The bags 650-fill-power down accounts for nearly half of the bags total weight (2 pounds 10 ounces), and this shows. ), The temperature rating cited on many womens bags uses the EN comfort rating; on mens bags, you tend to see the limit rating. We thought that its comfort and price made it a good entry-level bag; anyone could get a decent nights sleep in it. Copyright 2022 GearJunkie, All Rights Reserved, I Leased a Hot Hatch as My Family Hauler and Love It: 2022 VW GTI Review, Paragliding Over Switzerland With the X-Alps Academy, Kat Launches Piston SR Bike Rack, Aims at Easiest Roof Loading, Wildly Popular Solo Stove Fire Pit Gets Upgraded: Bonfire 2.0 Review, SUP Recall: iROCKER Warns of 'BLACKFIN' Seam Issues, Meet the SUV Improv Group: 2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Review, Most Dialed 'SUP-Yak' Yet: ISLE Switch Review, Specialized GEN-S: Young MTB Crushers in Training, Red Bull Athletes Swarm The Nines With Pops of Color, The POV of Fear Itself: A Scaredy Cat Goes Trail Riding, Learn This Life-Saving Firestarting Trick From a Survival Expert, The Bestselling Gear at Backcountry This Week, Gear Bargains: Save on Mountain Hardwear, ALPS Mountaineering, Stoic, and More, Gear Deals From Rumpl, MSR, Toad&Co, and More, Gear Bargains: Save on prAna, SAXX, Columbia, and More, Gear Deals From ALPS Mountaineering, RTIC Coolers, Outerknown, and More. The double bag and pad together will set you back a chunk of change: $620 if you pay full price. But the hood also cinched around the face better than the other bags we tried and kept all but our noses and mouths warm. View cart for details. A womens bag might be better for you than a unisex bag if you consider certain factors, such as your age, level of exhaustion, health conditions, medications, body height and mass, level of nourishment, state of hydration, the altitude of your campsite, and wind chill and humidity of the air around you. Both bags have half zippers and a foot vent (essentially a hole in the foot box where you can stick out your feet to prevent overheating). The most-efficient and warmest bag for you will minimize excess space inside the bag. increases their longevity and ensures you wont wake up to a dead battery. Marmot offers a lifetime warranty. My wife and I are pretty smitten by the set. We were adequately insulated from the lumpy desert ground we found ourselves on for most of the testing. She is also the instructor of Backpacker magazines online Thru-Hiking 101 class and the author of the National Outdoor Book Award-winning Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-Hike. According to the labels on REIs womens sleeping bags, this is common practice: Women and smaller-sized people generally have a lower tolerance for colder temperatures, while men and larger-sized people generally have a higher tolerance for colder temperatures. There were, however, some downsides to this Egret besides the price: Unlike the other bags we tried, this bag uses a metal snap button to secure the top of the bag near the hood. To inflate the 3.5-inch-thick double pad, theres an inflate valve that you blow into. Other features we like include a pillow barn that allows you to tuck your pillow into the sheetlike fabric, and corner hand pockets on the comforter so you can snuggle that top layer of the bag in around your neck, a Big Agnes rep told us. Since there is no insulation on the bottom of the Dream Island, it really needs to be paired with the sleeping pad to work. Its this versatility that makes the Montbell our upgrade pick. Lying on top of the Teton feels like cuddling a body pillow. The Super Spiral-Stretch System sounds like marketing BS, but the bag itself was very comfortable to sleep inespecially for our more restless testers, who found mummy bags to be too constricting. The whole Down Hugger line uses a mix of goose and duck down and comes in a variety of fill powers, fill weights, and two lengths: regular and long. Here are three of the most important sleeping-bag variables to take into account: Length: Regardless of gender, you need to choose a bag thats the right length for your body. Big Agnes, Inc. Steamboat Springs, CO USA. (Womens bags are sometimes available in 5-foot-9 lengths, too, which could be a smart option for people who dont need a full 6-foot bag.). During our testing of this pad, we decided to rough it up a bit, and while we did use a thin plastic groundsheet from time to time, we used it for an open bivy or two on the cold hard sandstone of Arkansas. When will you be camping summer, spring, fall or winter? In the bag, we can cuddle close or spread out with ample space to sleep. 
We also specialize in larger 50x78Tent Floor Padto cover the entire floor of a two-person tent for doublewide bags and duos camping side by side. A good place to start is with the season in which youll be camping. This bag was great for restless sleepers, as it allows you to stick your arms and legs out of the bag while youre sleeping. The third trip brought her to woodsy Wheeler Gorge near Ojai, California, where she and her fellow testers experienced mild nighttime lows in the 50s. Unlike other mummy bags, this adaptive stretch is included in the footbox, which is flexible between your feet rather than wrapped around them like traditional muffler-shaped footboxes. As with all of the SLX model Big Agnes pads we have tested, the valve system is easy to use and feels chunky, flexible, and durable in hand. Again, the shell fabric is now a different nylon that the company says is more downproof and water resistant; well be testing this new version, but if you do find yourself surrounded by feathers at any point, the Egret is backed by Feathered Friendss lifetime warranty. If youre going to be investing in a high-quality double bag like this one, we recommend pairing it with a double pad that fits perfectly. If you are a dual sleeping pad skeptic, do not avert your eyes. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Wim Hoff himself would expire from the effort. treelinebackpacker Were pretty passionate about creating the best pads available. We didn't anticipate how well this would work, but we felt an extreme 10-15 degree temperature difference inside our tent versus outside and typically found ourselves with two vents open just to cool things down, even in the cold fall desert evenings. The contraption is extremely handy, weighs next to nothing (2.9 ounces), and significantly speeds up the process of inflating the pad. You need to read this. The Somnox sleep robot is a soft, breathing lima bean that you hug to fall asleep. Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. Pad lengths vary from 66 for shorter campers and kids up to 78 for taller campers. Ultralight hikers who are counting each ounce in their pack might not consider bags with less than 850 fill power, but we think 600 to 700 fill power is good enough for most people. Additionally, the cinches on the Down Huggers hood have a tendency to crowd into your peripheral vision or to rub against your face as youre trying to sleep. Though a couple of our tested bags might take up a third of the space in a small trunk and weigh close to 12 pounds, the Dream Island packs down to a relatively compact 13 by 23 inches when in its stuff sack; it weighs 9 pounds 7 ounces. Down is expensive but light, compresses well, and proves to be incredibly insulating for its weight. We've tested the best hiking gear, packs, and footwear to outfit you for any adventure you choose. Quilted Top, ultimate comfort pillow top surface , Vertical Baffles, comfortable and stable sleep surface for the price conscience camper . The Montbell is EN limit rated to 11 F. Personally, said Kit, I tend to feel constricted in mummy bags that are too tight, but the Montbell seemed to move with me no matter how much I spread out at night. This unique design also eliminated gaps between his body and the bag, a feature that minimizes drafty dead spaces and ought to make the bag comfortable for a broader range of body shapes. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. For more rugged outdoor camping, youll likely prefer a sleeping bag stuffed with down (unless allergies, cost, or ethical concerns get in the way) to a bag with synthetic fill. The Teton is designed to warm up colder sleepers. The sleeve fits one of Big Agness 50-by-78-inch double air mattresses (such as the Hinman) or two standard 25-by-78-inch pads, like the Air Core Ultra. No ads. A similarly well-stuffed draft collar protects another key area prone to heat loss. Theres no doubt: It takes a near-Herculean effort to wrestle this bag back into its carry bag. In the past, we have found couples camping to be a bit lonely in the night and twigs snapping outside the tent to be more alarming. Here are the basics: This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan. A sleeping pad R-Value is a rating that shows how warm the pad is, thus helping you stay warm at cooler temperatures. Well be testing the bags soon to make sure they perform as well as they did before. Yeah, all that. It has two short side vents near the chest area, which expand the width of the bag slightly but dont open up, but we werent convinced they made enough difference to justify the extra labor and cost required to add them. System Bags utilize our Flex Pad Sleeve and Pad Cinch System, and must be paired with a pad for proper insulation. Backcountry spooning isnt a figment of your imagination its possible without the extra weight and bulk of your home comforter. The REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 25 Sleeping Bag is as much sleeping bag as anyone could want for basic car camping, and it costs almost a third the price of more specialized backpacking options. The brushed-cotton lining also makes the bag more difficult to clean than all-nylon or polyester models. The deep padding also worked to make side spooning comfortable and sustainable throughout the night. The Big AgnesSentinel 30 double sleeping bag weighs in at 3 pounds 9 ounces, which is actually lighter than our two mummy bags combined. We also specialize in larger 50x78. Not only did the Primaloft work well at insulating us from the ground, our four season BD Firstlight tent turned into a furnace as the SLX worked to insulate the entire environment from the cold ground. Theres a double design as well for couples, but we havent had a chance to test that against our couples pick. A longtime hiker and camper, she embraced the transition from backpacking to car campingwhich included buying a double bagafter her first son was born. Any pad width 40 or larger, is considered adoublewidepad, because its wide enough to fit two people on it. Feathered Friends does not use EN ratings, but the general consensus among backpackers is that the companys ratings tend to be accurate. A separate air-dump valve quickly deflates the pad, which then rolls up nicely into the provided stuff sack. Sierra Designs Frontcountry Bed Duo: We recommend this bag, and in the past when we had a larger guide dedicated to double bags, it was a runner-up pick. Single pads can make this incredibly difficult. If the weight and bulk savings werent enough, the double bag is also darn comfortable. But we didnt like the feel of the fabric, and the insulation isnt lofty (although its 800-fill-power down, it feels more like a synthetic bag). The current version of the Siesta comes with a loose-fitting hoodan addition that makes the bag cozier in cold weather. Listen up, all you cuddlers! Big Agnes Hazel 15: The down insulation of this bag felt lumpy, and it didnt have much bounce back. But according to REIs explanation of the difference between mens and womens bags, womens bags would need more insulation to achieve a given temperature rating (since womens bags are comfort rated and mens are limit rated). Jason Wanlass, The Best Sleeping Bags for Camping of 2019, OutdoorGearLab, November 8, 2019, Aaron Martray and Kris Diers, designer and owner and director of operations at Katabatic Gear, in-person interview, February 18, 2018, Kate Mansfield and Emilee Campbell, designers at Marmot, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Scott Shimonek, designer and owner of Wex Gear, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Garrett Nixon, production manager and lead designer at Feathered Friends, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Jessica Haist, How to Choose a Womens Sleeping Bag, OutdoorGearLab, May 17, 2019, Casey Sumnicht, equipment product manager at Sierra Designs, phone interview, May 2016, Katie Hughes, senior marketing specialist at Big Agnes, interview, 2016, David Creech, The Science of Sleeping Bag Design, Trail Sherpa, March 19, 2013, How to Choose Sleeping Bags for Camping, REI. The pad has I-Beam construction that provides stability without creating uncomfortably large humps. Its shell and interior are both made of a water-resistant polyester taffeta, a soft material that makes barely any noise at all. