When I found my perfect picks, Coleman provided samples in order to facilitate review. The Big Bay is a mummy-style sleeping bag, starting wide at the shoulders and tapering around the feet. Mummy bags are becoming more popular because they’re lightweight and packable, and they’re easier for your body to heat up and keep warm (a sleeping bag is not inherently warm—your body heat gets trapped inside). 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.
Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store
where some exclusions may apply. In the event you wish to send a product back to us, you may return most unused items for a refund or exchange, minus shipping, within 90 days from the date of purchase unless noted below under exceptions and exclusions. Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store where some exclusions may apply. The reason we picked the Brazos for our Best Buy on a Tight Budget is because it perfectly balances cost with basic necessities. For the price, it really holds its own against bags that are much more expensive, especially in the areas of warmth and durability. In the end, the Brazos scored the lowest for comfort out of all the bags we tested.
Notable extras worth calling out are built-in pillows or pillow sleeves (the Nemo Disco and Forte Endless Promise boast the latter), which are a nice luxury for those annoyed by camp pillows that tend to move in the night. Additionally, integrated blankets, interior pockets for stowing small items like a headlamp, and draft tubes at the collar for trapping warmth are becoming more common. Mummy bags typically have a ¾-length side zip that requires some wriggling to get in and out of and can’t be opened up completely should you want to zip the sleeping bag together with another compatible bag. Not only is it easy to create a large and comfortable space for two if you zip it to another bag, but unzipping the bag on its own opens it up for use as a blanket.
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.
But in the end, we don’t see the zipper-less concept completely taking over the market. Put simply, the in-and-out convenience and ability to use the bag as a blanket with a full-zip sleeping bag is the better answer for most campers. Drifting off to dreamland is better than even when you have one of our Coleman (R) sleeping bags! Colorado-based Kelty has been in the camping business for a long time, and we like what they’ve come up with in the Galactic 30. What makes this bag unique is its combination of quality 550-fill-power down with a rectangular shape.
Even though that’s only an extra few ounces, when you’re hiking over challenging terrain, you start feeling that added weight very quickly. If you want to use the Big Bay to test out backpacking on a one- or two-night trip, it’s manageable. It’s not cheap outfitting an entire camping setup, and for those who plan to add backpacking into the mix, the cost can get out of hand quickly. If this sounds like you, choosing a crossover camping/backpacking bag is a viable way to save.
No matter where your travels take you, from national parks to backwoods to back porches, a camping sleeping bag remains a trusty companion. Since space and weight are not at a premium when you can drive to your destination, the comfort dial can get turned way up. There’s no need to suffer through the night in a constricting mummy bag, so options in this category tend to lean more towards a traditional rectangular shape or a roomier mummy.
Therefore, I was looking for sleeping bags for camping that offered comfort. I also wanted them to keep us comfortable in cold weather down to degrees. The Big Bay is best suited for car camping, road tripping, backyard sleepovers and other adventures where you don’t need to carry it that far. At less than 5 pounds, it’s not overly heavy, and it packs down to a decent size using the compression coleman canopy sack, but the size and weight will take their toll if you’re hiking into camp. If you want to try backpacking, you can get away with hauling the Big Bay for an overnight hiking trip, but you wouldn’t want to take it too far. It’s much smaller than a traditional rectangular bag—especially one that’s fleece-lined—so it stows better in a trunk, and you don’t lose out on comfort.
Along with a healthy dose of 550-fill down, the bag offers cozy warmth and good compressibility. And considering the typical price of a down bag, the Cosmic Down’s $165 MSRP really stands out. My daughter had a big sleepover party and coleman chair one of her guests borrowed it for the party. She told me the next day that it was the most comfortable sleeping bag she had ever used. She said lots of the girls were sitting on it with her during the movie because it was so comfy.
That being said, we feel they are still a great choice for young kids (who sleep through most anything) or teens (who don’t sleep and will most likely be around the campfire all night). We don’t suggest the Brazos for colder weather, however, for normal late Spring and Summer camping, this bag will hold its own when it comes to keeping you warm… as long as you can fit in it. The Coleman Sacks jacket is made from a Vintage Coleman sleeping bag or similar vintage bag. This jacket has an oversized bomber jacket fit with meticulous craftsmanship. For web orders returned in store, please take the item in original packaging, along with invoice to any
Camping World retail locations for a refund or exchange.