A comfortable and cozy night’s sleep is a non-negotiable while camping, so how do you pick the best sleeping bag to get the right balance between weight, temperature and adventure type?

Here’s a guide on how seasons and temperature ratings work, the most important factors when choosing a sleeping bag and how to shop our current sleeping bag range to find which one is best for you.

Temperature & Season Ratings

When choosing a sleeping bag, one of the most important factors is the season rating, distinguishing which season or time of year a sleeping bag is most suitable. Kiwi Camping’s three-season range provides sleeping bag options for temperatures that range from above 5°C on warm summer evenings to colder evenings where temperatures drop to as low as -5°C.

Season One: includes our classic warm kiwi summer nights, usually above 5°C. The best sleeping bags for this season are rectangular and are the same width at the shoulders and feet, allowing for the most breathable space with zips at both sides to fully unzip and use as a blanket. We recommend our Matai Camper Sleeping Bag, Mamaku Camper Sleeping Bag and Toi Toi kid’s Sleeping bags for the best night’s sleep in warmer climates.

Season Two: evenings start to get cooler, typically on either side of summer where overnight temperatures range from 0°C to 5°C. Here you will need a sleeping bag that provides a bit more warmth with the flexibility of being able to unzip and adjust the hood to trap heat fully.

Our Mamaku Trek Sleeping Bag has a semi-tapered design suited for hiking with a 125g/m2 3D Silk Fibre Layers and Thermal Sheet for exceptional warmth to weight ratio. The compression straps on the carry bag enable you to pack down small on hiking adventures while the silver thermal lining reflects heat back towards your body.

Our Matai Trek Sleeping Bag is also a semi-tapered design perfect for camping for when morning and evenings temperatures start to get a little cooler.

Season Three: where overnight temperatures can drop as low as -5°C. Tapered mummy-like sleeping bags are ideal for adventures in these climates to ensure a warm and cozy night’s sleep. Key features of these types of sleeping bags include:

• Zip Baffle: heat if often lost through zipped areas of a sleeping bag. Insulation behind the zips helps to prevent this.
• Thermal Lining: reflect the heat back towards your body.
• Contoured drawstring hoods: Just under half of our body heat is lost through our head; therefore, a contoured hood with the ability to pull snug around your head prevents heat loss.
• Inner Storage Pockets & Hanging Tabs: allow you to store valuable items while on adventures where space is limited.
• Bag Compressions straps are handy to reduce the packed size of your sleeping bag.

We recommend our Mamaku Pro Sleeping Bag, Matai Pro Sleeping Bag or EPE Comas Swag Bag for superior warmth when camping during these temperatures.