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Wonder why we call our company Big Agnes? Our main criticism we probably wouldnt have had if we hadnt slept in so many competitors: the slipperiness and constant swishing sound of a bag thats polyester inside and out. This bag is simple and unadorned yet filled with top-quality down. The higher the R-Value number, the warmer the pad. Your email address will not be published. Along with a draft tube running the length of the bags zipper, the Montbell has a draft collar thats meant to lock in heat. Down bags specifically tend to come with an oversize sack for long-term storage. Pad lengths vary from 66 for shorter campers and kids up to 78 for taller campers. Its rare to find a comfortable down bag that costs less than $300, yet the Down Hugger was softer and had more loft than some bags that cost $100 more. hinman trailspace When a half-dozen bags were piled in Kalees home office, she found this became her go-to bag for midafternoon catnaps (her actual cat liked it too). However, the Teton uses waterproof down, so this is arguably less of an issue than with other bags. Step 3, settle into a fairly long pump sack session. The zipper on the Egret 20 rarely snags because of firm fabric near the zipper that keeps the zippers teeth away from the surrounding nylon. In heat retention, it came in second only to the Slumberjack Country Squire 20 on our list of car-camping bags. After more than 100 hours of research, considering 150 models, and dragging 34 bags through the wilds of California, Hawaii, and Colorado, we think the REI Co-op Siesta 25 Sleeping Bag is the best for basic campingand we have picks for the best backpacking and double sleeping bags too. While its true that many long-distance hikers, ultralighters, or alpinists wouldnt consider carrying a bag that heavy, we think its fine for most hikers. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. Combined, those bags weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces. We spotted a few feather quills poking out during testing, and we saw one review on Marmots page complaining about feather leakage in an earlier model. After a number of backpacking trips, this ultralight two-person, two-vestibule tent has secured a top spot in our backpacking arsenal. Because theres a 12,000 foot peak north of Steamboat Springs with the same name? Our testers found themselves unzipping the bag and sticking their feet outside of it in temps above 40 F. Its integrated pad sleeve fits our Q-Core SLX insulated double-wide sleeping pad perfectly and keeps it from sliding off. This pad is clearly large and in charge. 
Although the Down Hugger is billed as a unisex bag, we think its best for all people who sleep warm. Like the Swallow, the Feathered Friends Egret YF 20 is a high-end bag that is, nonetheless, a rare find for its price. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Some fabric companies use a finishing process called calenderingtomake shells more impervious to down,but the fabric on the Marmots shell, a very tightly woven fine thread, is not calendered. Some experts warned us against Velcro on sleeping bags, saying it could snag on the nylon shell, but the Velcro closure on the Montbell appears to be very gentle. Unzip both bags fully, lay one on top of the other, then zip them together. Though you could also use two smaller 20-by-72-inch padsa common size for Therm-a-Resttype camping padstheyll leave several extra inches on all sides of the Big Agness sleeve. Weighing less than many of the other rectangular, synthetic-fill bags we tested, its still warm enough to use in spring and fall as well as summer. If you opened the Tentfloor SLX expecting something the size of a single sleeping pad, you would be a bit frightened. I used a Kelty Ignite DriDown 20 and my wife slept in a Marmot Angel Fire. Several of our female-identifying testers found it to be too tight, and most of our male-identifying testers couldnt zip it across their chests. We go "Off the Map" to find new roads and epic adventures. Its warmer and slimmer than the Montbell Down Hugger, but its also among the softest, warmest bags we tested: The fluffy insulation feels plush and almost overstuffed; it swaddles you while you sleep. Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
If youre sleeping in clothes, try to make sure theyre clean. A sleeping pad R-Value is a rating that shows how warm the pad is, thus helping you stay warm at cooler temperatures. All the bags we tested had one except for the center-zip designs of the Patagonia 850 Down. Ultimately, we narrowed our list down to 41 test models of all types. And though its billed as a womens bag, the Marmot Womens Teton is a good fit for any narrow-bodied person who gets cold at night. Belly- and side-sleepers will especially enjoy the spaciousness of the rectangular design of our top pick, the REI Co-op Siesta 25. Im 5 feet 11 inches and my wife is 5 feet 3 inches, both with athletic builds. You simply dont need to overpay to get a bag thats comfortable and functional, whether for car camping, backpacking, or camping with kids. REI Co-op Women's Joule 21: This bag was aimed toward campers who want a down bag but are concerned about keeping it dry in damp conditions; its been discontinued, however. The Big Agnes system addresses a problem it had never occurred to us to try to solve: the annoying tendency of a sleeping bag to slide off or become otherwise akilter from a sleeping pad in the middle of the night. Affordable for a down-filled bag, the Montbell has diagonal baffles that make it feel roomier than most mummy-style options, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Comfortable, warm, brings couples together, light for double pad. And weve had no problems since. As we mentioned above, the best way to stay warm is to avoid having body parts in constant contact with your sleeping bag. The. He also lived in a tent in Hawaii for seven months and used a sleeping bag as a blanket most of that time. It packs down smaller than the competition as well. We liked it for its warmth, comfort, thoughtful design features, and inexpensive price. Most of the other couples she and her husband camped with that weekend were also colder than they would have liked inside rival double bags. Weve included our favorite here, but its important to note that many single rectangular bags can zip together with another twin bag to create an impromptu double sleeping bag. to cover the entire floor of a two-person tent for doublewide bags and duos camping side by side. If you had two separate single pads of the same insulation/size versus the Tentfloor SLX, you would only save about 15 ounces. The Dolomite is also noticeably less lofty than the other bags we tested. Kelty Discovery 30: For the price, we preferred the smaller compression and more comfortable design of the REI Co-op Siesta 25; the Discovery has