Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Get the right sleeping bag for your camping trips with this guide

Every camper needs a great sleeping bag, and here's how to get yours

Tom Kilpatrick
By
A man stands on the mountain with a sleeping bag around him.
Martin Jernberg / Unsplash

Your sleeping bag is the cornerstone on which your entire camping sleep system should be built. Get your sleeping bag right, and you’ll sleep soundly and wake feeling refreshed, ready to face the day ahead, whether relaxing in camp with the family or hitting the trail to your next campground. But get it wrong, and you face more than just a host of discomforts; too hot, too cold, too bulky for your pack, and baffles in all the wrong places.

But how do you go about choosing your perfect sleeping bag? Unfortunately, there isn’t a ‘one-sleeping bag’ solution to your camping needs. Many experienced campers — especially those who like to camp year-round — end up with three or four sleeping bags that fit various needs. Whether this is you and you’re looking to expand your camping setup, or you’re looking to finally replace the sleeping bag you’ve had since you were a teenager, you want to be sure that you spend your money wisely. Here’s how to buy the right sleeping bag.

A tent is set up as the sun rises.
Jack Sloop / Unsplash

Get the temperature rating and seasons nailed first

Sleeping bags are rated in two ways; seasons and temperature. The principle is that the seasons are more general — as a place to start from — while the temperature ratings hone in on the bag’s technical attributes.

  • Two-season sleeping bags are designed for summer camping and the warmer ends of spring and fall and are usually rated for 32 degrees and above.
  • Three-season sleeping bags are rated from 20 degrees and are suitable from spring through fall. Most people who only own one sleeping bag will buy a three-season one, as they tend to represent the best warmth-to-weight ratio and can often be used year-round when paired with the right sleeping bag liner.
  • Four-season sleeping bags are designed for extreme winter camping trips and high-altitude expeditions. These sleeping bags are designed for conditions where temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, though the specific rating varies between bags.
Recommended Videos

Sleeping bags have three temperature ratings: comfort, limit, and extreme.

  • The comfort rating is the optimal temperature for your sleeping bag. This rating should be used as your guideline when buying your sleeping bag. Aim for the comfort rating to be your standard camping temperature.
  • The limit rating of a sleeping bag is the lowest temperature at which the average adult male can sleep through the night. You may not wake up because of the cold, but you will most likely feel cold when you do wake up. This rating is useful for planning camping trips in spring or fall.
  • The extreme rating is not one you want to explore too closely. This is the absolute limit of your sleeping bag for survival situations. The extreme rating is the temperature at which your sleeping bag will keep the average man alive for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia.

Four-season sleeping bag

Down vs. synthetic insulation

Sleeping bags are filled with insulation to trap your body heat and create a barrier between you and the cool outside air. This insulation is usually either down feathers or synthetic fibers.

  • Down fill offers a greater warmth-to-weight ratio, so most trekkers prefer a down sleeping bag. These bags are lighter than synthetic sleeping bags and pack down smaller, giving you more space. This is because down has a higher fill power than synthetic materials. Fill power is a test of how much the down can loft.
  • Synthetic bags use polyester fibers instead of down feathers for their insulation. These fibers require more space to achieve the same level of insulation, so synthetic sleeping bags tend to be bulkier than those insulated with down feathers. The key advantage that synthetic sleeping bags have is their ability to retain their warmth even after being soaked. With DWR (durable water repellant) coating, down is slowly catching up, but synthetic bags still have the edge for camping in wet conditions.
Camping man in a sleeping bag taking a selfie on a grass-covered hill.
Dougal Waters/Getty Images

Select a shape and size that suit your body

While insulation and warmth are the most important features of a sleeping bag, factors such as shape and size should not be underestimated. It sounds obvious that you should choose the right-sized sleeping bag, but the space around you is surprisingly important to your warmth and comfort. Too much space adds unnecessary bulk and calls for extra body heat, but if your sleeping bag is too tight, your insulation won’t have the space to loft and won’t trap heat.

Related

Most technical sleeping bags are a mummy fit — shaped to fit close to your body and tapering towards your feet. This reduces excess fabric and insulation, saving weight and bulk in your pack. Mummy sleeping bags are warmer than square bags, with the form-hugging design reducing the air around you, but they can feel restrictive while you get used to using them. Square sleeping bags are suited to summer camping, but you will rarely — if ever — find a square sleeping bag rated higher than two-season.

A man sits outside in his sleeping bag overlooking the mountains.
Emerson Ward/Unsplash

Choose your optional extras

Finally, consider the following features and whether they are important to you.

