NEMO - Jam 15

I vote for Nemo bags. I have 2 and love them. Perfect for side sleeping.

It’s all about a good sleep system. I have a 15 degree Nemo bag and an XTherm pad. Throw in a hot water bottle and I’m toasty all night. Just sleep in a base layer.

This. I hate mummy bags. I move too much in my sleep. My Nemo takes up a bit more space in my pack but it is so comfortable and a good night’s sleep, where I can fully roll around in my bag, is worth it. I will never go back to a mummy bag.

Nemo for sure

Spoon shape is great, arm zippers in the boost just seem drafty.

I’m a stomach/side sleeper and love my Zenbivy quilt+sheet and their matching pillow system, but it’s quite an investment for a casual camper. I’d recommend looking for a cheaper quilt or even a rectangular sleeping bag on Amazon or Decathlon if you’re not looking to spend a lot. I was really unhappy with my spoon shaped Nemo sleeping bag. Even though it’s wider than a traditional mummy bag, it was still restrictive. There are a lot of other spendy quilt brands out there and most have already been reviewed on r/ultralight.

Nemo sleeping bag with REI 2.5 self inflating sleeping pad works for me.

Just got back from Algonquin where the temps dropped to 3 degrees C. I was comfy in my fairly new -9 degree C Nemo down bag wearing long base layers only, but I felt if it got below freezing I would need some additional layers. Other commenters are giving good advice when they say a good sleeping pad makes a big difference, especially if the ground is already cold (not just air temps dropping at night). Don't trust temp ratings of cheap bags and aim for something with a rating 15 degrees below the coldest you could expect it to possibly get.

Never tried a quilt, but as a fellow side sleeper I LOVE my Nemo sleeping bag. Can't believe I ever tried to use a mummy bag.

If your biggest concern about a sleeping bag is room for your legs to move without feeling constricted, I would try out Nemo or Big Agnes sleeping bags. Both tend to have wider profiles. Definitely go for a bag that is rated at least 10 degrees lower - preferably lower - than the temps you expect to sleep in. Theres multiple problems with layering with clothing like this, one of which is not the warmth specific factor but the breathability. One or two layers is one thing, but with all the listed clothing and then something like the picture on top, you’re going to build up humidity near your body you can’t get rid of, and you’ll become even colder. Next, a sleeping bag basically creates a warm pocket of air around you. The insulation in the bag helps create and maintain this pocket. The more compressed this insulation, the worse it performs. With layering clothing, you compress the insulation, making it less effective. On top of that, insulation is minimal if not nonexistent at the seams. Some puffy jackets and “extreme temp” clothing gets around this by minimizing seams but there’s almost always a few somewhere, which means no air pockets and no warmth. If I could recommend the best case scenario for you, it would be this: find a sleeping bag you can tolerate rated to a temp appropriate for your conditions, 15F at a minimum, best scenario a 0F. Dress in only your smartwool layers, and make sure you have a good pad/sleep set up underneath you. Sources: avid outdoorsmen, backpacker in sub 20 degree temps, and former REI employee who specialized in camping gear.

I like the spoon shape of the Nemo bags. And, I’m currently using a wide deluxe pad from Big Agnes.