since been discontinued. Its not an ultralight bag, but its 900-plus fill-power down (more about fill power later, but in short, this means the bag is very lofty and therefore both lightweight and warm) is a rare find for below $400 and makes it light enough to carry easily on long-distance trips. Most sleeping bags tend to stretch in one direction (perpendicular to their baffles), but the diagonal baffling on the bag allows movement in two directionsvertically and horizontally. Its rectangular shape and quilted construction give that home comforter feel and allow for a variety of sleeping positions. The bags 650-fill-power down doesnt bounce back as quickly as the pricier 900-plus-fill-power down in our upgrade picks, the Feathered Friends bags, but the Teton still felt loftier than most of the bags we slept in. Thats when packability becomes important. It performed well and didn't develop any leaks, which was impressive. agnes pad rei We opted for the extra Pumphouse Ultra bag ($35) that you connect to the inflate valve, blow a mouthful of air into, then roll the top and squeeze the full bag of air into the pad. While we liked the silky fabric on the Marmot Teton, it wasnt as good as other bags at repelling water. There was no point throughout our use of this pad where we felt the need for more padding. Inside the inflator valve is a tiny micro-adjust button that lets a little bit of air out to adjust for optimal comfort. A decent-quality, down-filled backpacking bag should last for at least 10 years. From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Looking for the perfect sleeping pad? After a poor nights rest they declared the effort required to get the bag back in the way-too-tight sack absolutely not worth it.. The deep padding also allows for side spooning without shoulder and hip damage. We can't stress enough; if you camp on an air pad long enough, you will have a leak or two develop. How can we improve GearLab? Let us know! The Dream Island is also unusually lofty and comfortablemore like sleeping with a big, soft quilt draped over you than bunking in a typical sleeping bag. If you've purchased the large cylinder of oatmeal before, that's about the size of this pad fully packed. Its not made of advanced materials, either, and it would be considered heavy by thru-hikers. Previous camping trips in a double bag placed on top of an Aerobed-type mattress had led us to conclude that this problem becomes more acute when youre two to a bag. Dubbed The Big Agnes System, a pad sleeve replaces the bags bottom insulation to accommodate an insulated sleeping pad. When youre not using your bag, store it unstuffed and inside out so that the liner doesnt trap smells. Insulation: Unlike mummy bags, rectangular down sleeping bags arent designed to keep you as warm as absolutely possible. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. The sleeve stretches over and around the pad to secure it, avoiding the dreaded midnight pad roll-off all too common with nonintegrated setups. And weve been more willing to abandon the comforts of our RV in favor of a night under the stars. In the end, were more comfortable, which helps keep the spirits high on multinight, long-distance backpacking trips. Many companies make car-camping pads with these larger-than-average dimensions, and any of them will fit the Dream Island just fine. This car-camping sleeping bag is as close as you can get to tucking into your own bed outdoors without bringing a set of sheets, blankets, and your mattress to a campsite. We found this combination odd, though, because the bags couldnt be unzipped all the waysome testers had trouble getting into them. age, level of exhaustion, health conditions, medications, European Normal (EN) 13537 testing protocol, Institute for Environmental Research at Kansas State University, REI even suggests choosing a bag that has a lower rating, L.L.Bean Camp Sleeping Bag Cotton-Blend-Lined, Cabela's Mountain Trapper 40 F Sleeping Bag, The Best Sleeping Bags for Camping of 2019, designer and owner and director of operations at Katabatic Gear, production manager and lead designer at Feathered Friends, equipment product manager at Sierra Designs, Wearable Sleeping Bags: Your Key to Cozy Hangouts. We use the Q-Core SLX insulated double sleeping pad($250) to avoid sliding in the middle crack of two pads when cuddling. EN ratings tell campers about the range of temperatures in which a piece of gear should keep them warm. While we didn't stop around on it, it does feel as if it could handle being stomped. The Tentfloor SLX was one of those pleasant surprises. My wife and I have been backcountry hiking and camping in various national parks this summer. Kalee Thompson has evaluated gear for Wired, Popular Science, and National Geographic Adventure, where she was a senior editor. No catches: A sturdy nylon ribbon runs the length of the zipper, protecting against snags while you get in and out of the bag. The zipper also doesnt continue around the foot box, which makes it difficult to stick a foot outside the bag to cool off. Step 2, make the "Blue Steel" face from Zoolander. Open bivying with your partner in crime is significantly more comfortable and cozy with the Tentfloor SLX. Your source for comprehensive hunting reviews and buying guides. Altogether, the setup feels like home: warm, spacious, and comfortable. The Siesta 25 comes in two size options (regular and long) to accommodate nearly any size sleeper without excess weight and material. We noticed benefits that were completely unexpected such as feeling our entire tent being insulated and having the ability to side spoon very comfortably. The EN certification process can be expensivesometimes prohibitively so for smaller companiesso some of the bag makers in this guide, like Feathered Friends, forgo it and use their own estimates instead. Its no small investment, but its worth considering before you begin shelling out money for two separate sleeping bags and pads. It is light, comfortable, and adjustable, and comes in two size options: regular and long, as well as a single version and a double version. range from 1.5 4 of thickness to sleep on, its like your bed in the backcountry! We also found this made splitting gear quite easy as one would carry the tent and the other the Tentfloor SLX. We also preferred the removable carrying case of the Slumberjack over the wrap-and-strap stowaway system of this model. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. GearLab is reader-supported. Car camping is the first experience many people have with sleeping bags and tents, so we started our testing there. (Also, our top picks are water resistant enough already.). The ASTM r-value of 3.2 indicated solid three-season performance. We're always pleasantly surprised when we abuse a pad, and it doesn't develop a leak. However, if youre packing a small car with a weekends worth of stuff, you may be fighting for every inch you can manage. This pad has a very large volume and while the pump sack works well, it takes some time. 