  • Pack size and weight. Do you need to fit your sleeping bag into a hiking backpack or the trunk of a small car? Warm sleeping bags with a small pack size are often among the most expensive, but this may be a priority if space is tight.
  • Do you need a hood? Although the myth that we lose 50% of our body heat through our heads has been debunked, do still probably lose around 10% of our body heat. A sleeping bag hood — with a cinch cord — can be pulled tight around your head and make all the difference on cooler nights.
  • Your zip. Sleeping bags can often come with a left or right zip. Having this on the opposite side from your dominant hand can make it easier to unzip, or if you are a couple looking to cozy up, you can get a pair of sleeping bags with opposing zips and attach them.
A sleeping bag inside a camping hut with snow on the ground outside.
Holly Mandarich/Unsplash

How often should you replace your sleeping bag?

The lifespan of a sleeping bag varies depending on how regularly you camp, how you store it, and how well you care for it. There are still campers using decades-old sleeping bags, while others will find that their new bag doesn’t last more than a few years. Buying a higher-quality sleeping bag will play a big part in how long your sleeping bag lasts, but there are other things you can do to extend the lifespan of your new sleeping bag, too.

  • Don’t sit too close to the campfire or use your sleeping bag as a blanket around camp — keep it in the tent.
  • Air dry your sleeping bag after every use before storing it away.
  • Use a sleeping bag liner and wear thin layers to keep your sleeping bag clean.
  • Wash your bag at least once per season — or more if you’re a regular camper — to keep it in good condition.
  • Don’t store your sleeping bag in a tight stuff sack. Remove your sleeping bag after use and store it in a spacious bag where the insulation has space to loft. Otherwise, it will clump and stick together over time — especially with down.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tom Kilpatrick
Tom Kilpatrick
Contributor
A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as…
The simple cold-weather camping hack that will keep your devices charged
You don't even need to bring anything extra
Man using phone in the snow.

Camping in the winter is a great way to avoid the crowds. That said, one of the biggest differences between summer and winter camping is the temperature. Not only do you have to keep yourself warm, but there's also the added challenge of plummeting phone batteries.
Why do phones die in the cold?
Our trusty smartphones are essential to our safety when out camping, but when you camp in the winter, you might find that your phone doesn't last nearly as long. If you leave your phone lying around at night, don't be surprised to find it hanging on for dear life the next morning.

This is because batteries, such as the lithium-ion ones found in smartphones, rely on chemical reactions to produce electrical energy. Cold temperatures slow these reactions, reducing the battery's efficiency in moving ions between electrodes, thus lowering its power output and capacity. Cold weather also increases internal resistance, further limiting power delivery and causing a drop in voltage output and premature shutdowns. Additionally, cold weather forces the phone to work harder to maintain its operating temperature, increasing power consumption and affecting the display, a power-hungry component that requires more energy in the cold; this exacerbates battery drain. This means your phone may drain faster, shut down unexpectedly, or even suffer permanent damage in the long run if exposed to the cold for extended periods.

Read more
Cold-weather camping tips: How to stay warm in your tent through fall and winter
Get geared up and ready for fall and winter camping
Man drinking coffee in his tent in the cold

The serious outdoorsman knows that camping doesn't have to stop just because the nights are getting colder. A little frost on the ground or clear fall nights — where temperatures dip to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower — aren't going to be enough to stop you. And they don't have to be. Cold-weather camping can take some getting used to, but camping in what most people consider the "off-season" gives you access to nature at a time when most people are curled up on their sofa instead.

Camping in the cold requires planning — there's no escaping that. Your summer camping gear might not quite cut it during fall and winter, but there are often ways that you can prolong the seasonal span of your gear and not have to shell out for another expensive setup. Then there are those nights where the cold weather catches you out — the first frost of the season, that clear fall night you weren't anticipating. On those nights, when you're suddenly thrown in at the deep end of unseasonal camping, these tips can help you to stay warm in your tent.

Read more
Discover the best Texas state parks: A guide to natural beauty you can enjoy year-round
Whether you're camping, hiking (or both), there's a park on this list for everyone
A beautiful view of Lost Maples State Park with Limestone bluffs along a clear river with a vivid reflection

Texas is known for its vast and stunning landscapes, and state parks in Texas can range from beachfront locations to blooming deserts, and everything in between. Whether you're looking for solo hiking tips while traversing many of the state's trails or planning the perfect camping trip, there are plenty of parks that will suit your needs.
Here are five not-to-miss locations that locals and visitors to the Lone Star state flock to. The best part? You can enjoy the state's 89 natural areas year-round thanks to the warm weather of the region.

Garner State Park
Garner State Park is a prized park that is challenging to get a reservation for due to its popularity, but it's well worth the planning and the waiting. Located in the Texas Hill Country, this park offers a variety of amenities and outdoor activities that are great for all members of the family. It also offers the traditional perks of a state park with 16 miles of awe-inspiring trails and campsites.
The Frio River is the star of the show here, and in early spring through late fall, visitors flock to its banks for kayaking, swimming, and floating down the cool crisp water. In the cooler months, kayaking and paddle boarding are popular options.

Read more