Last Update: 13.Jul.2020
3D footbox increases the insulation and room for your feet
Lots of insulation
Durable construction
Really heavy
heavy stuff sack
Lightweight
Compact
Comfortable
Inexpensive
Not seen
Polyester ripstop cover and polyester lining
Quilting construction eliminates potential cold spots
Inexpensive
Easy storage
Not good weight for hiking
The main benefit of an inexpensive sleeping bag is that, well, it’s affordable. While most other camping sleeping sets on the market today will cost you a pretty penny, the budget options make it easy to get the gear you need without breaking the bank.
Generally speaking, budget models aren’t too terribly different from their more expensive cousins, but they do often use heavier and bulkier materials. This means they’re not going to be as great for a light and fast alpine trip, but that they’ll do the trick for a short backpacking or car camping adventure.
Whether or not a cheap backpacking sleeping bag will be enough for your trip depends on the types of adventures you like to do. If you head out into the mountains for alpine climbing, you’ll probably find that a budget model will be too big and heavy for your needs.
Additionally, if you’re looking for something warm enough for the winter months, you’re probably going to need to spend a bit more to get a proper winter sleeping bag. However, if you simply need a warm place to tuck into at night an inexpensive sleeping bag is great for car camping and short summer backpacking trips.
Modern sleeping bags come with two main types of insulation: down and synthetic. Here are the pros and cons of each type:
Down insulation is made from the down feathers of ducks or geese (generally geese). It has a fantastic warmth-to-weight ratio, which means that even a small amount of down can keep you really warm. It’s also incredibly compact and compressible so a big, lofty down bag can easily compress into a small size.
However, down doesn’t work very well when wet and can actually make you colder. While there are some “water-resistant” down products out there, they won’t work if the bag is completely soaked. Oh, and down is generally much more expensive than its synthetic counterpart.
Synthetic insulation is generally made from thin polyester fibers. These fibers are made to act like down and trap heat to keep you warm. Where synthetic insulation really shines is in wet environments, because unlike down, synthetic can keep you warm when wet.
However, while synthetic insulation is the cheaper option, it is generally bulkier and heavier than down. So if weight and packability are important to you, you may have to spend a bit more and opt for down instead.
Looking for the best affordable sleeping bag is no easy feat. But, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you’re shopping around.
Here are our recommendations for the best deals on sleeping bags:
Best budget camping sleeping bag
The Big Agnes Husted 20 is a modern take on a classic sleeping bag design. Made with a traditional mummy shape, the Husted 20 is great for summer camping trips but is also light enough to take backpacking on shorter trips. Oh, and it’s incredibly affordable, so what’s not to love?
Best budget backpacking sleeping bag
Innovative, yet functional, the Nemo Kyan 35 is a great synthetic bag for backpacking on a budget. Although it’s at the higher end of the budget price spectrum, it’s high-end Primaloft insulation is incredibly warm, yet light and compact for everyday use in the mountains. Plus, it has a cinch-able hood for cold nights and two large vents for hot summer camping trips.
Best budget 3 season sleeping bag
The only down sleeping bag in our review, the Kelty Cosmic 20 is one of the most affordable lightweight options out there. It’s made with 600 fill DriDown that can keep you warm even when wet, while it’s soft-as-silk nylon taffeta fabric keeps you cozy and comfortable throughout the night.
Best budget cold weather sleeping bag
Made with 30D ripstop nylon shell fabric with a water-repellent finish, the versatile Mountain Hardwear Lamina 15 is ready for any four-season adventure. This bag uses 100% polyester synthetic insulation in Mountain Hardwear’s proprietary Lamina welded construction to help get rid of those annoying cold spots for chilly winter evenings. At just 3lb 1oz, it’s also one of the lightest synthetic winter bags on the market today.
At the end of the day, you don’t necessarily need to spend a whole lot of money to get good camping gear. In fact, there are some great budget sleeping bags out there that are just waiting to be discovered!
In the Toptravelpoint Blog you will always find useful and up-to-date information about hiking and camping. & Bryce
Our experts will always help make your life easier.
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