Sleeping Gear
Sleeping gear keeps you more than just warm and comfortable at night. If Scouts have inadequate sleeping gear or their gear gets wet, they will be miserable and are at risk of hyperthermia.
The following are basic guidelines on Sleep System selection. See our Sleeping Bag Ratings Page for more information on how Sleeping Bags are Rated.
Sleeping Gear Recommendations
3-Season Sleeping Bag
a 20° ISO Rated Sleeping Bag will work for most of our outings
This can be augmented for use in the winter
See below for options and look for sales
Sleeping Pad
See our Sleeping Pad Page
Pillow
Camp Pillows are a nice luxury
Empty pillow case can be filled with extra clothing
A thicker jacket can be rolled up to make an acceptable pillow
3-Season Sleeping System
Scouts will need a sleeping bag for most overnight outings. A 3-Season Sleeping Bag will work most of the year and can be used in the winter if you add a second bag or blanket.
20-35° ISO Rating
a 20 degree bag will work for most camping by our scouts
For winter camping, this will need to be augmented with another bag or blanket
A 35 degree bag will work for most camping by younger scouts who may wish to avoid colder weather camping
Fill: Synthetic or Down
Synthetic - less expensive; more forgiving if becomes wet; better option for Pacific Northwest
Down - lightest and most compact option, expensive, loses insulation ability if wet; requires special care
Down is NOT recommended for younger or inexperienced Scouts
Cotton - NOT acceptable; loses insulation ability if wet, soaks up water like a sponge
Note: a sleeping bag designed for women may be lighter and a better fit for smaller scouts
Mountain Hardware Bozeman 15F
EN Rating:
15°F
Fill:
Thermal.Q Recycled
mountainhardwear.com
3-Season 20° Synthetic Sleeping Bag Options
Marmot Trestles 15° and Trestles Elite Eco 20° Sleeping Bag
EN Rating: T-LIMIT: 16.0°F / -8.9°C
Trestles Fill: Spirafil, Synthetic Sheet
Trestles Elite Eco: HL-ElixR ECO recycled fill
Trestles Elite Eco 20° is considered the best synthetic sleeping bag by many
Packs down small and is pretty light
marmot.com 15° Trestles - more economical
marmot.com 20° Trestles Elite Eco
Mammut Nordic OTI 3-Season
EN Rating: T-LIMIT: 19°F
Fill: Polyester
Mountain Hardware Bozeman 15F/-9C
EN Rating: T-LIMIT: 15°F / -9°C
Fill: Thermal.Q Recycled
Nemo Tempo and Forte 20
Tempo ISO Temp Rating (Limit): 19°F / -7°C
Forte ISO Temp Rating (Limit): 20°F / -7°C
Tempo Fill: Stratofiber
Forte Fill: Zerofiber PCR recycled
Forte is higher end option
Lighter - 1.55 kg vs 1.65 kg
Compresses to 5.3L vs 9.2L
Softer, thinner fabric
Little tighter around waist and feet
Recycled materials and fewer chemicals
nemoequipment.com - Tempo
nemoequipment.com - Forte
REI Co-op Trailmade 20 Sleeping Bag
ISO Temp Rating (Limit): 21°F
Fill: Recycled polyester
Good Budget Bag
Big Agnes Lost Dog 15° and Benchmark 20°
These have NOT been ISO tested
Lost Dog Temperature Rating: 15°F?
Benchmark Temperature Rating: 20°F?
Lost Dog Fill: FireLine Eco Synthetic
Benchmark Fill: Fireline Core Synthetic
Lost Dog is higher end Eco option of their synthetic bags
Uses recycled materials
Has a sleeve for your sleeping pad
Does NOT have insulation on the bottom side and is solely dependent on a sleeping pad for bottom insulation
ISO Testing is not possible due to dependance on a pad - it is similar to a quilt
bigagnes.com - Lost Dog
bigagnes.com - Benchmark
Kelty Cosmic Synthetic 20
Klymit Wild Aspen 20 Sleeping Bags
Temperature Rating: 20°F
Fill: Double Layer Thermapro
Economy bags
Alps Aura and Blaze +20
Rating: 20°F?
Blaze Fill: TechLoft Silver insulation
Aura Fill: TechLoft Micro insulation
Blaze is budget version of Aura with polyester outer and different fill
Get either for dirt cheep with Hiker Direct account
hikerdirect.com Aura +20
$60
hikerdirect.com Blaze +20
$40
Teton Sports Leef 20˚F
Rating: 20°F?
Don't count on it
Around $70
Find at Walmart
Fill: PolarLite Micro Insulation
Heavy but good bang for buck
Military Intermediate Cold Weather Sleeping Bag
This is the thicker of the two bags in the Military Modular Sleep System
Military rated between -10 to 30°F
Possible ISO equivalent of 10-20°F rating?
You can sometimes find these for $50 in good condition
Scout sleeping in the Pouring Rain
Down Sleeping Bag Examples:
NOTE: Down is NOT recommended for younger or less experienced Scouts. If down gets wet, it no longer insulates.
REI Magma 10 (850-fill-power goose down)
REI Igneo 17 (700-fill duck down)
Kelty Cosmic Down 20 (550-fill-power duck down)
Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 (850fp or 950fp down)
NEMO Disco 15 (650-fill-power down)
Sleeping Pad
A sleeping pad isn't just nice on your back, it insulates you from the cold ground. The pad is worth more than it's weight.
Pad Types
Closed Cell Foam
Durable and it doesn't matter if you puncture it
Inflatable
Better insulation value to weight ratio
Sleeping Pad Examples:
Therm-a-rest – Z Lite Sol (Closed cell foam)
REI – Flash Insulated
Sea To Summit – Comfort Light Insulated
Big Agnes – Insulated AXL
Klymit – Static V Ultralight SL
Winter Sleep System
Winters in Washington are cold, especially in the mountains
Scouts must have enough insulation to stay warm and safe
Scouts also need to protect their sleep system from getting wet, which can be deadly in the winter
See our Winter Sleep System Page for more information on sleeping in the winter
Cold Weather Sleeping Bag System
3-layered military sleeping bag system (2 bags covered in bivy bag)
Over 2 layers of insulated pads
over tarp