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So I spent a great deal of time researching sleeping bags and thought I would share my findings. First, I have been regularly camping for over a decade now and have found that I sleep cold. I have rarely slept a night out where I wasn't freezing unless it was the middle of summer.
Years ago I decided to upgrade my sleeping by buying a 30 degree Coleman bag thinking that would keep me warm enough. After freezing my tail end many a night I purchased a Coleman fleece liner that was advertised to lower the temperature rating 12 degrees, making my 30 degree bag an 18 degree bag. After freezing some more I stuffed that sleeping setup inside an old over sized sleeping bag (Unknown warmth rating, but somewhere between a 30-45 degree). So after freezing some and sleeping on a narrow cot I decided I was going to seek out a comfortable and warm sleep setup.
So to the sleeping bags. The things I really wanted were a rectangular shape with a canvas shell and cotton liner. I wanted the canvas shell for the durability and less moisture or frost on the bag. I wanted the cotton liner for the feel, I did not want that slick feeling of the polyester and poly blend liners. I also wanted a hood, even though it wasn't a mummy style I just liked the idea of having the continuous bottom layer.
Bass Pro Shops with hood. It's offered in a 0 degree $150 and a -20 degree $170. (They offer a model without a hood that's a brown color and is a lot cheaper, and there's a 0 and -20 model that does not have a fleece liner)
-The nice features of this bag are a waterproof bottom and the hood is stuff-able and removable. It comes with a fleece liner and I'm guessing that -20 rating is while using the liner.
-The cons is it's price and no stuff bag. I'm sure it's made in China but I forgot to check the box.
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-20-Oversized-Sleeping-Bag-with-Hood/product/10201820/
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Teton Sports Elk Hunter -35 degree $120
-This one was the cheapest, however it wasn't until after I bought it and brought it home that I found out why. While the liner in the demo bag felt like cotton and the bag is advertised as having a brushed flannel liner, the liner turned out not to be cotton but slick polyester with a flannel print. A nice feature is it comes with a duffel that actually fits the bag and it's offered in brown and black. Also you can purchase it in a left and right zipper version and zip two bags together (You have to buy one left and one right). It's also made in China.
http://www.tetonsports.com/Elk-Hunter-35.htm
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Browning Klondike -35 $120 (a 0 degree was offered in my local Sportsman's Warehouse but I can't remember the price and the 0 has been removed from their website).
-This is the bag I ended up buying. The negative I've found with it is the shell, it's canvas but not as tough as I would like and compared to the Bass Pro and Teton ones.
It's imported from China by Alps Mountaineering and branded as Browning, and does not come with a stuff bag.
http://www.browningcamping.com/browning/products/bags/klondike
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Now the above are ones I have personally seen and felt. I found this one later:
Butler Bags -20 to +65 Degree $430
This bag is made in the USA, and it's made in layers so you can adjust it's temp rating. Now it says it has a cotton/polyester lining so I'm guessing it's the slick stuff.
http://www.butlerbags.com/cms/Product_ASB_Description?selectedLink=ASB
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I've found is these large sleeping bags usually do not come with a bag. I ended up getting a 40" X 25" canvas army duffle bag off Amazon that was $20. The sleeping bag is huge though! It's so thick you can't fold it in half so rolled up it's 40 inches long with a large diameter.
Long story short, now I'm happy with the Browning Klondike. I recently took it on a trip and can finally say I was not cold. The bag is so big it won't fit in the back of my extended cab so the stuff bag does get dusty riding in the bed. I wish I could find a bag made in the USA that was reasonably priced as I wouldn't mind paying extra. Unfortunately they're all from China or they cost $470. It was sad when I pulled out my old sleeping bag that my parentls bought me 20+ years ago at Target I think. It has 3lbs of insulation (My 30 degree Coleman has 4lbs) and was made in Henderson, NC.
Years ago I decided to upgrade my sleeping by buying a 30 degree Coleman bag thinking that would keep me warm enough. After freezing my tail end many a night I purchased a Coleman fleece liner that was advertised to lower the temperature rating 12 degrees, making my 30 degree bag an 18 degree bag. After freezing some more I stuffed that sleeping setup inside an old over sized sleeping bag (Unknown warmth rating, but somewhere between a 30-45 degree). So after freezing some and sleeping on a narrow cot I decided I was going to seek out a comfortable and warm sleep setup.
So to the sleeping bags. The things I really wanted were a rectangular shape with a canvas shell and cotton liner. I wanted the canvas shell for the durability and less moisture or frost on the bag. I wanted the cotton liner for the feel, I did not want that slick feeling of the polyester and poly blend liners. I also wanted a hood, even though it wasn't a mummy style I just liked the idea of having the continuous bottom layer.
Bass Pro Shops with hood. It's offered in a 0 degree $150 and a -20 degree $170. (They offer a model without a hood that's a brown color and is a lot cheaper, and there's a 0 and -20 model that does not have a fleece liner)
-The nice features of this bag are a waterproof bottom and the hood is stuff-able and removable. It comes with a fleece liner and I'm guessing that -20 rating is while using the liner.
-The cons is it's price and no stuff bag. I'm sure it's made in China but I forgot to check the box.
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-20-Oversized-Sleeping-Bag-with-Hood/product/10201820/
Teton Sports Elk Hunter -35 degree $120
-This one was the cheapest, however it wasn't until after I bought it and brought it home that I found out why. While the liner in the demo bag felt like cotton and the bag is advertised as having a brushed flannel liner, the liner turned out not to be cotton but slick polyester with a flannel print. A nice feature is it comes with a duffel that actually fits the bag and it's offered in brown and black. Also you can purchase it in a left and right zipper version and zip two bags together (You have to buy one left and one right). It's also made in China.
http://www.tetonsports.com/Elk-Hunter-35.htm
Browning Klondike -35 $120 (a 0 degree was offered in my local Sportsman's Warehouse but I can't remember the price and the 0 has been removed from their website).
-This is the bag I ended up buying. The negative I've found with it is the shell, it's canvas but not as tough as I would like and compared to the Bass Pro and Teton ones.
It's imported from China by Alps Mountaineering and branded as Browning, and does not come with a stuff bag.
http://www.browningcamping.com/browning/products/bags/klondike
Now the above are ones I have personally seen and felt. I found this one later:
Butler Bags -20 to +65 Degree $430
This bag is made in the USA, and it's made in layers so you can adjust it's temp rating. Now it says it has a cotton/polyester lining so I'm guessing it's the slick stuff.
http://www.butlerbags.com/cms/Product_ASB_Description?selectedLink=ASB
I've found is these large sleeping bags usually do not come with a bag. I ended up getting a 40" X 25" canvas army duffle bag off Amazon that was $20. The sleeping bag is huge though! It's so thick you can't fold it in half so rolled up it's 40 inches long with a large diameter.
Long story short, now I'm happy with the Browning Klondike. I recently took it on a trip and can finally say I was not cold. The bag is so big it won't fit in the back of my extended cab so the stuff bag does get dusty riding in the bed. I wish I could find a bag made in the USA that was reasonably priced as I wouldn't mind paying extra. Unfortunately they're all from China or they cost $470. It was sad when I pulled out my old sleeping bag that my parentls bought me 20+ years ago at Target I think. It has 3lbs of insulation (My 30 degree Coleman has 4lbs) and was made in Henderson, NC.
