The Big Bay also has a cinchable hood, no-snag zipper and plush collar, plus it allows for foot ventilation, just like the Forte. Anytime a company adds features or upgraded components to a sleeping bag, it adds to the cost. When you’re new to camping, the goal is to find a sleeping bag that has the features you need and none of the ones you don’t, which is what the Big Bay offers.
Both bags weigh less than 3 pounds, compress reasonably small for stuffing into a pack, and offer enough warmth for most three-season adventures. Coleman doesn’t provide the bag’s weight, but I weighed it coleman canopy in its compression sack at 4.2 pounds using my kitchen scale. Even though that’s only an extra few ounces, when you’re hiking over challenging terrain, you start feeling that added weight very quickly.
Some bags, like The North Face’s One Bag, feature unique warmth-tailoring systems that allow you to customize the amount of insulation depending on conditions. To be sure, most of these additions won’t be deal-breakers for many, but they can be helpful in deciding between similar models (and we’ve called them out in the write-ups above whenever possible). Feels more like a medium weather sleeping bag, may be too much sleeping bag for some. Might not be suitable for serious campers who need something more heavy-duty. Big and tall design can accommodate most people up to 6-foot 5-inches. Features warm cotton canvas cover, heat-locking flannel liner, and matching flannel pillow.
We would have expected that an everyman sleeping bag like the Brazos to fit, well, every man, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Dimensions for this bag are 75”x33”, but the Coleman website states it will only accommodate campers up to 5’11” in height. The 66” girth throughout the bag could have also benefited from a bit of expansion. For web orders returned in store, please take the item in original packaging, along with invoice to any
Camping World retail locations for a refund or exchange.
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. To be clear, liners are totally optional and not everyone needs one, but they do offer added warmth and comfort and help keep your bag in good shape.
We feel the Brazos is relatively durable, fairly warm, and quite inexpensive. Durable zippers and a draft tube allow for easy entry and exit. Outside fabric is too silky, making bag hard to roll tight and get back into carry bag.
If you plan to camp a lot and see backpacking in your future, the Nemo Forte is a worthy upgrade for a synthetic sleeping bag. If you plan to camp a few times a year, and mostly at campsites, the Big Bay will save you money and keep you as warm. The Coleman Big Bay 20° is rated for a lower temperature limit of 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which seems about right based on my experience. Wearing long johns and wool socks, I crawled into the Big Bay, napped on a cot in 32-degree weather and found it comfortably warm. For anything colder than that, you’ll need extra layers as well as a beanie, or you’ll want to consider another bag altogether. Most recreational campers won’t be sleeping in temperatures that low (it’s already transitioning into winter for me at that temperature), so this bag is practical for most people’s needs.
Perfect for unzipping and putting on top of a queen size bed. My husband is a tall man (6 foot, 4 inches) so thought I better find him a sleeping bag made for tall people so that he would actually stay covered instead of sticking out at the coleman canopy top! I was happy to see that Coleman has a new BIG-N-TALL 30 Sleeping Bag that is just right for him. The Wrap and Roll attached cover makes it easy to pack up and the Dura-Tough tarpauline bottom resists water is great for durability.