How to Buy a Sleeping Bag

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1Choosing Your Bag

2Adding Bag Accessories

3Buying Your Bag

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Expert Q&A

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If you’re heading into the great outdoors for a camping trip, your sleeping bag is an essential piece of gear. Whether you plan to sleep under a star-filled sky or the secure lining of your tent, you’ll want to pick a bag that lets you greet the day warm, dry, and well rested. Casual and frequent campers alike favor sleeping bags that pack well while also giving you a good--and comfortable--night’s sleep. Sleeping bags vary depending on your camping needs, so buying the right one will require you to make choices about your future trips and the optimal price tag.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Your Bag

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   Pick a seasonal bag designed for a specific temperature range. There are three types of bags meant for comfortable sleeping in hot, mild, and cold weather. Purchasing a bag for the wrong season will guarantee you spend the night either drenched in sweat or listening to your teeth chatter.

   • Summer bags protect you against temperatures higher than about 32°F (0°C). These bags are lightweight, and they have full-length zippers that allow you to ventilate and cool off on hot summer nights.
   • Three-season bags are good for temperatures above 20°F (-7°C), so they’re optimal for spring and fall travel, or a summer trip in the mountains. They may be a good pick for those who aren’t sure when they’ll be travelling.
   • Winter bags should be purchased for temperatures below 20°F (-7°C).
2. 
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   Check your sleeping bag’s temperature rating. This rating gives you the bag’s optimal temperature for comfortable sleeping, along with its lower and extreme, or “survival-only,” limits. These ratings are made for the average sleeper, so you may want to add about 10 degrees to the lower limit, especially if you’re planning on cold-weather camping.

   • The clothing you wear will affect your sleeping experience. The ratings on cold-weather bags assume that you’re wearing long underwear (top and bottom), thick socks, and possibly a hat. Whether you’re camping in warm or cold weather, make sure that your clothing is dry before you climb inside your sleeping bag at night, as this will also help with warmth.
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3. 
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   Decide on an insulation type. Your bag will contain either down or synthetic fill. Each of these insulations provides different benefits based on their weight, warmth, water resistance, and price.

   • Down (duck or goose feather) bags weigh less for the warmth you receive, and they usually last longer than synthetic bags. However, they’re not generally water resistant, and they’re considerably more expensive than most synthetic options.
   • Synthetic (polyester or nylon) bags stay reasonably dry in wet weather, and they dry out quickly when they do get wet. They’re also cheaper than down and are hypo-allergenic. Even so, they weigh more than down options and don’t pack as well.
4. 
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   Choose a mummy bag for backpacking. This bag’s tapered cut around the legs and feet ensures that your body heat stays contained in the bag, making them the most efficient bags for keeping you warm. Because they use less material, they’re also lighter and easier to pack. However, those who move or shift in their sleep will want to steer clear of the mummy sleeping bag, which is far more constrictive than other choices.
5. 
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   Pick a rectangular bag if you need more space while you sleep. These bags allow more movement than mummy sleeping bags, but they also let more body heat escape. The majority of these bags can also be unzipped completely and used as blankets. They’re best suited for warm-weather camping.
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   Compromise with a semi-rectangular bag. This option provides a middle ground between mummy and rectangular bags. They are bulkier and more difficult to pack than mummies, but they’ll also give you more space to move while keeping you warm.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Adding Bag Accessories

1. 
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   Buy a sleeping pad. Camping experts agree that placing a sleeping pad under your bag is the best way to stay warm and dry. Pads vary in weight and material, and you should choose an option for your particular packing and seasonal needs.
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   Invest in a waterproof storage bag. While most sleeping bags come with their own storage sacks, these sacks don’t always keep water out. A wet sleeping bag can make for a miserable trip, especially if the weather prevents you from laying your bag out to dry.

   • This add-on is an especially good idea for those who choose to buy less less water resistant down bags.
3. 
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   Get a speciality cleaner. Bags can’t be cleaned with typical laundry detergents, nor can they make a trip to the dry cleaner. Unless you plan on using a special camping-gear cleaning service, prepare to purchase a bag cleaner when you buy your bag. There are many reasonably priced cleaning and waterproofing products.
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   Spend a little extra on a pillow. Adding a pillow to your pack will help you avoid cricks in your neck and bumps on the ground. You should choose an inflatable pillow if you’re prioritizing easy packing and lower weight over comfort. Compressible options are good for optimizing comfort despite the extra weight. There are also hybrid options for mid-level comfort and weight.

   • If you’re going car camping, you can bring along your pillow from home.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Buying Your Bag

1. 
   1
   Set your budget. Your choices regarding the seasonal type, your prefered fill material, and shape will affect the cost of your sleeping bag. The most expensive bags tend to be down bags fit for extremely cold weather, while the least expensive options will be lightweight, synthetic summer bags.
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   Read consumer and blog reviews of potential sleeping bags. A cross-section of opinions from other buyers and bloggers can help expose common problems with particular sleeping bags. These reviews will likely also point you in the direction of the best prices for the highest quality options.
3. 
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   Consult your friends and family. Talking to campers in your social circle should give you honest and unfiltered information about people’s preferences and experiences with particular brands and types of bags. The people who know you best will also be familiar with your particular needs, so they can provide tailored advice.
4. 
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   Go to a store. It’s better to make an in-store visit so you can test out various sleeping bags. The best way to know what you like is to crawl inside different kinds of bags, move around, and zip yourself up, reflecting on the fit and material as you do so. If the bag doesn’t feel right in the store, it won’t satisfy you in the wilderness.

   • Inspect the zipper of each sleeping bag. Some zippers will catch or break easily, and you may be able to discern this tendency in the store.
5. 
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   Purchase your bag online. If you don’t have easy access to a sporting or outdoor activites store, you’ll likely want to make your purchase online. If this is the case, you’ll need to take extra care examining the product before you buy.

   • Bundle your camping gear into one online purchase. Shipping costs will add up quickly if you make multiple individual purchases.
6. 
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   Keep a record of your purchase. Save the receipt for in-store transactions or flag the email confirmation for online payments. If your bag is defective, you’ll want to be able to make an easy and painless exchange.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can I get a high quality sleeping bag on a budget?

  

  Halle Payne
  Hiking & Backpacking Trip Leader

  Halle Payne has been hiking and backpacking in Northern California for over 3 years. She was Trip Leader for Stanford University’s Outdoor Education Program, Hiking Leader for Stanford Sierra Conference Center, and has taught classes in Outdoor Education and Leave No Trace principles.

  

  Halle Payne

  Hiking & Backpacking Trip Leader

  Expert Answer

  Attend a local gear swap to find used and budget gear. Outdoor programs and big retailers will hold these big gear swaps occasionally, selling used or partially compromised gear for a fraction of the cost. Look up gear swaps coming up in your area, and you could maybe find a bag with one patch on it for 1/10 of the original cost!

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Tips

• Consider spending a little extra for a bag with a water-resistant shell. Between rain, dew, and other sources of moisture, sleeping bags are constantly exposed to water.
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• If camping with a friend, look into the possibility of buying sleeping bags that can be connected to make one large double bag. The additional body heat will provide added warmth.
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• Once you return from your trip, be sure to properly clean and care for your bag. Doing so will make your sleeping bag last longer.
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