Two kids sharing a sleeping bag
We are heading out on our first family camping. We tested out our sleeping bags in the living room.
The two kids ( ~2 & ~5 yo) wanted to share one adult sleeping bag. I'm expecting that it will end in a fight before long, but if it doesn't:
Is it a bad idea to let two small siblings share an adult sleeping bag?
(My quick googling about if one should have children sized bags or not brought up issues such as overheating and suffocation, neither one of had I ever worried about before! I thought maybe there is something else that I hadn't thought of... so anything less than obvious would be appreciated.)
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Not a bad idea.
I happen to have a 5 and 3 year old. I can think of reasons for not letting them sleep in the same sleeping bag, but none of them are because it wouldn't work in theory. If your two kids would actually sleep together in one bag, then I'd say it's a great idea. They'll stay warmer at night and that's one less bag for you to pack.
Your only concern with suffocation is if they go too deep inside the bag. I remember trying to spelunk all the way to the bottom of my adult sized sleeping bag when I was a kid; if you got stuck down there then you could get in trouble. The easy solution is to leave the bottom open. Most sleeping bags have a double zipper on them. The other thing you could do is fold the sleeping bag in half, folding the foot of the bag up underneath your kids. This will reduce the volume of the bag so they can't get swallowed by it, and it will add some extra warmth and comfort beneath them.
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I'd probably wonder about the quality of sleep they will get. This depends a lot on the sleeping bag itself, how warm it is, if it comes with a zip, what the outer temperature is, etc., but also, on the width (the inner circumference). Imagine they shared a bed: how wide would it need to be so they both get a good night's sleep? The bag circumference ought to be at least twice the width of the bed. They should be able to lie comfortably next to each other, with a little extra room.
Special bags for kids are shorter to economize on weight (if they need to carry the bag), but also in cold climates, it can be difficult for a child to warm up their leg area in an adult sleeping bag, because of the extra empty space. Other than that, I do not see a problem with a kid in an adult bag (though I'd be careful with the 2-year old). At the worst, the extra leg area can be tied up from outside with a string, so the kid cannot "sink" into it.
I might embrace the idea of kids sharing a bag but still pack another bag, just in case. Perhaps they change their mind quite early into the night.
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We do this all the time. It's fine. Just leave the bottom open. It will help them feel more secure and safe especially if they sleep in the same bed at home sometimes.
There are no risks, and no dangers, but there you do want to leave it
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