Although the Siesta 25 can compress a good bit, this style of sleeping bag is not meant for stuffing into a sack and packing deep into a traditional backpack. This step helps you get all the loft, and therefore warmth, youll want while sleeping. Privacy | Cookies | Terms, This duo sleeping option makes camping for two better in nearly every way. The heavy rubber valve system feels very durable. 3 Days Only! Whether your sleeping bag is filled with down or down alternative, heres how to clean it. The snap is on the outside of the sleeping bag, which means it can be tough to secure from inside the bag. We put our sleeping pad on the ground for science. If moisture can easily seep through the shell fabric, your down will get wet and youll feel cold. The Big Agnes Dream Island is spacious, warm, and comfortable, with a built-in sleeping-pad sleeve that solves a problem it had never occurred to us to try to solve: the annoyance of bag and pad getting misaligned in the middle of the night. We loved the material for its softness, as well as for the fact that it eliminated the constant swishing noises that inevitably accompany a night in a nylon- or polyester-lined bag. Be warned, however, that if you want to repair the hole later, the sticky adhesive may remain once you remove the tape, and the rip might get worse. In the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park, temps dipped below 35 degrees and we stayed warm. The gear is high quality, and we expect it to last us many years. The problem is exaggerated if you pitch your tent on anything but perfectly flat ground. It was also a great way to test durability and have a nice night out under the stars. (You could also use two standard 25-by-78-inch pads; both the Hinman and the Air Core come in that size as well.) The high level of comfort, relatively low weight, and unforeseen benefits of this pad launched it into award winner territory.
We also specialize in larger 50x78Tent Floor Padto cover the entire floor of a two-person tent for doublewide bags and duos camping side by side. A good place to start is with the season in which youll be camping. This bag was great for restless sleepers, as it allows you to stick your arms and legs out of the bag while youre sleeping. The third trip brought her to woodsy Wheeler Gorge near Ojai, California, where she and her fellow testers experienced mild nighttime lows in the 50s. Unlike other mummy bags, this adaptive stretch is included in the footbox, which is flexible between your feet rather than wrapped around them like traditional muffler-shaped footboxes. As with all of the SLX model Big Agnes pads we have tested, the valve system is easy to use and feels chunky, flexible, and durable in hand. Again, the shell fabric is now a different nylon that the company says is more downproof and water resistant; well be testing this new version, but if you do find yourself surrounded by feathers at any point, the Egret is backed by Feathered Friendss lifetime warranty. If youre going to be investing in a high-quality double bag like this one, we recommend pairing it with a double pad that fits perfectly. If you are a dual sleeping pad skeptic, do not avert your eyes. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Wim Hoff himself would expire from the effort. treelinebackpacker Were pretty passionate about creating the best pads available. We didn't anticipate how well this would work, but we felt an extreme 10-15 degree temperature difference inside our tent versus outside and typically found ourselves with two vents open just to cool things down, even in the cold fall desert evenings. The contraption is extremely handy, weighs next to nothing (2.9 ounces), and significantly speeds up the process of inflating the pad. You need to read this. The Somnox sleep robot is a soft, breathing lima bean that you hug to fall asleep. Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. Pad lengths vary from 66 for shorter campers and kids up to 78 for taller campers. Ultralight hikers who are counting each ounce in their pack might not consider bags with less than 850 fill power, but we think 600 to 700 fill power is good enough for most people. Additionally, the cinches on the Down Huggers hood have a tendency to crowd into your peripheral vision or to rub against your face as youre trying to sleep. Though a couple of our tested bags might take up a third of the space in a small trunk and weigh close to 12 pounds, the Dream Island packs down to a relatively compact 13 by 23 inches when in its stuff sack; it weighs 9 pounds 7 ounces. Down is expensive but light, compresses well, and proves to be incredibly insulating for its weight. We've tested the best hiking gear, packs, and footwear to outfit you for any adventure you choose. Quilted Top, ultimate comfort pillow top surface , Vertical Baffles, comfortable and stable sleep surface for the price conscience camper . The Montbell is EN limit rated to 11 F. Personally, said Kit, I tend to feel constricted in mummy bags that are too tight, but the Montbell seemed to move with me no matter how much I spread out at night. This unique design also eliminated gaps between his body and the bag, a feature that minimizes drafty dead spaces and ought to make the bag comfortable for a broader range of body shapes. