Hi All,

Does any one have experience with double sleeping bags? My wife and I will be going out for five nights in early - mid October and she really hates to be cold so I'm trying to decide between a decent warm (EN comfort limit ~-2 C) single or a double where I assume the extra body heat would be a plus?

Thanks,

Pete

We have the "Nemo Mambo Duo" and really like it. My wife is a cold sleeper and I sleep warm, so it works well for us (she absorbs my 'extra' body heat). We also really like the integrated pad sleeves which makes the whole setup feel more like an actual bed (BA Insulated Air Core pads). We also use the Big Agnes Sleeping Giant pad covers which add insulation and comfort, and cut down on the "creakiness" of the pads when you roll over, shift around, etc. I'm a light sleeper so this makes a difference to me...

The Nemo is synthetic fill, and not particularly "high performance" for the weight, but to us, the added comfort makes up for the additional weight.

We tried the "zipping two bags together" route and the legit double-wide option makes a world of difference.

Thanks - very helpful. I was looking at either the Kelty Tru.Comfort Doublewide 20F Double ($135) or the Big Agnes Dream Island 15F Double ($250). I may want to consider the Nemo Jazz Duo 20F ($300) as well.

The Kelty is a lot cheaper than either of the others - it looks good on paper but I am a little suspicious. That being said, this will likely be used a couple times of year max.

Pete

Had a north face 20 degree double which was fine, now have gone to quilts, my kids use an enlightened equipment 30 degree double, also fine, much lighter and packs smaller. would definitely recommend.

Had a north face 20 degree double which was fine, now have gone to quilts, my kids use an enlightened equipment 30 degree double, also fine, much lighter and packs smaller. would definitely recommend. The body heat helps.

Thanks - I looked at the enlightened equipment - pretty expensive from my point of view (~$400). Now, it is a LOT lighter (around 2 lbs) versus the 9 lbs for the cheap ones I listed, but I'm not sure how worried about that I am since this is a canoe trip and not hiking. As a general rule, are there other reasons to spend more money besides weight - build quality I suppose? Is going for the cheapo option (the $135 Kelty) just a waste of money in the long run?

I would suggest you invest in good down sleeping bags. I have a Marmot Helium 15F bag that I use for 3 seasons. Lightweight, warm enough for mid-October or April nights. In the summer I leave it open and lay it on top, or lay on top of it, as needed. A good down bag should last you a few decades or longer if maintained properly. I got mine on sale for half of the price listed in my link. Marmot, Montbell, Western Mountaineering, The North Face all make good bags.

My wife is an extra cold sleeper. Requires a electric blanket in the summer. In the popup camper we have two rectangular bags zipped together. One is on top and the other on the bottom. Works very well. Zippers on the sides. She has allways been warm and there is plenty of room. The bags we use are too heavy for acutal camping. They are the bigest warmest thing Bass Pro had. The extra heat helps as long as you don't roll over and let the warm air out.

Also the differnce between the bag I got with the lowest temp rating and the next one was a fleece linner was included. It is basicly a fleece blanket with a zipper. I use it by itself in the summer. It could be an easy cheap upgrade for a less expensive bag.

I have unzipped the bags and used them seperatly for camping with the kids. So haveing two bags instead of a double gave me some flexability.

Never tried it in the hammock :)

I would suggest you get a bag that fits her size and comfort level. For added protection you could bring a sleeping bag liner or a cheap quilt. Quilts can be had for a lot less than some top brands especially if you rate it to 30 degrees.

Remember that a down jacket can be used to extend the comfort range of your bag as well either by wearing it or slipping it over the foot box of your sleeping bag. So I suggest you bring a pack able down sweater or jacket.

just remember the 'snuggle factor' benefit no matter what brand you may choose.

:-)

dr bob

We have a Big Agnes Dream Island and a matching BA Hinman pad. While I normally say that if I was starting over with my sleep setup that I'd do a pad plus a quilt instead, I see slightly less reason in the case of doubles of doing the quilt over a BA double bag.

Anyway, I like our double setup. It is quite bulky, but I don't think it's any worse than two single bags unless splitting your sleeping bags up is somehow advantageous to the way you pack. The Hinman pad is amazeballs, but if you wanted to cut-down the bulk, that's where you could make some gains cuz the Hinman can be quite bulky. It's totally worth it to me, though.

I used to have two bags that zipped together. They were North Face Cats Meow bags. One was a left side entrance and one with a right side entrance. They were very warm and comfy when used in tandem.

Wife and I sleep in a queen sized bed at home. She says it's not big enough! I get up at 430 she sleeps until 830. Not sure a double is practical for us. 'Snuggle factor' might not be enough.

Wife and I began using a Big Agnes double (don't recall model) a few years ago and really like it. Synthetic fill. Our subjective experience is that it sleeps warmer than single bags. We use a couple of nylon straps w/snap buckles to keep our Big Agnes inflatables side-by-side w/out a gap. A non-technical consideration is that we just prefer to sleep together rather than in individual bags.

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for the help - it looks like I will go for a double - likely the Big Agnes since a lot of people recommend it. I would like to save the money and go with the Kelty, but not at the risk of my wife's anger.

crazypete: "Hi everyone,


Thanks a lot for the help - it looks like I will go for a double - likely the Big Agnes since a lot of people recommend it. I would like to save the money and go with the Kelty, but not at the risk of my wife's anger."

Good luck with your purchase! Thanks for an interesting topic.

crazypete: "Hi everyone,


Thanks a lot for the help - it looks like I will go for a double - likely the Big Agnes since a lot of people recommend it. I would like to save the money and go with the Kelty, but not at the risk of my wife's anger."

Remember... Happy Wife Happy Life !

drbob

or...

If momma ain't happy then ain't nobody happy...

:-(

dr bob

We have a Big Agnes King Solomon which is a down bag. For my wife, we also carry a liner because she can need a warmer bag with me. It has worked for us so far including some nights that hit freezing but not much lower. Before we had that bag we used two zip together BA bags and hers was a warmer bag than mine. But we like the King Solomon because the zippers are on the sides.

At one point, I did talk to someone at BA about the bag. They were clear that the warmest arrangement is a single mummy sleeping bag because it can be done tight around the neck so heat doesn't escape. While two is better than one sounds great, you lose heat around the top where it can escape between your shoulders and heads.

So, we like our double bag but it isn't a simple choice. I think I saw one somewhere that allowed for good closures around each person. Can't remember how that worked.