Jason has hiked or backpacked throughout the Western U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, California, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. He more recently has turned his interest to exploring backwoods areas of the Deep South. When not on the trail, Jason enjoys the convenience and added luxury of car-camping and often enjoys a few days lounging about in campgrounds near the backpacking trails he’s recently completed. In total, he has 20 years of experience and extensive knowledge of camping and backcountry gear, including sleeping bags and sleeping systems.
From handmade pieces to vintage treasures ready to be loved again, Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s also home to a whole host of one-of-a-kind items made with love and extraordinary care. While many of the items on Etsy are handmade, you’ll also find craft supplies, digital items, and more. A few other reasons for our lower score include a limited 5-year warranty and a very low resistance to water. Despite a synthetic outer shell, the Brazos soaked up water rather quickly during our water tests. Keep in mind that, for us, five is average on a scale from 1 to 10.
Both bags weigh less than 3 pounds, compress reasonably small for stuffing into a pack, and offer enough warmth for most three-season adventures. In the long run, it all comes down to which sleeping bag is right for you. Coleman is the go-to for casual campers who are on a budget and wish to enjoy comfort.
For example, if you’re camping somewhere where temperatures regularly drop into the 20s at night, you should choose a 20-degree sleeping bag or warmer. Throughout our review and testing tent side, we didn’t give these camping sleeping bags any leeway. Regardless of price or prestige, we held all to high standards and the same test methods. We researched and tested for what we would want to know if we were buying these bags for ourselves. In the end, we hope our efforts benefit you in your decision-making and camping gear kit. Traditional camping sleeping bags are known to be a little big-boned, so packed size was not a complete deal-breaker for us.
It’s a little slippery on the inside, which makes getting in and out easy, but the outside isn’t slick, so it doesn’t slide around on a cot, sleeping pad or air mattress. The Big Bay also has a cinchable hood, no-snag zipper and plush collar, plus it allows for foot ventilation, just like the Forte. The Big Bay is a mummy-style sleeping bag, starting wide at the shoulders and tapering around the feet. However, close-fitting mummy bags, like those designed exclusively for backpacking and alpine pursuits, can feel claustrophobic for most people because there’s not a lot of room to toss and turn. The open footbox design adds space, and the bag has enough room for me to side sleep and bend my knees. Made using Coletherm insulation for lightweight insulation, the Blue Bandit is machine washable.
OutdoorGearLab Review Editor Jason Wanlass lives in a camping paradise. If not already in the outdoors, he’s certainly busy planning his next adventure. He avidly coleman bbq gets after it at every opportunity, whether hiking, backpacking, or canyoneering. He also enjoys the open road and takes car-camping road trips whenever possible.
Looking at the modest price tag of the Brazos, we expected to be quite underwhelmed by its performance. However, its warmth ratings outperformed several of the more expensive bags. Additionally, despite its basic design, the Coleman Kompact also lived up to its cold weather coleman tents rating. We were also very impressed with the Kelty Galactic — its warmth-to-weight ratio, in particular. The Galactic is one of just a few down-insulated car-camping bags on the market. Its feather interior makes it the lightest bag we tested, yet one of the warmest.
The fabrics feel super nice on the skin, but they seem to soak up the cold, creating multiple icy spots outside and inside the bag. We found it a challenge to want to unzip and get up for the day after sleeping in it. When comparing the warmest bags side by side, the Redwood led in warmth. It’s also the coleman sleeping bags only bag on our list with 100% cotton materials, providing a soft next-to-skin feel and by far the coziest experience. Cotton generally offers a more even temperature, resulting in fewer cold spots. Its heavier canvas external fabric also provides a tucked-in feeling that most of our testers love.