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. For more rugged outdoor camping, youll likely prefer a sleeping bag stuffed with down (unless allergies, cost, or ethical concerns get in the way) to a bag with synthetic fill. The Teton is designed to warm up colder sleepers. The sleeve fits one of Big Agness 50-by-78-inch double air mattresses (such as the Hinman) or two standard 25-by-78-inch pads, like the Air Core Ultra. No ads. A similarly well-stuffed draft collar protects another key area prone to heat loss. Theres no doubt: It takes a near-Herculean effort to wrestle this bag back into its carry bag. In the past, we have found couples camping to be a bit lonely in the night and twigs snapping outside the tent to be more alarming. Here are the basics: This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan. A sleeping pad R-Value is a rating that shows how warm the pad is, thus helping you stay warm at cooler temperatures. Well be testing the bags soon to make sure they perform as well as they did before. Yeah, all that. It has two short side vents near the chest area, which expand the width of the bag slightly but dont open up, but we werent convinced they made enough difference to justify the extra labor and cost required to add them. System Bags utilize our Flex Pad Sleeve and Pad Cinch System, and must be paired with a pad for proper insulation. Backcountry spooning isnt a figment of your imagination its possible without the extra weight and bulk of your home comforter. The REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 25 Sleeping Bag is as much sleeping bag as anyone could want for basic car camping, and it costs almost a third the price of more specialized backpacking options. The brushed-cotton lining also makes the bag more difficult to clean than all-nylon or polyester models. The deep padding also worked to make side spooning comfortable and sustainable throughout the night. The Big AgnesSentinel 30 double sleeping bag weighs in at 3 pounds 9 ounces, which is actually lighter than our two mummy bags combined. We also specialize in larger 50x78. Not only did the Primaloft work well at insulating us from the ground, our four season BD Firstlight tent turned into a furnace as the SLX worked to insulate the entire environment from the cold ground. Theres a double design as well for couples, but we havent had a chance to test that against our couples pick. A longtime hiker and camper, she embraced the transition from backpacking to car campingwhich included buying a double bagafter her first son was born. Any pad width 40 or larger, is considered adoublewidepad, because its wide enough to fit two people on it. Feathered Friends does not use EN ratings, but the general consensus among backpackers is that the companys ratings tend to be accurate. A separate air-dump valve quickly deflates the pad, which then rolls up nicely into the provided stuff sack. Sierra Designs Frontcountry Bed Duo: We recommend this bag, and in the past when we had a larger guide dedicated to double bags, it was a runner-up pick. Single pads can make this incredibly difficult. If the weight and bulk savings werent enough, the double bag is also darn comfortable. But we didnt like the feel of the fabric, and the insulation isnt lofty (although its 800-fill-power down, it feels more like a synthetic bag). The current version of the Siesta comes with a loose-fitting hoodan addition that makes the bag cozier in cold weather. Listen up, all you cuddlers! Big Agnes Hazel 15: The down insulation of this bag felt lumpy, and it didnt have much bounce back. But according to REIs explanation of the difference between mens and womens bags, womens bags would need more insulation to achieve a given temperature rating (since womens bags are comfort rated and mens are limit rated). Jason Wanlass, The Best Sleeping Bags for Camping of 2019, OutdoorGearLab, November 8, 2019, Aaron Martray and Kris Diers, designer and owner and director of operations at Katabatic Gear, in-person interview, February 18, 2018, Kate Mansfield and Emilee Campbell, designers at Marmot, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Scott Shimonek, designer and owner of Wex Gear, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Garrett Nixon, production manager and lead designer at Feathered Friends, telephone interview, October 26, 2017, Jessica Haist, How to Choose a Womens Sleeping Bag, OutdoorGearLab, May 17, 2019, Casey Sumnicht, equipment product manager at Sierra Designs, phone interview, May 2016, Katie Hughes, senior marketing specialist at Big Agnes, interview, 2016, David Creech, The Science of Sleeping Bag Design, Trail Sherpa, March 19, 2013, How to Choose Sleeping Bags for Camping, REI. The pad has I-Beam construction that provides stability without creating uncomfortably large humps. Its shell and interior are both made of a water-resistant polyester taffeta, a soft material that makes barely any noise at all. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Wonder why we call our company Big Agnes? Our main criticism we probably wouldnt have had if we hadnt slept in so many competitors: the slipperiness and constant swishing sound of a bag thats polyester inside and out. This bag is simple and unadorned yet filled with top-quality down. The higher the R-Value number, the warmer the pad. Your email address will not be published. Along with a draft tube running the length of the bags zipper, the Montbell has a draft collar thats meant to lock in heat. Down bags specifically tend to come with an oversize sack for long-term storage. Pad lengths vary from 66 for shorter campers and kids up to 78 for taller campers. Its rare to find a comfortable down bag that costs less than $300, yet the Down Hugger was softer and had more loft than some bags that cost $100 more. hinman trailspace When a half-dozen bags were piled in Kalees home office, she found this became her go-to bag for midafternoon catnaps (her actual cat liked it too). However, the Teton uses waterproof down, so this is arguably less of an issue than with other bags. Step 3, settle into a fairly long pump sack session. The zipper on the Egret 20 rarely snags because of firm fabric near the zipper that keeps the zippers teeth away from the surrounding nylon. In heat retention, it came in second only to the Slumberjack Country Squire 20 on our list of car-camping bags. After more than 100 hours of research, considering 150 models, and dragging 34 bags through the wilds of California, Hawaii, and Colorado, we think the REI Co-op Siesta 25 Sleeping Bag is the best for basic campingand we have picks for the best backpacking and double sleeping bags too. While its true that many long-distance hikers, ultralighters, or alpinists wouldnt consider carrying a bag that heavy, we think its fine for most hikers. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. Combined, those bags weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces. We spotted a few feather quills poking out during testing, and we saw one review on Marmots page complaining about feather leakage in an earlier model. After a number of backpacking trips, this ultralight two-person, two-vestibule tent has secured a top spot in our backpacking arsenal. Because theres a 12,000 foot peak north of Steamboat Springs with the same name? Our testers found themselves unzipping the bag and sticking their feet outside of it in temps above 40 F. Its integrated pad sleeve fits our Q-Core SLX insulated double-wide sleeping pad perfectly and keeps it from sliding off. This pad is clearly large and in charge. 
