Warm Weather Sleeping Bags

Featured review by Phil Smith

The Western Mountaineering EverLite is a lightweight warm-weather down sleeping bag. A versatile piece of gear, it can also be used as an inner bag or an overquilt.

I bought my Western Mountaineering EverLite sleeping bag about 3 years ago as part of my 4lb summer bag/pad/tent setup, and I’m thoroughly impressed with it. It keeps me warm below the 45°F rated temp, packs down way smaller than I’ve needed, and the tapered design makes it very versatile—it can be used as a sleeping bag, blanket, inner/outer bag to increase the warmth of another bag, and an overquilt for a hammock.  Construction is very high quality, all stitching is even and straight, and the only flaw I’ve found on mine is the hook and loop fastener at the foot was mistakenly sewn as a hook and hook fastener.

Read more: Western Mountaineering EverLite reviews (3)

Featured review by David

This super-lightweight, amazingly compressible, down sleeping bag rated 35 degrees is my go-to bag for just about all of my backpacking trips. While rated at 35 degrees, I'll take it even if it's supposed to get down to 30, and I'll explain that below. I would not take this bag if conditions predicted temps colder than 30 and/or lots and lots of rain. Otherwise, this is a great bag!

Since it's a sleeping bag, let's talk about warmth first. I HATE being cold. I like to sleep warm, and I tend to sleep cold. So, I need to add things to keep me warm when other people would think I'm crazy.  I used this 35 degree bag in 30 degree temps, with wind chills lower due to 30 mph winds. I wore an old Moonstone Stretch Fleece and a Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer along with medium weight Patagonia Capillene long johns and Smartwool Light Hiker socks to stay warm and cozy in my tent.

Read more: Western Mountaineering HighLite reviews (7)

Featured review by Craig Bishop

What can I say about Western Mountaineering, I first heard about these products through an online talk group and I must say I'm impressed. To put it in perspective, I currently own two Rab mountaineering sleeping bags which were handmade for me, however for use in Scotland in the summer, I found they were just too warm. So when I heard about Western Mountaineering, I decided to look up the only United Kingdom supplier of these sleeping bags and found that they were offering the "Caribou" at a sale price of £135 so I decided to order.

Read more: Western Mountaineering Caribou MF reviews (3)

Featured review by StoicFabian

A versatile and quality piece of sleeping gear that can be used in many different ways and provide warmth even in slightly-bellow-rated temperatures. Good option for lightweight backpackers campers and travelers who sleep in various conditions and settings (hammock, tent, hostels, etc.).

Context I live in a tropical country and temperatures here hardly ever go below 30°F, even at the height of the winter and in the wilderness and rural areas where it’s always colder. Therefore, I can do fine with mid-temp sleeping bags, added of other layers like clothes (base layer and others) and a hammock sock (e.g. my Outdoor Vitals Bugnet which serves double-duty as wind insulation and bug protection). Characteristics The Sea To Summit TR1 has proved perfect for my needs. It’s lightweight and compact compared to synthetics, and it can be used in different ways to accommodate for various situations.

Read more: Sea to Summit Traveller TrI 50°F reviews (3)

Reviewed by Bentbrook

The Space Cowboy is a nicely featured 45˚F/7˚C sleeping bag for those seeking a highly compressible, lightweight synthetic sleeping bag option. This bag is readily stuffed into pack crevices or its supplied stuff sack, taking up less room at lower weight than a number of similarly rated bags (albeit at higher price), while providing mummy bag coziness with a draft tube and draft collar for unseasonably cool nights.

In the American South where I live, we’ve had the first few flashes of summer-like heat amid cooler spring weather. It’s enough to encourage trip planning for summer treks. Therm-a-Rest’s Space Cowboy synthetic sleeping bag offers a fully featured summer-weight bag that is well suited for such warm-weather trips. I enjoyed testing the Space Cowboy in summer and early fall, but by layering the Space Cowboy with my Therm-a-Rest Corus HD 35˚F/1.7˚ C quilt, I was able to sleep comfortably in the upper 20s˚F/-2.8 to -1.6˚C, too, a layering option Therm-a-Rest had in mind when designing this sleeping bag.

Read more: Therm-a-Rest Space Cowboy 45F review (1)

Featured review by Shannon Guy

The Lodgepole's roomy, oversized fit will allow you to sprawl out while keeping you toasty between 40-50 degrees with its quick-warming brushed liner, cozy fleece collar, and fleece-lined footbox.

