Fall Camping – Sleeping Bag Test: #5DadsGoWild

Last year we froze. I bought the cheapest, last minute tent I could find ($29 poorly spent!) and I got in my sleeping bag after a long first day of meeting the other Dads at the first ever 5 Dads Go Wild camping trip.

I was snuggled in but couldn’t help feeling the breeze from what I soon discovered was little more than a sun shelter for warm summer camping.

After a terrible night’s sleep I woke up and tried to roll off my air mattress, which had to go diagonally in the tent because it was so small. It took me about 10 minutes to stand upright as my back had completely seized.

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This year, we’re going in prepared. As well as a new tent, myself and two other Dads, Dale and Michael, are trying out 3 new sleeping bags, generously donated by the wonderful team at Altitude Sports.

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The Sleeping Bags:

Coleman Big Game Sleeping Bag – James

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Features:
• ZipPlow™ patented, no-snag zipper pull
• Thermolock™ draft tube prevents heat loss through the zipper •ComfortCuff™ patented design, surrounds your face in softness
• Coletherm® hollow polyester insulation provides better heat retention with less weight
• Zip together compatible for a double roo
• Full-cover construction locks in heat by eliminating quilting cold spots
• Includes a soft, flannel pillow provides a comfortable place to rest your head.

The North Face Homestead Rec – Michael

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Features:
• Our roomiest single-person sleeping bag, the new Homestead Rec is the ultimate base camp sleeping experience
• Heatseeker™ Eco synthetic insulation is composed of 30% post-consumer recycled material
• Short side zipper allows you to fold the bag so it’s more like your bedding at home

Eureka Lone Pine 0°F/-18°C – Dale

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Features:
• Temperature Rating 0 °F / -18 °C
• EN Limit (Rating For Men) 3 °F / -16 °C
• EN Comfort (Rating For Women) 16 °F / -9 °C
• Comfort-focused shape blends the thermal efficiency of a mummy bag with ‘wiggle’ room. Additional width in the hip, leg, and feet area lets you get comfortable but keeps you warm
• Eureka! Insulcore HQ insulation
• 50D/300T polyester taffeta (top) shell fabric
• Eureka! Stealth-Grip™ (bottom) shell fabric
• 68D/240T peached polyester lining fabric

Oh, and the Airbeds:

As we all know, a happy camper is a well-rested camper, so we’re also trying out these Coleman airbeds.

Coleman Quickbed® Single High Airbed – Full – James

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Features
• Antimicrobial sleep surface resists odor, mold, mildew and fungus from forming on the product
• AirTight® system is factory-tested to be leak-free
• ComfortStrong™ coil construction provides better support for superior comfort
• Double Lock™ valve is dual-sealed to be leak-free
• Soft plush top creates a velvet-like sleep surface for more comfort

Coleman Quickbed™ Single High Airbed – Twin – Michael

Coleman All-Terrain Twin Single High Airbed – Dale

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Features
• Weight capacity 400 lbs
• Twin – Single high
• Heavy duty airbed features revolutionary Puncture Guard™ technology to reduce punctures and firmness sapping stretch
• Puncture Guard™ bonded fabric surface
•- 47% more puncture resistant*
•- 25% more stretch resistant*
•- 25% higher weight capacity*
•*Compared to a standard Coleman® Airbed of the same size
• Comfort Strong™ coil construction – better support for superior comfort

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First Impressions:

Coleman Big Games Sleeping Bag – James

It’s heavy and super comfy. It feels like this thing is going to weigh down on me, in a good way. It’s wide enough for two to be very cozy, or one person to have plenty of wiggle room. I love that I wasn’t bound like I was last year in my ‘Mummy bag’. While that kept me alive, this kept me comfortable, and after a day spent outdoors in the elements, that’s exactly what I wanted.

The North Face Homestead Rec – Michael

When I took The North Face Homestead Rectangle out of its bag, I was surprised by how lightweight it was and how much it “fluffed” up. I also liked how there was a softer, more fabric-like material near where my face would be, which turned out to provide a more comforting experience.

Eureka Lone Pine 0°F/-18°C– Dale

Having never owned a sleeping bag before I was quite excited to receive the Eureka! Lone Pine sleeping bag. Immediately out of the bag, I noticed two things: how the bag immediately took shape and form and held that way, and the Stealth-Grip fabric on the bottom of the bag. It wasn’t as shiny or smooth as on top and seemed to stick to the air mattress as soon as I threw it on.

Overnight it dipped to -5 Celsius but I remained comfortable, unlike last year where I didn’t have a sleeping bag, and just used blankets like at home. At one point I wiggled around, readjusted my position, tucked my head into the insulated hood and fell back asleep. For a mummy bag, I thought this would be impossible. It seemed to be more spacious than what mummy sleeping bags had been described to me as being.

The Morning After:

Coleman Big Games Sleeping Bag – James

I had so much room! It’s got plaid all the way through so I was wrapped up the whole night. I even put the top flap over my head and blocked out the cold. I woke up at about 8 am to find my tent covered in snow! If it wasn’t so heavy, I’d give it 10/10. Mind you, I think that’s part of the point.

The North Face Homestead Rec – Michael

As much as I understand and appreciate the utility of a mummy bag, I much preferred my experience with The North Face Homestead Rec. The rectangular sleeping bag is rated for as low as -7C (20F), thanks to the Heatseeker Eco synthetic insulation. It’s positioned as the “roomiest single-person sleeping bag,” and that’s exactly what I wanted. By cocooning myself under there, only really exposing the top of my head (which was covered by a toque), I kept surprisingly warm for our snow-topped adventure.

Eureka Lone Pine 0°F/-18°C– Dale

In the morning, I couldn’t bring myself to get out. I knew the cold temperature would hit me like a blizzard, seeing as we literally had one overnight and 2 inches of snow covered my tent. I was amazed that the sleeping bag hadn’t slipped off the air mattress all night. It has kept its shape, form, and position all night while keeping me toasty warm. And at 6’1” (73”) I fit inside just perfectly.

In regards to the Coleman All-Terrain Air bed, again two things stood out to me: the first was how well it held its air and didn’t even begin to deflate. I filled it up once at the beginning when we arrived and set up and I never needed to add any for the rest of the weekend. The second thing I noticed was how quiet it was. Other air mattresses I’ve slept on have been noisy and squeaky every time I move, roll over or readjust, but this one was super quiet.

Combined, they provided me with the best night I could have imagined out in the wild, especially when the conditions turned for the worse.

Well, we survived! Thank you again to the wonderful people at Altitude-Sports, my go-to sport and outdoor gear online store.