Although the Down Hugger is billed as a unisex bag, we think its best for all people who sleep warm. Like the Swallow, the Feathered Friends Egret YF 20 is a high-end bag that is, nonetheless, a rare find for its price. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Some fabric companies use a finishing process called calenderingtomake shells more impervious to down,but the fabric on the Marmots shell, a very tightly woven fine thread, is not calendered. Some experts warned us against Velcro on sleeping bags, saying it could snag on the nylon shell, but the Velcro closure on the Montbell appears to be very gentle. Unzip both bags fully, lay one on top of the other, then zip them together. Though you could also use two smaller 20-by-72-inch padsa common size for Therm-a-Resttype camping padstheyll leave several extra inches on all sides of the Big Agness sleeve. Weighing less than many of the other rectangular, synthetic-fill bags we tested, its still warm enough to use in spring and fall as well as summer. If you opened the Tentfloor SLX expecting something the size of a single sleeping pad, you would be a bit frightened. I used a Kelty Ignite DriDown 20 and my wife slept in a Marmot Angel Fire. Several of our female-identifying testers found it to be too tight, and most of our male-identifying testers couldnt zip it across their chests. We go "Off the Map" to find new roads and epic adventures. Its warmer and slimmer than the Montbell Down Hugger, but its also among the softest, warmest bags we tested: The fluffy insulation feels plush and almost overstuffed; it swaddles you while you sleep. Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. If youre sleeping in clothes, try to make sure theyre clean. A sleeping pad R-Value is a rating that shows how warm the pad is, thus helping you stay warm at cooler temperatures. All the bags we tested had one except for the center-zip designs of the Patagonia 850 Down. Ultimately, we narrowed our list down to 41 test models of all types. And though its billed as a womens bag, the Marmot Womens Teton is a good fit for any narrow-bodied person who gets cold at night. Belly- and side-sleepers will especially enjoy the spaciousness of the rectangular design of our top pick, the REI Co-op Siesta 25. Im 5 feet 11 inches and my wife is 5 feet 3 inches, both with athletic builds. You simply dont need to overpay to get a bag thats comfortable and functional, whether for car camping, backpacking, or camping with kids. REI Co-op Women's Joule 21: This bag was aimed toward campers who want a down bag but are concerned about keeping it dry in damp conditions; its been discontinued, however. The Big Agnes system addresses a problem it had never occurred to us to try to solve: the annoying tendency of a sleeping bag to slide off or become otherwise akilter from a sleeping pad in the middle of the night. Affordable for a down-filled bag, the Montbell has diagonal baffles that make it feel roomier than most mummy-style options, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Comfortable, warm, brings couples together, light for double pad. And weve had no problems since. As we mentioned above, the best way to stay warm is to avoid having body parts in constant contact with your sleeping bag. The. He also lived in a tent in Hawaii for seven months and used a sleeping bag as a blanket most of that time. It packs down smaller than the competition as well. We liked it for its warmth, comfort, thoughtful design features, and inexpensive price. Most of the other couples she and her husband camped with that weekend were also colder than they would have liked inside rival double bags. Weve included our favorite here, but its important to note that many single rectangular bags can zip together with another twin bag to create an impromptu double sleeping bag. to cover the entire floor of a two-person tent for doublewide bags and duos camping side by side. If you had two separate single pads of the same insulation/size versus the Tentfloor SLX, you would only save about 15 ounces. The Dolomite is also noticeably less lofty than the other bags we tested. Kelty Discovery 30: For the price, we preferred the smaller compression and more comfortable design of the REI Co-op Siesta 25; the Discovery has since been discontinued. Its not an ultralight bag, but its 900-plus fill-power down (more about fill power later, but in short, this means the bag is very lofty and therefore both lightweight and warm) is a rare find for below $400 and makes it light enough to carry easily on long-distance trips. Most sleeping bags tend to stretch in one direction (perpendicular to their baffles), but the diagonal baffling on the bag allows movement in two directionsvertically and horizontally. Its rectangular shape and quilted construction give that home comforter feel and allow for a variety of sleeping positions. The bags 650-fill-power down doesnt bounce back as quickly as the pricier 900-plus-fill-power down in our upgrade picks, the Feathered Friends bags, but the Teton still felt loftier than most of the bags we slept in. Thats when packability becomes important. It performed well and didn't develop any leaks, which was impressive. agnes pad rei We opted for the extra Pumphouse Ultra bag ($35) that you connect to the inflate valve, blow a mouthful of air into, then roll the top and squeeze the full bag of air into the pad. While we liked the silky fabric on the Marmot Teton, it wasnt as good as other bags at repelling water. There was no point throughout our use of this pad where we felt the need for more padding. Inside the inflator valve is a tiny micro-adjust button that lets a little bit of air out to adjust for optimal comfort. A decent-quality, down-filled backpacking bag should last for at least 10 years. From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Looking for the perfect sleeping pad? After a poor nights rest they declared the effort required to get the bag back in the way-too-tight sack absolutely not worth it.. The deep padding also allows for side spooning without shoulder and hip damage. We can't stress enough; if you camp on an air pad long enough, you will have a leak or two develop. How can we improve GearLab? Let us know! The Dream Island is also unusually lofty and comfortablemore like sleeping with a big, soft quilt draped over you than bunking in a typical sleeping bag. If you've purchased the large cylinder of oatmeal before, that's about the size of this pad fully packed. Its not made of advanced materials, either, and it would be considered heavy by thru-hikers. Previous camping trips in a double bag placed on top of an Aerobed-type mattress had led us to conclude that this problem becomes more acute when youre two to a bag. Dubbed The Big Agnes System, a pad sleeve replaces the bags bottom insulation to accommodate an insulated sleeping pad. When youre not using your bag, store it unstuffed and inside out so that the liner doesnt trap smells. Insulation: Unlike mummy bags, rectangular down sleeping bags arent designed to keep you as warm as absolutely possible. