Camping with Vick

I like sleeping. It’s one of those activities I wish I could do more of, but I never seem to get around to. I also like money. I wish I had more, but I am a park ranger and making lots of money isn’t in the job description. Like all of you, I have to make the most of my financial reality as well as what time I have for recreation. As I see the cost of camping gear go through the roof in correlation with people chasing the “bigger and better,” I am reminded of the need to keep it simple.

A good understanding of sleeping bags and sleep pads is paramount to a good camping sleep experience (well, that and having considerate camp neighbors). It can all come down to temperature.

A sleeping pad’s “R” value measures the pads capacity to resist heat flow. The higher a pad’s R value, the better you can expect it to insulate you. For example, the simple foam sleep pad, which measures around an inch thick, has a very low R value. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most comfortable, the foam pad falls at around a 1.4. This means it won’t hold your body heat. A 3-and-1/2-inch thick, self-inflating sleep pad however, has an R value of 6, meaning it has a higher temperature threshold. For the different seasons of the year a pad’s R value should be paired with a temperature-appropriate sleeping bag.

Traditionally in the United States, a sleeping bag’s temperature rating indicates the lowest temperature at which the sleep sack will keep the average sleeper warm. However, no true temperature standard exists so there is no accounting for variables such as a person’s metabolism, what they are wearing to bed and yes, what type of sleeping pad they have. Retailers will often market bags on how many seasons they can be used. A four-season, 10-degree mummy bag in layman’s terms means warmth. Lots of it.

It’s smart to want to sleep in comfort during that hot and humid, mid-August camping trip. Instead of your super expensive, uber thick sleeping bag, try pairing that 3 -1/2- inch pad with a simple bed sheet. The price tag and label may not deem it a “camping” sheet, but I promise you, it will work great.