountain Hardwear called Sunrise. Yes, sleeping bags have names! It cost about $200.00 and seemed to suit my needs. Of course, I didn't really think about temperature options then, I was comparing prices and looks. This sleeping bag was a pretty blue one that matched our new boat!

Needless to say, that night was c o l d !! We picked up the boat on a balmy 65 morning, and drove all day, ending up in the 1000 Islands near Brockville, Ontario that night. We should have picked up a clue that it was going to be cold when we found that all the docks were removed from the islands, but we just scoffed at the scared, cold-fearing tourists and enjoyed a late dinner all alone on an island.

Knowing we had an early start the next day, we quickly made up our beds in the cabin and turned in by 10:00 p.m. Sometime after midnight, our golden retriever Kramer started growling so I got up to check on him. Holy crap, it was cold! I brought our dog into the cabin where he settled happily on the couch.

Unfortunately for me, the bed was too small for 3, so I couldn't even enjoy the warmth of my dog next to me. I quickly dove back into my sleeping bag, but it was too late. My feet were already numb and they didn't seem to warm up all night.

After a long and miserable sleep, we woke early and dressed quickly. We heard on the radio that the temperature had dropped to 25 degrees overnight! I discovered the hard way that there is nothing worse than being cold on a boat. And weather forecasts are often wrong! So, when buying your next sleeping bag, get one that says it works to temperatures 20 degrees lower than you think you might need - you won't regret it!

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