While much of camping's allure is about leaving the trappings of modern civilization in the dust, you do want a good night's rest after a long day adventuring. Quality sleep will make sunrise all the sweeter. Whether you're toting gear deep into the backcountry or pitching a tent next to the car, you need a good sleeping pad and bag. Here are some items that will help reacquaint your circadian rhythms with the great outdoors.
Attention, minimalist backpackers: THERM-A-REST's mummy-style Parsec 20F/-6C bag will keep your pack light and your campsite looking jaunty. Oversize draft tubes and a cozy lining ensure a warm night in the chilly backcountry. After you break camp, the Nikwax hydrophobic down bag fits neatly into a grapefruit-size sack. For an ultralight pairing, try Therm-a-Rest's self-inflating NeoAir XLite mattress ($170). $380 to $420, thermarest.com
Your four-legged buddy needs to stay warm and insulated from the cold ground at night, too. The packable and lightweight Highlands Sleeping Bag from RUFFWEAR opens wide to accommodate small-to-medium-size dogs and zips tight to retain Fido's body heat. An integrated sleeve is designed for the Highlands Pad ($30), which provides additional warmth in low temperatures. $100, ruffwear.com
With its three easily removable layers, the new Multi-Layer Sleeping Bag from COLEMAN is eminently multipurpose. The base layer, a fleece sheet, is suitable for 60+ degrees Fahrenheit. Add the Warm Weather layer once temperatures dip down to the 40s and 50s. Use the Cold Weather layer for 32 to 45 degrees. For 0-to-10-degree adventures, you will want to upgrade to the bag's fully assembled state. This budget-friendly, four-season sleeping solution also comes with a carrying bag in which to store all those layers. $100, coleman.com
Designed in collaboration with the pros behind Alpine Ascents International, the new Guide 0° Bag from THE NORTH FACE provides extreme-cold-weather adventurers with extreme insulation. The bag weighs less than four pounds, is built for unforgiving conditions, and, to prevent heat loss, comes with a fitted hood, a draft collar, and pad loops (so you can easily hook it to a sleeping pad). $210, thenorthface.com
At nine pounds, the Frontcountry Bed Queen from SIERRA DESIGNS wasn't made for the backcountry. But it treats glampers, families, and car-camping couples to the comforts of home via an integrated comforter that keeps warmth in and drafts out, in-bag insulated arm pockets, and a zipperless foot vent that lets you kick your toes out when things get warm. $230, sierradesigns.com
A 20-degree sleeping bag that grows with your kid? NEMO EQUIPMENT has unveiled its Punk Kid's Sleeping Bag for adventurers aged four to eight, complete with a drawstring adjustment cord at the bottom (so you can expand the bag as kids grow), a gender-neutral nature pattern, and a fuzzy interior fleece hood. Plus, the Punk weighs less than three pounds. $100, nemoequipment.com
Last year, PATAGONIA entered the sleeping-bag scene with the 850 Down Sleeping Bag 30F/-1C, which weighs 25.9 ounces and is filled with 850-fill-power traceable down—goose down that's been traced from farm to factory, to ensure that the supplying birds aren't force-fed or live-plucked. Warm, comfortable, and lightweight, with a hearty, vibrant shell, this mummy makes for a good-looking and conscientious high-end option. $380 to $420 (three sizes), patagonia.com
Some summer nights, you can get away with snoozing atop just a quilt. With its water-resistant nylon shell and organic-cotton and recycled-polyester-flannel underside, UNITED BY BLUE's new 50-by-70-inch Plaid Quilted Bison Blanket is ideal for snuggling next to a campfire. $148, unitedbyblue.com
With all the features of a typical sleeping pad for grown-ups, the Kindercamp Sleeping Pad from REI Co-op offers campers up to five feet tall a soft, self-inflating, nonslip sleeping surface with an inch of thickness. Its high-flow valve ensures a quick setup, and its durable polyester is easy to wash. $50, rei.com
You can't get much lighter or more compressible than the Spark Sp I from SEA TO SUMMIT. Its 12 ounces of water-repellent down shrink to the size of a coconut when packed, and its fully enclosed mummy design and half zipper offer heat-trapping versatility. This is gear made for those who prioritize moving fast and light—but who primarily backpack in warm climates. However, slipped inside another sleeping bag, the Spark Sp I does double duty as a liner. $299, seatosummitusa.com
This article appeared in the May/June 2018 edition with the headline "The Art of Wild Slumber."
Katie O'Reilly is Sierra's former adventure and lifestyle editor. Follow her on Twitter @katieowrites.
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