Camping in Japan - sleeping bag temperature

Hi,

I want to go camping this year so looking to buy a tent, sleeping bag and mat - so wonder what temperature range is best for sleeping bag.

I was thinking to buy a sleeping bag rated for Comfort 5C - which would keep me warm in early spring and late autumn, sometimes I will be camping in the mountains too so I think this would probably be a good bet (I realize in summer maybe too hot).

I wonder what peoples recommendations are - of course in the mountains it's cooler but the temperature differential varies, so wondering if around a 5C Comfort bag is best for three season camping?

I should state I will be hiking /bikepacking too, so probably looking to buy something superlight / compact bags.

If you're planning to go early spring/late fall, especially in the mountains, I think you'll want a bag rated for lower as it can get freezing or below during those times. Do you sleep hot, or cold? That will also affect what kind of bag you get, as if you sleep hot you can get away with a bit higher of a comfort temperature rating than someone who sleeps cold.

As a reference, I camp with my family late fall/early spring and temps often hit freezing where we go. I've got a bag rated 4C for comfort and -1C limit, and as a cold sleeper, I definitely feel the cold at freezing or below and don't sleep as comfortably. It was originally my husband's, a hot sleeper, but he didn't like how the tight-fitting mummy style constrained his feet. For me I don't mind that, but I definitely need a bag rated comfort for much lower temperatures than he does. So that's something to keep in mind.

Most of those bags have an extreme limit way beyond what you'll probably ever encounter during those times you go camping (the bag I have is rate -16 at extreme!), so you will survive the night in lower temps, but it wont be a comfortable nights sleep.

If I were buying for me, I'd go for two bags: an extreme weather bag that will keep me warm when the weather gets below freezing for late fall/early winter camping, and a 3 season bag for when the temps are in the 10-15 range.

It doesn't matter where you go, temperatures are temperatures, and you are you.

Everyone has their own tolerance for cold, their own comfort (or misery) level. How sleeping bags are sold is an art, not a science (that is, it's MARKETING). While you can compare relative insulation from one bag to another (with some skepticism) you should never believe the package or salesperson who claims this bag will keep you comfy down to X degrees.

Have you ever been camping before when it's cold outside? Before you make plans to fly to the other side of the world and build your trip around "camping" you might want to try sleeping outside in cold temps closer to home. If you've never done that, you might be in for a surprise.

My spouse, for example, was shivering, miserable, and unable to even think about sleeping in a sleeping bag rated for arctic, below-zero conditions -- and that was during mid-summer, although we were camped in some mountains, and the overnight temperatures got down into the high 40s (F) at night. She also had me in our arctic-rated sleeping bag (I make a LOT of heat, more than I need to stay toasty warm) but even that plus her wearing multiple layers of thermal underwear didn't make her comfortable. She was shivering uncontrollably, miserable, could not stand it, and at 1 am we abandoned our attempt to sleep and headed to a nearby lodge to check in to sleep in a room with heat. Lesson learned.

I know a lot of people think they can save a ton of money by "camping" on a vacation. I think that's usually a terrible decision (if the goal is primarily to stretch your budget). Maybe you will do OK sleeping in cold conditions but for many people, I think they have a much, much better trip if they skip the sleeping bag and just find the money for an indoor place to sleep. My suggestion is to try camping in the cold and see how you do before building a trip around the idea. The need to carry around a sleeping bag (and other camping gear) is reason enough (to me) to think long and hard about the relative benefits of camping on a trip to Japan.

The smaller a sleeping bag is, the less useful it will be in cold temperature. For cold weather, you need a big, fluffy, BULKY sleeping bag. Not the kind you are going to want to lug around to/from or in Japan.

Hope some of that is helpful. Good luck.