Best Sleeping Bags (Backpacking, Car Camping & more!)
March 15, 2026
Looking for the right sleeping bag for your next adventure? Check out the best sleeping bag options on the market for backpacking, kayak camping and canoeing, car camping and more!
Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I’ve been working as an outdoor guide and writer since 2018. One fun fact about me is I spent three whole summers (April-September!) living in a tent and sleeping in a sleeping bag — or rather, a variety of sleeping bags — while working as a sea kayak guide! I’ve tested sleeping bags winter camping, on thru-paddles that lasted months, guiding, backpacking, and more! I’m stoked to help you find the best bag for you!
Oh hey there! This blog uses affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase based on my recommendation, I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you!
Best Sleeping Bags for Hikers, Backpackers, Camping and More!
At a glance, here are the awesome sleeping bags we’re going to cover:
- Nemo Disco 15
- Nemo Tempo 20
- Enlightened Equipment Convert Quilt
- Coleman Fleece Lined (budget option: $50)
- Sea To Summit Spark 15
- Rumpl Wrap Sack
1) Nemo Disco 15: Best down sleeping bag for side sleepers
If you’re looking for the perfect down sleeping bag for backpacking, car camping and more but have trouble sleeping outside, check out the Nemo Disco 15. When I first started camping in my early 20s, I really struggled to sleep at night. Any trip, whether backpacking or car camping, I’d usually not sleep at all the first night, and only get a few hours the second and third nights.
It wasn’t until a few years into my guiding career that I invested in a more expensive down sleeping bag (the Disco) and realized that my issue was actually solvable. I really didn’t want to admit that the more expensive gear is worth it and makes a huge difference, but unfortunately a nice down sleeping bag designed for side sleepers specifically actually will improve that sleep score in the backcountry and in the back of your car alike.
Nemo Disco Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a warm sleeping bag that will lend to a comfortable nights sleep, while also still packing down small enough and light enough for backpacking, you’re looking for the Nemo Disco. I would recommend the Disco for anyone backpacking and car camping, or anyone who has historically had trouble sleeping outside. Weight: ~2 lbs. Price: $300-$350.
2) Nemo Tempo 20: Best synthetic sleeping bag for side sleepers
If you’re headed out to camp somewhere rainy or out on a water-based trip, you may want to opt for a synthetic sleeping bag. For this, the Nemo Tempo 20 is similarly designed to the Nemo Disco with a lot of the same slide-sleeper benefits.
I used the Nemo Tempo as my only sleeping bag for my first three or so years of guiding, took it on a 70 day expedition paddle through British Columbia and still often break it out today when needed.
Nemo Tempo bottom line: If you’re looking for a solid sleeping bag to last you the next few years of heavy or moderate use, don’t want to spend too much, and need a bag that will dry quickly, you’re looking for the Nemo Tempo. I would recommend the Tempo for paddlers, or any sort of trip where your gear might get wet. In my opinion, the Tempo is a little heavy for backpacking, and if you’re planning on tackling more than a 1-2 night backpacking trip I would spend more money for less weight. Weight: 4+ lbs. Price: $170-$200.
Down vs synthetic sleeping bags: which is best?
Okay so you may have already noticed two key differences in the sleeping bags above! One is down and the other synthetic. To sum up the difference, a down sleeping bag is going to be warmer and very comfortable but won’t dry quickly. A synthetic sleeping bag can still be very warm, but not as warm as it’s down counter part, BUT synthetic sleeping bags dry quickly.
When I’m paddling and it’s rainy and cold, I’ll toss my wet baselayers from the day in the toebox of my synthetic sleeping bag or underneath my body and wake up to dry, warm clothes to pull on my morning. A down sleeping bag often doesn’t lend to the same effect. For this reason, most paddlers opt for a synthetic sleeping bag. I also recommend synthetic sleeping bags for backpacking trips where humidity is a factor — recently I backpacked the Trans Catalina Trail and oscillated between freezing at night and covered in sweet/sticky/damp cold because of the ocean climate and cold nights. I brought a down sleeping bag which I believe exacerbated the problem and a synthetic sleeping bag would’ve been a lot more comfortable.
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3) Enlightened Equipment Covert Quilt: Best ultralight quilt
If you’re a backpacker looking for the top-of-the-line sleeping bag option, check out the Enlightened Equipment Convert Quilt. This quilt is highly customizable, lightweight, comfortable and basically ideal for backpacking. I absolutely love mine and it is pretty much my all-season go to sleeping bag no matter the activity.
(Yes, even on paddle trips. I know the day will come when I learn a valuable lesson in bringing my down quilt on paddling trips regularly, but it hasn’t happened yet. Which probably just means I’m overdue.)
Enlightened Equipment Convert Quilt: If you have money to spend, comfort is key and you’re looking to cut weight, this is the quilt for you. Another fun pro: Enlightened Equipment is Midwest- based (as am I!) and it’s cool to see the Midwest Outdoors space making waves. Weight: depends on which custom quilt you order but think ounces, not pounds. Price: varies, but generally $400 +.
READ: Ultimate Guide to Sleeping Bags vs Quilts
4) Coleman Fleece-lined Sleeping Bag: Best budget camping sleeping bag
Not looking to spent a literal arm and a leg? That’s totally okay! Check out a classic Coleman fleece-lined sleeping bag for car camping or shorter backpacking trips where weight isn’t a concern (think 5 miles or less in and out).
My Coleman sleeping bag was probably the most comfortable part of the basecamp my partner Andy and I had set up when we were guiding in the San Juan Islands and living in a tent when we weren’t out on trail. When we “graduated” from full-time dirt bag life and moved into a house, I still sometimes would sleep in the Coleman fleece-lined bag, and I still reach for it when sleeping in my car, or setting up a basecamp from my car.
Coleman Fleece-lined Budget Sleeping Bag Bottom Line: This is the perfect sleeping bag for the average beginner camper and adventurer (OR anyone base-camping and looking for something cozy). It won’t pack down small and isn’t lightweight, but it’s budget-friendly and has a really nice “campy” charm to it. I also like to leave mine in my car all summer and unzip it and use it as a blanket. Price: $54
READ: Mummy vs Rectangular Sleeping Bag: How to Pick a Sleeping Bag
5) Sea To Summit Spark 15: Best mummy sleeping bag
One of the top of the line backpacking sleeping bags, I briefly owned a Spark 15 before gifting it to my sister, who never uses it! The Spark 15 is a mummy-style down sleeping bag especially popular for backpackers who will encounter a variety of conditions. (This is my friend Sarah’s, pictured below, go-to bag.)
Sea to Summit Spark Bottom Line: Excellent mummy-style sleeping bag for backpackers, women’s specific fit available. Extremely comfortable. Weight: ~2 lbs. Price: $550 +.
6) Rumpl Wrap Sack: Best camping blanket/summer sleeping bag
For hot, summer trips you might not even need a sleeping bag– a thin, Rumpl blanket might do or for more comfort, the layered Rumpl Wrap Sack. I find myself grabbing a small Rumpl blanket instead of a sleeping bag if temperatures overnight are going to be above 75 degrees. These blankets are thinner and still can attach to make a sleeping bag, but honestly when it’s hot overnight the most comfortable solution is to sleep on top of your sleeping pad with the blanket draped partially over you.
Looking for more gear recs? Continue reading…
- Go over a beginner camping checklist
- Check out the best hiking boots
- Check out the best sleeping pads
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