The interior of a sleeping bag varies quite a bit between designs, but one general rule of thumb is that comfort correlates closely with price. Comparing two of our top picks, Coleman’s cheap Brazos 20 uses a tricot lining that’s reasonably cozy but less soft than The North Wawona Bed (especially the smooth fleece-like panel along the top of the Wawona’s interior). Some campers won’t mind missing out on the plush feel for the substantial cost savings (about $75 separates The North Face and Coleman options), but a well-made bag is undoubtedly a nice place to slip into at the end of the day. For those who plan to get out a lot, opting for an upgraded design may be worth it. Coleman doesn’t provide the bag’s weight, but I weighed it in its compression sack at 4.2 pounds using my kitchen scale.
It’s also got a handful of features like a no-snag zipper and plush draft collar that add to its appeal. It’s a suitable choice for someone who wants to start camping but doesn’t want to shell out a ton of money for a more performance-oriented sleeping bag. If you’ve ever had a pad deflate or slept directly on the ground in cold weather, you know firsthand the importance of an insulated pad beneath you.
The hood is the nicest add-on because it helps retain heat and adds comfort. It’s cinchable, with a simple nylon cord and plastic toggle that aren’t that fancy but get the job done. The nicest comfort touch is the added fleece in the footbox; it adds a touch of coziness to an already plush and comfortable bag. In the end, the temperature rating does have value and you should use it as a basic guideline. In choosing the proper approximate rating, try to get an idea of the very coldest temperature you’ll be experiencing overnight. Once you have that number, it’s a good idea to build in a little buffer (we like an extra degrees) to avoid getting cold.
Most of the picks on our list are geared toward three-season use, but for campers who like to get out year-round, a cold-weather bag is essential. In this category, REI Co-op’s Frostbreak 5 stands out for its excellent warmth at a very reasonable price. Other functional additions include a well-insulated hood, draft tube, and differentiated drawcords (one round and one flat) that make it easy to adjust the aperture in the dark. Added up, the Frostbreak is an excellent value for casual winter adventurers.
The rest of the design is equally premium, including a water-resistant YKK main zipper, roomier-than-average hood, and fleece-lined compression sack that can pull double duty as a pillow. For most, the primary weight and packability consideration for a camping bag is whether or not it can be carried from the garage to the car, squeezed in with the rest of your stuff, and then moved from the trunk to the tent. That said, we still recommend checking the weight and stuffed size that will be listed in the product specifications to get an idea of just how large and heavy the bags are.
Looking for the perfect sleeping bag for your next backpacking or camping trip? Look through mummy sleeping bags, semi-rectangular sleeping bags and rectangle sleeping bags. Browse through lightweight sleeping bags that are designed with a warm outer shell and a soft inner liner for comfort. The superior box stitching keeps the insulation from shifting to help eliminate cold spots. Look through sleeping bags that will keep you warm throughout the night thanks to the Thermolock™ draft tube that prevents heat from escaping through the zipper.
A third type is the no-zip style, which is limited to a couple designs (none of which made our list), including a handful from Sierra Designs. The large oval opening requires some modest flexibility and patience coleman sleeping bag to get out of, but going zipper-less can be nice. There’s no fumbling in the night for the zipper pull, and you don’t have to worry about snags or heat loss (if the bag lacks a good draft tube).
Even though that’s only an extra few ounces, when you’re hiking over challenging terrain, you start feeling that added weight very quickly. If you want to use the Big Bay to test out backpacking on a one- or two-night trip, it’s manageable. It’s not cheap outfitting an entire camping setup, and for those who plan to add backpacking into the mix, the cost can get out of hand quickly. If this sounds like you, choosing a crossover camping/backpacking bag is a viable way to save.
No matter where your travels take you, from national parks to backwoods to back porches, a camping sleeping bag remains a trusty companion. Since space and weight are not at a premium when you can drive to your destination, coleman chair the comfort dial can get turned way up. There’s no need to suffer through the night in a constricting mummy bag, so options in this category tend to lean more towards a traditional rectangular shape or a roomier mummy.
As we touched on above, temperature ratings tend to be fairly generous and often require adding a sizable buffer to ensure you’ll stay warm throughout the night. For those who run cold or simply want to bring their bag into lower temperatures, adding a sleeping bag liner can help keep you cozy without breaking the bank. Liners are made of soft materials like fleece, wool, polyester, or silk and typically add around 5 to 15 degrees to the warmth rating of your bag. They also serve as a barrier between you and your bag’s interior, which can help boost lifespan (you can wash the liner after use rather than getting your bag dirty). Liners typically cost between $30 and $60, and a couple of our favorite options are Sea to Summit’s Thermolite Reactor for mummy bags and their Silk-Cotton Blend Liner for rectangular models.