John Muir famously set off for the mountains with “some bread and tea in a pair of blankets with some sugar and a tin cup.” I like his ultralight spirit and disdain for consolation on the path, however I might be prepared to wager that if Muir have been round immediately, he’d carry a superb down sleeping bag with him, if for no different motive than they’re lighter than previous blankets. The tea is important although, I can not argue with that.
Whether or not you are following Muir into the backcountry, are planning the right household tenting journey, or are trekking the Camino de Santiago, there is a sleeping bag for that. Irrespective of the way you journey, the place you are headed, or how a lot consolation you search, after years of testing, we have discovered the very best sleeping baggage for everybody.
Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Matt Jancer contributed to this information.
Be sure you learn by means of our different out of doors guides, together with the Greatest Sleeping Pads, Greatest Tents, Greatest Camp Stoves, and our Camp Cooking information.
Desk of Contents
- Greatest for Backpackers: Mountain {Hardware} Bishop Cross 15
- Greatest for Automobile Campers: REI Siesta Hooded 20
- Greatest All-in-One Sleep System: Zenbivy Mattress
- Greatest Ultralight: Sea to Summit Spark 15
- Greatest for Facet Sleepers: Therm-a-Relaxation Questar 20
- Greatest for Heat Climate: Marmot NanoWave 45
- Greatest For Spring and Fall Journeys: Magma 15 Sleeping Bag
- Greatest Expedition Bag: Rab Expedition 1000
- Greatest Quilt: Therm-a-rest Vesper 32
- Greatest for Children: REI Kindercone
- Greatest Artificial Bag: Marmot Extremely Elite 20
- The right way to Choose the Good Sleeping Bag
- How We Examined
- What All The Phrases Imply
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The Greatest Sleeping Bag for Backpackers
Mountain {Hardware}’s Bishop Cross 15 presents the very best warmth-to-weight ratio whereas additionally managing to pack down small and never be too costly. It is not excellent, however it strikes the very best compromise for many backpackers, being heat sufficient for the shoulder seasons and light-weight sufficient (2 kilos and 5.4 ounces) that you simply will not thoughts it even if you barely want it in the summertime. I’ve slept on this bag for greater than two weeks, with nighttime temps starting from 28°F to 65°F, and, sure, it was an excessive amount of within the warmth as a sleeping bag. However on these hotter nights, I unzipped it and coated myself like a heat blanket. For every little thing else, I slept very nicely. It is a versatile bag.
The Bishop Cross 15 makes use of 650 fill energy down wrapped in a 20-denier waterproof ripstop nylon shell. (Word: You may typically see 20-denier written as 20D; see beneath for extra on what these phrases imply.) One of many nice issues about this bag is the draft collar and face gasket characteristic, which does an ideal job of preserving your head heat. With the drawcord cinched down, you’ll be able to preserve much more physique warmth. This is without doubt one of the few baggage I’ve examined the place I did not really feel the necessity for a hat. The insulation does a superb job of staying the place it ought to; I did not discover any dangerous chilly spots on this bag.
My solely gripe about this bag is that it is tight—there’s not a lot room for something however me. That makes it environment friendly and retains you hotter, however this isn’t a superb choice in the event you’re searching for one thing roomy (see the Therm-a-Relaxation Questar beneath). I additionally do not love the zipper. The pull glows at the hours of darkness, which is nice, and the zipper does not snag a lot, however in my expertise, it additionally does not pull as simply as others. Nonetheless, these are minor gripes a few bag that will get the remainder proper.
Specs:
- Temp score: 15°F/-9°C
- Consolation score: 26°F/-3°C
- Fill: 650 Fill Energy Down
The Greatest Sleeping Bag for Automobile Campers
Automobile-camping sleeping baggage aren’t a spot to spend a lot of cash. Ought to your finest efforts to cocoon heat round you fail, there may be, in any case, a automotive to retreat to. That is why we love the REI Siesta Hooded 20—it is a lot heat and inexpensive. It is also not a mummy bag, since you’re not climbing Denali; why cramp your self if you do not have to? The Siesta’s rectangular minimize makes for a a lot roomier, extra snug bag. The Siesta is product of recycled polyester all through, with a polyester filling. Regardless of that, the liner on this bag is noticeably softer than many others on this information.
The Siesta’s 20-degree score makes it sufficient for three-season journeys, and in contrast to most rectangular baggage, the Siesta has a hood, which helps on these chilly nights. What makes this such a flexible bag, although, is the double zipper system. There is a full-length zipper, which implies you’ll be able to flip it right into a quilt on hotter nights, and there is additionally a second partial-length zipper on the opposite aspect so you’ll be able to have extra airflow if you need it. (You may also now zip two Siestas collectively, which wasn’t potential with earlier variations.)
Specs:
- Temp score: 20°F/-6°C
- Fill: 650 Fill Energy Down
Greatest All-in-One Sleep System
The Zenbivy Mattress 25 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is arms down probably the most snug backcountry sleeping expertise I’ve ever had. It would not be my prime decide for excessive conditions, however as long as your anticipated temperatures slot in Zenbivy’s vary, it does not get extra snug than this. The Zenbivy is not only a sleeping bag although. It is a sheet, hood, and quilt-style bag that may be mixed in numerous methods relying on what you need.
The highest sheet that covers the sleeping pad is product of 50-denier polyester pongee, which is splendidly smooth and appears like your mattress at house. The sheet has the hood portion of the sleeping bag connected to it. You then lay the highest quilt (product of 20D nylon) over that. That is the best, loosest means to make use of the system, excellent for these heat nights. That is how I did most of my testing since I sleep slightly heat. Ought to the temperature drop, you’ll be able to zip the quilt foot field up right into a mummy bag configuration and zip the higher sides to the underside sheet. I did this on a few cooler nights within the Keweenaw Peninsula when it bought fairly frigid.