I'm 5'3" and I am a stomach sleeper. I like to have a knee up and in this bag, I can actually put my knee up. This is the biggest plus about this sleeping bag. The fleece collar is great too. I used this in my camper with the ac on 66° so I was able to use it and not sweat to death. The zipper worked great—I hate it when it gets caught over and over again in itself. 

Read more: Wenzel Lodgepole 40° - 50° Sleeping Bag reviews (3)

Reviewed by Christoph Maurer

This is an ultra-ultralight sleeping bag with a short zip. Use it when you want to save weight and if you are prepared to sacrifice some comfort.

I am 189cm (6'2"). This bag (size long) weighs 428g (15.097oz) without the stuff sack. It is the lightest sleeping bag I could find. Warmth:This is different for every person. I would say the temperature rating is OK. I am a very cold sleeper so I can use this bag even when it is around the lower limit of 8°C|46°F. I don't mind being somewhat cold, but I will rather put on all available clothes and wake up every now and then before carrying a heavier bag. When it gets cold at home, I sleep outside on the balcony to see how low I can go.

Read more: Sea to Summit Spark SP I review (1)

Reviewed by Jake W

The Big Agnes McKinnis is a lightweight, down insulated sleeping bag designed for minimalist trips, bike packing, or any time some extra insulation is needed within your sleep system. Versatile enough to go from your warm weather summer bag to a winter liner, I believe the McKinnis would be an excellent addition to many people's kits. The main point I’d like to see redesigned is the hood shape as it currently doesn’t add much function.

WARMTH No temperature rating is given for the McKinnis so that kind of eliminates the whole “Does it keep you warm at its stated rating?” question. I received this bag for testing at the end of July, so right in the wheel house of this ultra light bag, and have purposely held off on this review until I could test it to its limits….I found the limits….in an uncomfortable way.  If I were to assign the most unscientific EN ratings ever (please keep in mind these are just my opinion and everyone's sleep comfort is influenced by a number of factors), I would give it a comfort rating of around 13°c (around 55°f), and a lower limit at somewhere between 8° and 10°c (46° - 50°f).

Read more: Big Agnes McKinnis review (1)

Featured review by Ashleigh

Surely you have had to deal with the agony of having to crawl out of your warm sleeping bag when it is freezing cold out. Nobody likes it! Sierra Designs has come up with a solution for it by creating one of the most innovative new sleeping bags on the market, The Mobile Mummy. It is a garment style sleeping bag that you can wear while you walk around camp and use your arms to read, eat, or drink a beverage while in your tent. While it isn’t the first sleeping bag with arm and leg ports, it is certainly the most well designed one that I have seen. Weighing in at 1 lb 13 oz, this 800 fill DriDown women’s specific version is rated to a comfort level of 31 degrees and a lower limit of 20 degrees.

About the tester: I am a 5’4” 30-year-old female backpacker from South Carolina. I typically day hike and backpack in the southern Appalachian Mountains, primarily in North Carolina. My backpacking style is comfort-driven. I am not afraid to carry an item that is a few more ounces if it means it will be more comfortable. I prefer big tents, warm and roomy sleeping bags, plush sleeping pads, and packs with very comfortable waist belts and shoulder pads. In other words, “roughing it” is not my style.

Read more: Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 800 2-Season reviews (2)

Reviewed by Bill S

The Montane Minimus sleeping bag is very lightweight, 3-season bag, well suited for the light backpacker or climber who will be traveling in damp environments (heavy dew, occasional rainshowers) with minimal shelter, bivouacking in the open, or as an emergency backup. Since it is quite waterproof, the Minimus can act as a combined bivy sack and sleeping bag for much less weight and is more compact. Its major flaw is that it is somewhat awkward to get into due to the zipper design.

Background: One of the most critical items for the backpacker, climber, backcountry skier, or snowshoer is the sleeping bag. A good sleeping bag can mean the difference between a good night’s restful sleep and misery. Among the criteria are warmth to match the environment, weight of the bag in your pack, comfort to match your size, durability, and a reasonable cost for what you get. During my life in the outdoors, I have been given, bought, slept in, and divested too many sleeping bags. I started, as most kids growing up in the middle of the Sonora Desert did, with a “bedroll”, which basically was just a wool blanket.

Read more: Montane Minimus Sleeping Bag review (1)