We Put Walmart’s Low-Cost Backpacking Gear to the Test

Nevertheless, this is our favorite women’s sleeping bag and an excellent choice for any serious backpacker. This is definitely a budget ozark trail sleeping bag bag, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. If you are outfitting an entire household for your first family camp trip and just want something to get everyone out the door, then the Brazos is a great option to consider. We think it would also be a good choice for backyard campers or for use in an RV or camper where you don’t need as much protection. We have stayed nicely warm while sleeping in the cold in this bag. We layer a blanket between the sleeping pads and the sleeping bags for some extra insulation.

Otherwise, the Polara is an excellent and versatile choice that we know most campers will really enjoy. One obvious drawback to the Flicker 40 UL is its expensive price tag. We think its quality matches its price, but that price may not be justifiable for all but the most serious ultralight aficionados. Its warmth-to-weight ratio is certainly outstanding, but you can attain an even higher warmth-to-weight ratio with a hooded mummy design, like the Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20. Still, we believe the added versatility of the Flicker is worth this compromise.

When it is very cold I also use a comforter over the sleeping bags. Hand warmers in our socks and body warmers in our shirts are helpful as well. Our sleeping bags zip together, allowing us to take advantage of the shared body heat. Pairing these strategies together made it reasonably comfortable at that temperature.

You can find a more thorough discussion of our favorite down models in our best backpacking sleeping bag review. These bags are ideal for those following “ultralight” guidelines to keep their packs as light as possible, typically under ozark trail backpack 10 pounds. Because they are so lightweight, they are great for multi-day backcountry trips and thru-hikes.

The bag on its ozark trail sleeping bag own is very comfortable down to the 30-degree range. If your plans include both convenient camping and overnight backcountry adventures, we suggest choosing a backpacking sleeping bag. That’s because you won’t have any issues using a backpacking model near your car but carrying a hefty camping sleeping bag any significant distance can quickly become a real pain. The Bishop Pass simply can’t match the performance of an ultra-premium sleeping bag. Its goose down isn’t as lofty, and the nylon lining isn’t as supple. There is also a roughly 30% weight disadvantage compared to the lightest high-end models.

Therefore, try only to analyze weight and packed size between bags with similar warmth. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more for a lighter or more compressible sleeping bag if you plan to venture deep into the backcountry. After all, your knees and back are more valuable than even the priciest sleeping bag. With the return of the colder weather, it is time to pull out our winter sleeping bags. Mummy bags are very effective for keeping warm, but I am not comfortable in a confining bag.

Models that exhibit these characteristics we label as ‘backpacking’ sleeping bags. Just be aware that lighter and more compressible bags and usually more expensive. We believe the astronomical prices of some high-end sleeping bags won’t make sense to the average backpacker. For these folks, we suggest selecting a better value, such as the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 15. This is our favorite budget bag because it combines 650-fill power down in a simple mummy design that offers a solid balance of performance characteristics.

This provides a more consistent measure of warmth, but numerous other factors can play a role in your actual warmth beyond ambient air temperature. These factors include the type of shelter you’re in, the sleeping surface beneath you, the type and quality of your sleeping pad, and even your own metabolism. Western Mountaineering is a company known for making some of the best sleeping bags, and the Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF certainly lives up to that reputation. We were blown away by how this bag supplied comfort and warmth in a packable, lightweight package.

We sent bags on trips to Nepal, Bolivia, Argentina, and Tajikistan, as well as plenty of less exotic locales closer to home. All in all, our team of reviewers spent more than a thousand nights testing different sleeping bags so you can be sure the knowledge shared here is thorough, informed, and unbiased. We tried the Ozark Trail sleeping bag in 3 different locations, with 2 different tents and one night out under the stars to really give it a chance.

The rugged materials make this bag heavy-duty enough to do it all without worries of rips, tears, or snagged zippers. I purchased this sleeping bag for warm weather camping trips at the local lake. For fifteen dollars I wasn’t expecting (or needing) anything that would stand up to freezing weather. Unfortunately the workmanship was more than a little upsetting, even for that price. In this review, we highlight our favorite sleeping bags from a range of sleeping bag categories.