Budget sleeping bags for cold weather?

My kids are scouts, and we’ve been making do with the cheap $25 Amazon sleeping bags I bought a couple of years ago, but there have been a few camping trips with lows around freezing where no amount of clothing was enough. To be fair, the bags are comfort rated for 50°F, and that seems accurate.

We’re almost always car camping, and I would like one wide enough that I can curl up. I’m hoping to keep costs at about $50 each. Does that even exist? I assume a liner would help but wouldn’t be quite enough to be comfortable.

Scout families are invited to create accounts on the HikerDirect website, which is really Alps Mountaineering rebranded for scouts. When creating the account, be sure to put in your pack or troop number, and for position, you can just put ‘pack parent.’

Basically, the entire site is all of Alps Mountaineering’s product line at a 40% discount.

Alps Mountaineering is a good middle-of-the-road brand. It’s not ultralight high-end, but it’s a lot better than the stuff you find at Walmart.

They have many good affordable bags, but not sure if they have an extra-wide one.

A big trend nowadays are backpacking quilts and blankets. Maybe look at those?

Check out the Ozark Trail 30 Degree Cold Weather Mummy Sleeping Bag from Walmart. They are comfort rated and ISO certified. A good budget option.

What surface is under the sleeping bag?

If they don’t have them already, you absolutely need to get insulated sleeping pads. That’s half the battle.

You can add a down duvet over top of the bags you have, and that will help (for car camping).

Army surplus.

In the UK, you can get a -10°C rated Army bag for £40.

It’s heavy and bulky, but it’s warm and cheap.

Marmot has some really good inexpensive sleeping bags.

You can always keep those sleeping bags and get some wool blankets; they may be more cost-effective. Otherwise, try some military surplus sites.

Take a look at the Teton Celsius and the Coleman Brazos on Amazon. The first response recommending wool blankets isn’t a bad call either; just make sure to get the highest % wool blend you can afford. Wool retains 80% of its insulating value when wet and is a great fabric to supplement a sleeping bag. I camped last week in 15-degree weather and used a wool blanket with my top quilt to stay warm.

Maybe just add a second inexpensive sleeping bag.

Blankets.

Teton has a 20°F youth bag for $45 on Amazon right now. Link to Teton Junior Sleeping Bag. Adult 0°F is $59.

We always suggested our scouts get a zero-degree bag for camping in NJ. I’d shop based on that. Remember the temperature rating is usually a survival rating, not a comfort rating. And what did you pay the last time you went out to dinner or got a hotel room? The bag can be a forever purchase, so don’t be too cheap.

@Indigo
Very good point on the comparison. We’re in Georgia, so cold nights never even occurred to me until they happened :sweat_smile:.

It’s going to be a challenge to find a bag rated for 30°F for $50. You could try adding a wool quilt or blanket, though that’s more stuff to carry. If your children are in Scouts, I would actually consider the 30°F bag an investment worth looking into for year-round camping options.

@Taryn
Yeah, I’m thinking I might have to invest in a good one now for my son since he’s camping almost monthly with the troop.

A few thoughts. You never want to wear clothing while in a sleeping bag. Let the bag do its job. Also, focus at least as much attention on what you put between the bag and the ground. Last time my sleeping bag was not up to the task in CO mountains, I picked up a $19 king-sized blanket (100% polyester) at Costco and used it like a taco shell. That night I was warm and comfortable even when temps dropped into the 20s.

@Aza
Wearing clothing in a sleeping bag is fine. Why wouldn’t it be?