Without a doubt, sleeping with your clothes on will keep you warm in the sleeping bag. The meme that sleeping naked is better, is dead wrong!
The design of the sleeping bag is to trap your body heat and keep you warm. When you wear some clothing, it helps increase the insulation around your body. This gives you the much-needed warmth.
However, just like any other rule, this rule has exceptions too.
Instances where clothes will not keep you warm in the sleeping bag:
Wearing too much clothing– The essence of wearing clothes in the sleeping bag is to keep you warm. However, too many layers will reduce the warm air trapped in the bag. This will in the end cause you to get cold.
Too tight clothing– Wearing too tight clothes reduces the flow of blood in the body. This causes one to feel cold, so get some outfit which does not hold onto your body too much.
Wet clothes– When you wear damp clothes, the moisture will take away the warmth from the sleeping bag. Ensure to choose dry clothes.
Which way to go? Clothes or no clothes in the sleeping bag?
Most people who camp wonder about this: Should you wear clothes in the sleeping bag? It is a highly debated topic. On one side of the issue, people say, “Yes, you absolutely should!” on the other side, people say, “No, you absolutely should not!”
There are good reasons for both sides of this debate. And there are reasons that you absolutely should not wear clothes in the sleeping bag.
There are two major things that you need to know when thinking about this issue. The first thing is that your sleeping bag does not have to have any clothes inside of it. It can be completely nude.
It can also have clothes laid out in a laundry basket so that it is nice and full. You just need to make sure that the sleeping bag itself is as comfortable as possible. You won’t be worrying about waking up to wrinkled clothes in the morning.
The second thing that you need to know is that there are some things that you absolutely must have in your sleeping bag. These include clothing and socks. When you sleep, your body tends to relax, and you do not have to worry about moving around too much.
However, if your body is still in motion, it is going to be hard for your body to keep from stiffening up. The first thing that you can do to try to prevent stiff muscles is to wear clothes and socks that are made of cotton.
Choosing the clothes that can serve well in the sleeping bag
Material
Cotton will allow you to breathe easier. It will be a lot more comfortable for you than synthetic materials, especially during the colder months.
If you are worried about whether you should wear clothes in the sleeping bag, the answer is yes. However, this does not mean that you should wear anything less than necessary.
There are many people who sleep with just a blanket, and it has nothing to do with warmth. Do find that you are uncomfortable with wearing a lot of clothes in the sleeping bag? Wear a light sweatshirt or some light pants and shoes to further insulate your body.
Waterproof
If you decide that you should wear clothes in the sleeping bag, you should make sure that you buy waterproof clothes. If the weather gets very cold, it is important that you are not exposed to very cold temperatures in your sleeping bag.
In many cases, the weather can be quite warm in the morning, but as evening comes closer, you might shed some of the heat that you have gained during the day and start wearing more clothes to stay warm as you sleep.
Odors
One of the biggest issues that many people face when they are choosing between whether to wear clothes in the sleeping bag is the odor issue. There have been many reports of people having bad odors coming out of their sleeping bags after being in them for several hours. Although the odor can be addressed by washing the sleeping bag well.
While this may seem like a very minor thing, it is important to note that this can spread very quickly if it is left untreated. So, if you want to avoid having bad odors come out of your sleeping bag, it is best to avoid sleeping with any type of fabric that will not get cleaned up properly.
Additional considerations
Pillowcase
You should also make sure that you have a pillowcase handy to place your sleeping bag on. It keeps your bag from rolling over while you are sleeping. Rolling over could cause you severe back problems later.
Check sleeping bag design
Sleeping bags are designed so that you can close them up when you are sleeping. You open them up when you wake up. If you must deal with a cold night in the woods, closed bags are an excellent choice for keeping you warm. They also allow you to roll up into a small ball for extra warmth.
Are there benefits of sleeping naked in the sleeping bag?
The benefits of sleeping naked are numerous. There are several health benefits of sleeping naked in the cold winter night. One, sleeping without any clothing reduces your risk for developing heat illness, a serious health problem in summertime.
Nudity may increase your risk for developing a medical condition. However, the benefits to sleep deeper and sleep better are probably worth the exposure. Some people do sleep better when they are naked. It’s not harmful to sleep naked if your goal is to get a good night’s rest.
What then are the guidelines?
Check the weather and how warm you need to keep. Do not expose yourself to the chilly nights- you need your health. When choosing the clothes to use, be sure to go for what will give you maximum comfort, warmth and help you enjoy your camping.
