“What Sleeping Bag is best for camp?” is an impossible question.

“What Sleeping Bag is best for camp?” is an impossible question. So of course, I’ll try to answer it.

I definitely have opinions (most of them revolve around being cozy at all times and at any cost). But with regards to sleeping bags: what works for me might not be best for you or your camper. It can be a tough calculation to balance all the factors: How warm a sleeper are you? Where and how often are you using the bag? And how much are you looking to invest in a good nights sleep?

If you have read our ‘Sleeping Bags – 101’ blog, you’ve got the basics. So when all the cold hard math is punched into my impossible answer calculator, this is what I get. Your mileage may vary:

3) Cheap and cheerful: Little Pup 120 (+5c)

This bag is not for everyone. I only ever point out the Little Pup 120 sleeping bag for two reasons:

1) You are in a mid-summer heatwave and the temperature is guaranteed to be unreasonably warm every night for the whole trip (good luck with that). There’s just not a lot of loft/warmth to play with here.

2) It will be used for back yard sleepovers or some spare cottage bedding. It is a fine sleeping bag for the money – compact and travel-light (which is really what it's for). But don’t expect it to work miracles if the temperature drops or for it to last for lots of hard use.

2) Pure Cozy, No Carry: Comfort 3.5 (3C)

My weakness for being cozy and comfy is well documented, and the World Famous Comfort 3.5 is both of those things!

This is a soft, cozy sleeping bag at a great price. It will keep you warm, and if you're like me and like to sleep with a heftier blanket, this bag will fit the bill. But there is a drawback:

This is a beefy sleeping bag.  It has 3.5lbs of lofty old-school stuffing, plus the weight of the fabric. It is bulky and heavy and does not compact well. Not great for canoeing or hiking. Awesome for Cabin, cottage, and backyard movie nights.

3) The Sweet Spot: Stone Peak Tripper 150 (Oc)

This bag hits the sweet spot! Built by Stone Peak specifically for Summer Campers. It’s my go-to recommendation for summer campers who are planning to brave the wilds for a few nights.

It is light enough and can be compacted enough to make it manageable on hikes and portages, and the 0c rating offers just enough insulation to make most summer nights cozy. (You could always upgrade to an RT300 for a just little more cozy, but I like the Tripper).

This Stone Peak tripper is tough enough, warm enough, and compact enough for most summer campers, without making a huge investment in outback gear that might not get used outside of camp.

And those are my go-to sleeping bags. Use them as a reference when trying to answer the 'impossible question' for you or your camper for this summer season. Just don't ask me to stuff your bag back into the stuff sack. I'm terrible at that.   

Alex,

The Answerer 
CC General Store.