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. The sleeve stretches over and around the pad to secure it, avoiding the dreaded midnight pad roll-off all too common with nonintegrated setups. And weve been more willing to abandon the comforts of our RV in favor of a night under the stars. In the end, were more comfortable, which helps keep the spirits high on multinight, long-distance backpacking trips. Many companies make car-camping pads with these larger-than-average dimensions, and any of them will fit the Dream Island just fine. This car-camping sleeping bag is as close as you can get to tucking into your own bed outdoors without bringing a set of sheets, blankets, and your mattress to a campsite. We found this combination odd, though, because the bags couldnt be unzipped all the waysome testers had trouble getting into them. age, level of exhaustion, health conditions, medications, European Normal (EN) 13537 testing protocol, Institute for Environmental Research at Kansas State University, REI even suggests choosing a bag that has a lower rating, L.L.Bean Camp Sleeping Bag Cotton-Blend-Lined, Cabela's Mountain Trapper 40 F Sleeping Bag, The Best Sleeping Bags for Camping of 2019, designer and owner and director of operations at Katabatic Gear, production manager and lead designer at Feathered Friends, equipment product manager at Sierra Designs, Wearable Sleeping Bags: Your Key to Cozy Hangouts. We use the Q-Core SLX insulated double sleeping pad($250) to avoid sliding in the middle crack of two pads when cuddling. EN ratings tell campers about the range of temperatures in which a piece of gear should keep them warm. While we didn't stop around on it, it does feel as if it could handle being stomped. The Tentfloor SLX was one of those pleasant surprises. My wife and I have been backcountry hiking and camping in various national parks this summer. Kalee Thompson has evaluated gear for Wired, Popular Science, and National Geographic Adventure, where she was a senior editor. No catches: A sturdy nylon ribbon runs the length of the zipper, protecting against snags while you get in and out of the bag. The zipper also doesnt continue around the foot box, which makes it difficult to stick a foot outside the bag to cool off. Step 2, make the "Blue Steel" face from Zoolander. Open bivying with your partner in crime is significantly more comfortable and cozy with the Tentfloor SLX. Your source for comprehensive hunting reviews and buying guides. Altogether, the setup feels like home: warm, spacious, and comfortable. The Siesta 25 comes in two size options (regular and long) to accommodate nearly any size sleeper without excess weight and material. We noticed benefits that were completely unexpected such as feeling our entire tent being insulated and having the ability to side spoon very comfortably. The EN certification process can be expensivesometimes prohibitively so for smaller companiesso some of the bag makers in this guide, like Feathered Friends, forgo it and use their own estimates instead. Its no small investment, but its worth considering before you begin shelling out money for two separate sleeping bags and pads. It is light, comfortable, and adjustable, and comes in two size options: regular and long, as well as a single version and a double version. range from 1.5 4 of thickness to sleep on, its like your bed in the backcountry! We also found this made splitting gear quite easy as one would carry the tent and the other the Tentfloor SLX. We also preferred the removable carrying case of the Slumberjack over the wrap-and-strap stowaway system of this model. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. GearLab is reader-supported. Car camping is the first experience many people have with sleeping bags and tents, so we started our testing there. (Also, our top picks are water resistant enough already.). The ASTM r-value of 3.2 indicated solid three-season performance. We're always pleasantly surprised when we abuse a pad, and it doesn't develop a leak. However, if youre packing a small car with a weekends worth of stuff, you may be fighting for every inch you can manage. This pad has a very large volume and while the pump sack works well, it takes some time. Although the Siesta 25 can compress a good bit, this style of sleeping bag is not meant for stuffing into a sack and packing deep into a traditional backpack. This step helps you get all the loft, and therefore warmth, youll want while sleeping. Privacy | Cookies | Terms, This duo sleeping option makes camping for two better in nearly every way. The heavy rubber valve system feels very durable. 3 Days Only! Whether your sleeping bag is filled with down or down alternative, heres how to clean it. The snap is on the outside of the sleeping bag, which means it can be tough to secure from inside the bag. We put our sleeping pad on the ground for science. If moisture can easily seep through the shell fabric, your down will get wet and youll feel cold. The Big Agnes Dream Island is spacious, warm, and comfortable, with a built-in sleeping-pad sleeve that solves a problem it had never occurred to us to try to solve: the annoyance of bag and pad getting misaligned in the middle of the night. We loved the material for its softness, as well as for the fact that it eliminated the constant swishing noises that inevitably accompany a night in a nylon- or polyester-lined bag. Be warned, however, that if you want to repair the hole later, the sticky adhesive may remain once you remove the tape, and the rip might get worse. In the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park, temps dipped below 35 degrees and we stayed warm. The gear is high quality, and we expect it to last us many years. The problem is exaggerated if you pitch your tent on anything but perfectly flat ground. It was also a great way to test durability and have a nice night out under the stars. (You could also use two standard 25-by-78-inch pads; both the Hinman and the Air Core come in that size as well.) The high level of comfort, relatively low weight, and unforeseen benefits of this pad launched it into award winner territory.