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During the winter months it is especially important to have a sleeping bag with your survival kit.
The survival kit is unlimited in variety. It is made up of a personal choice and quantity of food, water, and gear. A sleeping bag fits into the gear category, and should really be part of a vehicle’s 72 hour survival kit.
At home we have our gear, but when we are out and away traveling or driving, we are vulnerable to our surroundings, the weather, and the reliability of the vehicle we are in.
A number of emergency or disaster scenarios could stop us in our tracks and we would be forced to survive with what we have with us, until the situation is resolved. A sleeping bag will prevent you from hypothermia, a condition that can kill you, quicker than you may think. Settling for just a blanket in your survival kit may not be enough to prevent hypothermia. A sleeping bag however will provide insulation and a cocoon of warmth, trapped by your own body heat.
Most of us should know that if stranded in a vehicle, especially during winter months, we should stay with the vehicle for shelter unless we absolutely know what we are doing, where we are going, and are skilled and supplied to survive the elements. Being inside of a sleeping bag while inside a vehicle, even in winter, will keep you from hypothermia.
During summer months it is also advisable to keep a sleeping bag in your vehicle. Hypothermia is still a risk even during summer under certain conditions. In many places during the summer it still gets cold enough at night to bring on hypothermia, especially if you get wet.
What is the best sleeping bag for a survival kit?
The best sleeping bag will be the one that you actually add to your kit, because any sleeping bag is better than none. Having said that, there are only a few main criteria to consider.
Sleeping bag temperature rating
Unless you plan on purposely camping or backpacking during the winter, a sleeping bag rating of 30 degrees F would be OK for most situations. However if you do live in a location where night temperatures (or day temperatures!) can, or often do, drop below 0 degrees F, a lower temperature rated bag would be advised.
Point being, if the purpose for this sleeping bag is for your vehicle survival kit, and you would likely be using it within a sheltered environment, then you shouldn’t need to go overboard with spending extra for a very cold rated bag.
Sleeping bag size, shape, and weight
Sleeping bag shapes are either the traditional shaped rectangle or the mummy shape bag. The rectangular bag allows for comfortable movement but is not as efficient at trapping your body heat. The mummy bag is very good at trapping body heat and are predominately the colder rated bags.
Be aware that sleeping bag dimensions vary, and for you big and tall folks, this is an important consideration.
Sleeping bag materials
The comfort of a sleeping bag will depend not only on temperature, but the softness of the inside shell and cushion of the insulation material. The outside material is very important if considering outdoor use because you will want it to be waterproof as best as possible.
There are a tremendous amount of sleeping bags available out there with a variety of features, quality choices, and price ranges.
Here are two choices that are reasonably priced with a good set of features and specifications. One is an ultralight mummy sleeping bag which is more suited for packing in a smaller space and the other is a traditional shape sleeping bag but with more room to move.
Think it through and consider adding a sleeping bag to your survival kit.
If you enjoyed this post, or topics of preparedness, consider subscribing to our survival blog RSS feed or Email notification of new posts on the Modern Survival Blog
Modern Survival Blog
Five Benefits of Parachute Cord
Emergency Documentation To Keep In 72 Hour Kit
72 Hour Kit
Posted on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:59:03 +0000 at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ModernSurvivalBlog/~3/7QgE3uB9xiQ/
Comments: http://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/survival-kit-sleeping-bag-2/#comments
During the winter months it is especially important to have a sleeping bag with your survival kit.
The survival kit is unlimited in variety. It is made up of a personal choice and quantity of food, water, and gear. A sleeping bag fits into the gear category, and should really be part of a vehicle’s 72 hour survival kit.
At home we have our gear, but when we are out and away traveling or driving, we are vulnerable to our surroundings, the weather, and the reliability of the vehicle we are in.
A number of emergency or disaster scenarios could stop us in our tracks and we would be forced to survive with what we have with us, until the situation is resolved. A sleeping bag will prevent you from hypothermia, a condition that can kill you, quicker than you may think. Settling for just a blanket in your survival kit may not be enough to prevent hypothermia. A sleeping bag however will provide insulation and a cocoon of warmth, trapped by your own body heat.
Most of us should know that if stranded in a vehicle, especially during winter months, we should stay with the vehicle for shelter unless we absolutely know what we are doing, where we are going, and are skilled and supplied to survive the elements. Being inside of a sleeping bag while inside a vehicle, even in winter, will keep you from hypothermia.
During summer months it is also advisable to keep a sleeping bag in your vehicle. Hypothermia is still a risk even during summer under certain conditions. In many places during the summer it still gets cold enough at night to bring on hypothermia, especially if you get wet.
What is the best sleeping bag for a survival kit?
The best sleeping bag will be the one that you actually add to your kit, because any sleeping bag is better than none. Having said that, there are only a few main criteria to consider.
Sleeping bag temperature rating
Unless you plan on purposely camping or backpacking during the winter, a sleeping bag rating of 30 degrees F would be OK for most situations. However if you do live in a location where night temperatures (or day temperatures!) can, or often do, drop below 0 degrees F, a lower temperature rated bag would be advised.
Point being, if the purpose for this sleeping bag is for your vehicle survival kit, and you would likely be using it within a sheltered environment, then you shouldn’t need to go overboard with spending extra for a very cold rated bag.
Sleeping bag size, shape, and weight
Sleeping bag shapes are either the traditional shaped rectangle or the mummy shape bag. The rectangular bag allows for comfortable movement but is not as efficient at trapping your body heat. The mummy bag is very good at trapping body heat and are predominately the colder rated bags.
Be aware that sleeping bag dimensions vary, and for you big and tall folks, this is an important consideration.
Sleeping bag materials
The comfort of a sleeping bag will depend not only on temperature, but the softness of the inside shell and cushion of the insulation material. The outside material is very important if considering outdoor use because you will want it to be waterproof as best as possible.
There are a tremendous amount of sleeping bags available out there with a variety of features, quality choices, and price ranges.
Here are two choices that are reasonably priced with a good set of features and specifications. One is an ultralight mummy sleeping bag which is more suited for packing in a smaller space and the other is a traditional shape sleeping bag but with more room to move.
Think it through and consider adding a sleeping bag to your survival kit.
If you enjoyed this post, or topics of preparedness, consider subscribing to our survival blog RSS feed or Email notification of new posts on the Modern Survival Blog
Modern Survival Blog
Five Benefits of Parachute Cord
Emergency Documentation To Keep In 72 Hour Kit
72 Hour Kit
Posted on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:59:03 +0000 at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ModernSurvivalBlog/~3/7QgE3uB9xiQ/
Comments: http://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/survival-kit-sleeping-bag-2/#comments