You don’t need to wash your sleeping bag after every camping trip, but you should clean it once or twice a year, depending on how much you use it. Using a front-loading washing machine (never use a top-loading agitator-style machine), wash your sleeping bag with a small amount of mild liquid detergent on a warm, gentle cycle and rinse it with cold water. Coleman recommends using a fabric softener, but do not use bleach.
You will love this extra layer of comfort between you and your sleeping pad when you are in your family tent. Meant for 30- to 50-degree nights, this rectangular bag is roomy in the legs and supremely comfortable. It is fleecy soft inner lining and it rolls up and ties with attached cords. The Coleman Big Bay 20° mummy bag emerged as the best coleman sleeping bag value pick in my sleeping bag review, and the Nemo Forte Synthetic Sleeping Bag (available in men’s and women’s) was given the top overall spot. The Nemo Forte is a more luxurious-feeling synthetic sleeping bag—the fabric is more supple and the insulation loftier—but the Big Bay doesn’t feel as slick as many bags around the same price do.
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The rest of the design is equally premium, including a water-resistant YKK main zipper, roomier-than-average hood, and fleece-lined compression sack that can pull double duty as a pillow. For most, the primary weight and packability consideration for a camping bag is whether or not it can be carried from the garage to the car, squeezed in with the rest of your stuff, and then moved from the trunk to the tent. That said, we still recommend checking the weight and stuffed size that will be listed in the product specifications to get an idea of just how large and heavy the bags are.
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 compromises in choosing the cheaper fill type are relatively minimal for camping. With a car or camper to transport all of your gear, the larger stuffed size and extra weight are much less of a concern than when your sleeping bag has to be crammed into a pack and carried on your back. And should the insulation get wet, synthetics continue to keep you warm, unlike down feathers. For a full explanation of the two insulation types, see our article on down vs. synthetics.
For anything colder than that, you’ll need extra layers as well as a beanie, or you’ll want to consider another bag altogether. Most recreational campers won’t be sleeping in temperatures that low (it’s already transitioning into winter for me at that temperature), so this bag is practical for most people’s needs. A final shape worth mentioning is the semi-rectangular bag, which—as the name implies—shares commonalities with both rectangular and mummy designs.
Synthetic bags are typically made with thicker fabrics and require more insulation to provide sufficient warmth, which can add up to a surprising amount of bulk. And if you’re considering a double bag (covered in more detail below), you’re talking about packed dimensions listed in feet rather than inches. If weight and packed size become important, a crossover backpacking/sleeping bag like the still-roomy Nemo Disco 15 reduces both. Anytime a company adds features or upgraded components to a sleeping bag, it adds to the cost. When you’re new to camping, the goal is to find a sleeping bag that has the features you need and none of the ones you don’t, which is what the Big Bay offers.
To be clear, liners are totally optional and not everyone needs one, but they do offer added warmth and comfort and help keep your bag in good shape. For campers looking for a sleeping bag that can pull double duty on the occasional backpacking trip, we like Nemo’s Disco. With a 14-degree temperature rating, sub-3-pound weight, and decently packable build (it even includes a compression stuff sack), the Disco is fully serviceable for short forays into the backcountry. Just as importantly, it’s supremely comfortable for camping thanks to its unique “spoon” shape, which resembles a mummy bag but with a noticeable boost in space around the knees and elbows. This makes it less restrictive inside, particularly for side sleepers and those prone to tossing and turning.
Thanks to the ZipPlow™ zipper, you’ll get snag-free opening and closing every time. A durable, ripstop-reinforced polyester cover will ensure you get to use this bag season after season. When you’re ready to head home, it’s easy to put it away in the included stuff sack. Similar to The North Face’s One Bag above, Big Agnes’ Lost Ranger 3N1 uses an innovative layering system for adapting to shifting conditions. In this case, you get two down-filled bags (the One Bag has a synthetic outer bag and down midlayer) that can be paired together on cold nights or separated in warmer temps. At 2 pounds 13 ounces all in, it adds up to a highly versatile system that crosses over nicely for backpacking, too.