Table Of Contents
Best Camping Sleeping Bag
- Warmth 90%
- Comfort 80%
- Weight/Packed Size 20%
- Features 50%
Price: $157.97
Weight: 11.7 lbs (5.3kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): -10°F (-23°C)
Style: Rectangular
Shell: Canvas
Lining: 100% cotton
Insulation/Fill: TechLoft
Compressed Volume: N/A
What We Like: Very warm, Plush, Durable
What We Don’t: Heavy, Large, No waterproofing
ALPS OutdoorZ has taken an old-school approach to cold-weather camping with the Redwood, a rectangular sleeping bag built for camping. There are certainly cheaper sleeping bags out there, but they’ll have trouble competing with the unceasing warmth and comfort this bag delivers. Although we’re not sure why you’d want to go camping in sub-zero temperatures, it’s nice to know that you can. As already mentioned, the price tag makes this far less of a budget car-camping bag than the $35 Coleman Brazos or the $44.95 Kelty Callisto 30; it’s also nearly three times the weight. However, neither of those bags come close to the Redwood’s temperature rating or its comfort. If treated well, the ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood could be a buy-it-for-life purchase for car camping, and it was an easy winner for Best Camping Sleeping Bag.
Compare to Similar Products
Buy Now at Rei.com
- Warmth 80%
- Comfort 80%
- Weight/Packed Size 60%
- Features 70%
Pros
Excellent ventilation
Great for side sleepers
Cons
Heavy
Large pack size
Weight: [regular] 2lb 14oz, (1.3kg) [long] 3lb 2oz (1.4kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 22°F (-5°C)
Style: Semirectangular/Spoon
Buy Now at Backcountry.com
- Warmth 80%
- Comfort 70%
- Weight/Packed Size 70%
- Features 60%
Pros
Warm
Roomy
Packable
Cons
Slightly heavy
Liner could be softer
Weight: [short] 2lb 7oz (1.1kg), [reg] 2lb 10oz (1.19kg), [long] 2lb 15oz (1.33kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 21°F (-6°C)
Style: Mummy
Buy Now at Amazon.com
- Warmth 90%
- Comfort 80%
- Weight/Packed Size 20%
- Features 50%
Pros
Very warm
Durable
Plush
Cons
Heavy
Large
No waterproofing
Weight: 11.7 lbs (5.3kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): -10°F (-23°C)
Style: Rectangular
Buy Now at Amazon.com
- Warmth 50%
- Comfort 70%
- Weight/Packed Size 80%
- Features 60%
Pros
Very light
Compressible
Cons
Not warm enough for three seasons
Weight: 2.1lb (0.9kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 35°F (1°C)
Style: Mummy
Buy Now at Amazon.com
- Warmth 50%
- Comfort 50%
- Weight/Packed Size 40%
- Features 60%
Pros
Comfortable
Versatile
Great value
Cons
Could be warmer
Not suitable for backpacking
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 30°F (-1°C)
Style: Rectangular
Buy Now at Backcountry.com
- Warmth 70%
- Comfort 60%
- Weight/Packed Size 70%
- Features 60%
Pros
Included compression sack, Sufficiently packable
Cons
Minimal features
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 27°F (-3°C)
Style: Mummy
Buy Now at Backcountry.com
- Warmth 70%
- Comfort 60%
- Weight/Packed Size 50%
- Features 60%
Pros
Durable, Included compression sack
Cons
Heavy
Not very packable
Weight: [regular] 3lb 1oz (1.4kg), [long] 3lb 5.2oz (1.5kg), [long wide] 3lbs 9.2oz (1.6kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 26.2 F (-3°C)
Style: Mummy
Buy Now at Rei.com
- Warmth 60%
- Comfort 40%
- Weight/Packed Size 40%
- Features 40%
Pros
Inexpensive
Warm
Useful features
Cons
Only one length option
Liner needs improvement
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 20°F (-6°C)
Style: Rectangular
Buy Now at Backcountry.com
- Warmth 60%
- Comfort 70%
- Weight/Packed Size 60%
- Features 60%
Pros
Comfortable
Lightweight
Creative design
Cons
Lacking in features
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 30°F (-1°C)
Style: Rectangular
Buy Now at Amazon.com
- Warmth 80%
- Comfort 60%
- Weight/Packed Size 50%
- Features 70%
Pros
Warm
Great value
Well designed
Cons
Large compression volume
Slightly heavy
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 20°F (-6°C)
Style: Mummy
Buy Now at Rei.com
- Warmth 60%
- Comfort 60%
- Weight/Packed Size 60%
- Features 50%
Pros
Packs well
Creative design
Cons
Thin padding
Could be warmer
Weight: [regular] 4.4 lbs (2kg), [long] 5lb (2.3kg)
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 26.6°F (-3°C)
Style: Double (2-person)
Buy Now at Rei.com
- Warmth 60%
- Comfort 60%
- Weight/Packed Size 80%
- Features 50%
Pros
Lightweight
Highly package
Cons
Slightly cold
Scratchy liner
Lacking ventilation
Temperature Rating (Lower Limit): 29°F (-1°C)
Style: Mummy
ALPS OutdoorZ has taken an old-school approach to cold-weather camping with the Redwood, a rectangular sleeping bag built for camping. At $157.97, there are certainly cheaper sleeping bags out there, but they’ll have trouble competing with the unceasing warmth and comfort that this bag delivers. Although we’re not sure why you’d want to go camping in sub-zero temperatures, it’s nice to know that you can. The Redwood’s extreme comfort and warmth earned it the title of Best Camping Sleeping Bag.
Warmth
With a temperature rating of -10°F, the Redwood is the warmest bag on our 2021 list—by a long shot. Its 6.5lb of TechLoft synthetic insulation, lined with 100% cotton using two-layer offset construction, makes it more than capable of achieving its advertised temperature rating. In addition, the bag’s two full-length draft tubes (located on both sides of the zipper) help keep the warmth trapped inside. Just be sure to avoid getting it wet. There’s zero water resistance in the canvas shell or in the filler, so a spilled drink will lead to a dramatic drop-off in the insulation department.
Comfort
Weight & Packed Size
At 11.7lb, it’s clear that ALPS OutdoorZ was not focused on lightweight construction with this sleeping bag, but that’s because it’s not designed with backpacking in mind. For that reason, we didn’t include a compressed volume for this bag since it’s really not built to be compressed. The only way to transport the Redwood is in the trunk of your Subaru.
Features
The Redwood isn’t particularly packed with features. The bag packs up using three roll-up straps with quick-release buckles. Once rolled up, it can easily function as a headrest if you’re trying to stretch out on a nice patch of grass. The full-length zipper also enables the Redwood to expand into a quilt big enough for a picnic.
The Bottom Line
As already mentioned, the nearly $160 price tag makes this far less of a budget car-camping bag than the $35 Coleman Brazos or the $44.95 Kelty Callisto 30. It’s also nearly three times the weight. However, neither of those bags come close to the Redwood’s temperature rating or its comfort. If treated well, the ALPS OutdoorZ Redwood could be a buy-it-for-life purchase for car camping.
Compare Prices From Retailers Below
You help support Gear Hacker by purchasing from our retail partners.
