A good sleeping bag is essential to any successful camping trip. You can’t underestimate the importance of a sound night's sleep, especially when it comes after a day spent hiking, kayaking, trekking or just enjoying being in the great outdoors.
To achieve a restful night, you need to zip yourself up in a sleeping bag that is made for the seasons you are camping in. Summer bags will be comfortable to sleep in down to temperatures of around 30°F. They tend to be simpler with fewer features and, are ideal for using in the house too. Three-season bags are designed for temperatures of 20°F and above so will suit spring and fall camping as well as summer in colder climates. They are more likely to have hoods or be mummy-style to keep more warmth in. Winter sleeping bags are for temperatures below 20°F and will have as many cold-combatting features as possible as well as more insulating filling.
Manufacturers usually give their bags ratings with an Upper Limit; for the highest temperature a person can sleep comfortably in, Comfort; the lowest temperature which a person can sleep comfortably in and Lower Limit; the lowest limit at which a person can sleep comfortably. Use these as a guide when you buy a bag but remember you can always wear more or fewer clothes to combat cold or warmth when settling down for the night. Sleeping on a good mat or sleeping pad will also make a big difference. Here are the bags we’d recommend:
Coleman Brazos Cold Weather Sleeping Bag
Warm bag that should last years
Keep comfortably warm in this sleeping bag even when the temperature falls as low as 20°F. It holds four pounds of ColeTherm insulation with durable construction that will keep it from shifting so you should get season after season of use. The outer is stain-resistant polyester with a soft tricot liner inside. The QuickCord system makes packing it up easier than the usual struggle.
Redcamp Cotton Flannel Sleeping Bags for Camping
Larger and softer than the average bag
Larger sized than many sleeping bags, this Redcamp sack will take adults up to six feet tall. It’s softer too, made with a soft flannel liner and rebounded hollow cotton fiber filling under a durable polyester ripstop fabric outer. A reverse zipper allows two bags to be joined together, there’s an internal pocket for valuable belongings and it all packs away into a compression sack.
TETON Sports Tracker 5 Lightweight Mummy Sleeping Bag
Mummy style for warmth and compact to carry
This backpacking bag is ultralight but warm with multiple layers of insulation in a 'mummy' style to keep you warm from head to toes. The brushed liner is soft and comfortable and the outer shell water and tear-resistant. The filling has been put in the right places to keep your feet warm, as well as the rest of you, even when it's far below freezing.
Bottom line
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A sleeping bag is right up there with your tent as the most important piece of camping equipment you can own. In fact, it’s perhaps more important as you can use your sleeping bag under a shelter or out in the open. The best sleeping bags will keep you warm whenever you choose to camp and, whatever the elements throw at you, you’ll be cozy enough to sleep through until morning. The sleeping bag we’d recommend for most people camping across three seasons is the Coleman Brazos Cold Weather Sleeping Bag. It’s a well-made warm bag at a reasonable price from a famous camping brand.
If you want a lightweight bag for backpacking the TETON Sports Tracker 5 Lightweight Mummy Sleeping Bag is a good choice. It will keep your head and feet warm and packs up small enough to carry with you anywhere.
