Our annual family camping trip does not involve hiking and then camping so we weren’t looking for tiny sleeping bags. We take day hikes and do outdoor activities from our drive up camping spot in the Smoky Mountains. 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. To crown the Big Bay the best value sleeping bag, I tested it against 12 other models, including mummy bags, rectangular bags, odd-shaped bags and synthetic and down bags (and a combination of the two). In a controlled environment, I ran a heat-retention test using a wire probe thermometer and hot water bottles.
We think the REI chair functions better and will last much longer than the similar chair from Walmart. But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. If you are looking for an ultracheap choice, the Walmart chair is one. This low-profile chair is easy to carry, and it adjusts for uneven ground. Check out more of our expert tips on how to choose a sleeping bag.
But the Renetto’s utility was immediately apparent on our inaugural chair-testing excursion, a “winter” camping trip in California’s Joshua Tree National Park, where the beating sun made temperatures in the high 70s feel like the mid-90s. The shaded Renetto chairs were consistently the first seats snagged at a beautiful but harshly exposed Indian Grove group campsite. My husband is a tall man (6 foot, 4 inches) so thought I better find him a sleeping bag made for tall people so that he would actually stay covered instead of sticking out at the top!
There is plenty to consider prior to purchasing a sleeping bag. Australia is a huge country with incredibly diverse climates, geography and experiences on offer, and the right sleeping bag will make a huge difference to your level of camping comfort. From big-name brands including Mountain Designs, Spinifex, Oztent and many more, shop for your perfect camping and hiking sleeping bag in-store or online today! For more helpful information to make sure you make the right choice, check out our comprehensive sleeping bag buying guide.
However, they would not be great for backpacking camping because they are a bit bulky. Coleman is one of the most popular brands for camping and they are known for good quality products at affordable prices. Coleman doesn’t provide the bag’s weight, but I weighed it in its compression sack at 4.2 pounds using my kitchen scale. 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.
The GCI Outdoor chair also has a pocket built into the back that can hold a phone or a book. This chair comes in green or blue and is rated to hold up to 250 pounds. After six months of sitting mostly outside in the Southern California sun, our gray Coleman chair was noticeably less faded than our Walmart and Renetto chairs, the latter of which had bleached from bright red to pink. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag. Are you a car camper or do you plan on socializing in friends’ backyards? For retail purchases returned without a receipt, the refund will be issued as a store merchandise
credit at the lowest price within the last 90 days.
It’s also quite a stretch, but it could double as a backpacking bag if you’re in a pinch. If you plan to camp a lot and see backpacking in your future, the Nemo Forte is a worthy upgrade for a synthetic sleeping bag. If you plan to camp a few times a year, and mostly at campsites, the Big Bay will save you money and keep you as warm. But after half a dozen excursions, coleman sleeping bag we found—as we had with the Renetto Original Canopy Chair—that having a chair you can easily carry without a bag is preferable. In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic. So you can easily misplace a carry sack on a dark night in a crowded field, especially if you’re in a large group or have a lot of stuff.
The Renetto’s big, heavy canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or cookout and doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case. The Coleman Sacks jacket is made from a Vintage 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. Refunds
are issued to the original form of payment; some exclusions may apply. For the extensive sleeping bag review, I also interviewed experts who could speak to what makes a great sleeping bag and how to choose the right one for your needs.
Durable zippers and a draft tube allow for easy entry and exit. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). We found the Coleman Kickback Breeze Chair to be a simple yet very comfortable seat, though women liked it more than men did (many of them judged it to be too snug).
Overwhelmingly, the Coleman came out on top, with campers praising its comfort and stability. A low-to-the-ground chair can be ideal for outdoor movies, concerts, theater performances, and other events where you want to avoid blocking other people’s view. Our testers liked the comfort and back support of the GCI Outdoor Everywhere Chair, as well as the ability to adjust it to sit on uneven ground. They also appreciated its cupholder (rare in chairs of this sort) and its quick close-up-and-carry design. Nothing beats climbing into a soft, warm sleeping bag after a big day outside. If you’re at the start of your journey to find a new sleeping bag, there can be a lot of specs and options that can make choosing a sleeping bag overwhelming.