A proper sleeping bag is one of the most important choices for any backpacking trip. It’ll be critical for warmth, comfort, safety, and helping your body get the rest it needs. Your sleeping bag will also be one of the four heaviest items in your pack (shelter, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and backpack), so it’s a good place to save weight as well.
A sleeping bag can be the difference between a good and bad night’s sleep while camping. With so many different varieties on offer, you really can choose the right sleeping bag for you.
Whether you are camping in the cold and looking for a down sleeping bag, a double sleeping bag for a couple’s holiday, or a cheap sleeping bag for festivals or sleepovers – you’ll find it in our range. Take note of the season ratings on our sleeping bags, the higher the rating the warmer the sleeping bag will be.
Mummy sleeping bags offer a tapered shape and a hood to help keep you warm during the night, while square sleeping bags sometimes have the option of zipping together to create a large double bag for two.
Move around a lot in your sleep? Why not take a look at our sleeping pods range – freedom to toss and turn in your sleep and still warm and cosy.
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Get some real zzzzzzz’s
Comfort and warmth in the backcountry, your backyard, or anywhere you choose to rest your head for the night is the key to an overnight outing being awesome, not awful. That’s why we are committed to making sleeping bags that mimic your cozy bed at home as much as possible with the highest quality, lofty fills and soft, technical fabrics. Whether you choose a Big Agnes System bag or a traditional mummy, all of our bags optimize your own body heat for maximum efficiency and we make a bag to fit all shapes, sizes, budgets, couches, floors, truck beds, tents, and dirt.
Family Camping
Family vacations often double as mini camping expeditions for you and your loved ones, so make sure that everyone is well-equipped for the next adventure. Rectangular sleeping bags are roomier and less restrictive than those that are more formfitting, making them perfect for low-maintenance excursions. If you end up needing extra space or are sharing with someone, simply zip a second bag to the first one. Be on the lookout for sleeping bags with a foot box, which will help you stay warm while you sleep and are especially useful for those who sleep on their backs. When shopping around for men’s sleeping bags and women’s sleeping bags, keep in mind how often you plan to use it and under what circumstances to ensure the best possible fit for you.
Functional Sleeping Bags for The Whole Family
Most sleeping bags have a temperature rating, which indicates the lowest number of degrees in which you can snooze outdoors and still reasonably expect to stay warm. Insulation is an important factor when searching for a bag purely for utility. Men’s sleeping bags and women’s sleeping bags with hoods help to trap in any heat you may lose from your head while you catch some z’s for the ultimate in toasty comfort. Compression sacks are useful if you require a sleeping bag that will take up as little space as possible you’re out on the trail, and water resistance can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and a long, cold, wet night. For a more serious backpacking sleeping bag, mummy sleeping bags are a great option. They require little room and are designed to keep you truly warm in low temperatures. Rest easy knowing you’ll have a reliable place to hit the hay after you’re done hitting the trails with our selection of sleeping bags, airbeds and cots.
Sleeping bag wisdom: Tips, terms, and care
Sleeping soundly in the woods
Walk around camp or do sit ups in your tent inside your to get your heart going and blood flowing. The more heat to you go to bed with, the longer you’ll be warm.
Rochfort suggests drinking a hot drink before bed, too. On really cold nights, I used to pour that hot drink into a Nalgene bottle, wrap the bottle in a sock, and then pinch the bottle between my legs (where you have some pretty large blood vessels). Make sure the lid is on tight!
Sliding off your sleeping pad is always annoying in the middle of the night. Big Agnes makes sleeping bags with integrated sleeves for hold your pad in place but anyone can make any sleeping pad less slippery. Just add some dots or thin strips of seam sealer across your pad. It’s grippy non-tacky stuff and will help you stay in place.
Care and maintenance
REI has some important tips and tricks aimed at keeping your bag in good form. They cover how to sleep in it, clean it, treat it, and store it. We’ll break down the basics for you here as well.
When on the trail, try to sleep as cleanly as possible to keep dirt and body oils from collecting in your bag, necessitating more frequent washing. This is harder to do on long expeditions, but it can be done by keeping one set of clothes that you wear only when in your sleeping bag. Call it your sacred outfit. Don’t eat in your bag or your tent, especially in bear country, no matter how tempting it might be in the Mobile Mummy.
A sleeping bag liner not only keeps your bag clean but also adds warmth. Whether you use a liner or not, make sure to fluff your bag after it has sat compressed at the bottom of your pack all day. This helps you get all the loft, and therefore warmth, you expect.
When you’re not using it, store your bag unstuffed or in the oversize sack that comes with the bag. This will help it maintain its loft and last longer.
The safest way to wash a down bag is by hand in a bathtub, or you can use a front-loading washer (top-loaders will rip the stitching and should be avoided). Nearly anyone who regularly washes sleeping bags has a preferred favorite soap; for down, we like Nikwax’s Down Wash Direct, and for synthetics, go for Nikwax’s Tech Wash. Air dry your bag when done, or insert a couple tennis balls and dry it on air fluff–no heat!– in your clothes dryer.
