Berghaus Indulge Double Sleeping Bag with Hood and Built-in Pillow, Ideal for Festivals and Family Camping Trips, Camping Equipment

Product Information

The price may be high, but this sleeping bag really does do it all. For a start it’s warm – the comfort rating allows three-season use comfortably and there are other versions for both lower and warmer temperatures available. Double sleeping bags appeal to couples and to those who like to have plenty of wriggle room when they sleep. Sleeping bags with synthetic fillings are generally machine washable, but if you don't own a washing machine with a large drum then you may need to take it to a launderette. Feather-filled sleeping bags can only be dry cleaned. When you first delve into the world of sleeping bags you’ll see that many are talked about as being two-, three- or four-season bags. As you’d imagine, four-season bags are the preserve of brave souls who intend to camp in winter on frozen ground. A three-season sleeping bag (spring, summer, autumn) will serve most purposes. A two-season (spring/summer) is fine for those only intending to camp when the sun shines.

A double sleeping bag is the answer. Most are bulky and compromise on good design, but Colorado-based Big Agnes has put the same thought and technology into their doubles as they do into their singles. This not only means a warm option (though note this is their own temperature rating system and refers to the comfort ‘limit’ rather than the comfort rating which is likely to be at least five or so degrees higher), but also one with great design quirks too.We test bestselling sleeping bags from the most popular outdoor brands and UK retailers, including Go Outdoors, Rab, Decathlon, Vango, Eurohike, Berghaus, Outwell and more. Rectangular sleeping bags are great if you only intend to sleep in warmer weather or if you like to feel unrestricted. They also offer the option of opening the bag out to form a quilt. There is an age-old camping conundrum for couples – should you take two sleeping bags and sleep separately or zip them together? The former is warm but not exactly romantic, the latter is great for cuddling but not for comfort – especially if you end up lying over the zips. We buy every sleeping bag we test rather than getting free samples from manufacturers, and each of our testers try out every sleeping bag in our selection. Comfort and ease of use

However, we'd avoid washing sleeping bags too frequently if you can. In our tests, even those suitable for machine washing often end up with a few loose threads after we've put them through a cycle.The person using the sleeping bag is also a major factor. The size of the camper and how much body heat they naturally generate will influence how snugly the insulation fits to their body, and how much heat the sleeping bag retains. Broadly speaking there are two main types. ‘Mummy’ sleeping bags have a hood and are tapered towards the feet, like an Egyptian sarcophagus – hence the name. They’re good for space saving and because there’s less fabric, they are naturally lighter. Heat retention is also good, since there’s less space for your body heat to warm up and no draught through the head end.

Sleeping bags can be a pain to clean, so we take note of any cleaning instructions that come with each sleeping bag we test, and wash them according to those instructions where possible. We praise sleeping bags that are easy to clean and don't suffer damage from washing, and penalise those that are a hassle or have loose threads after being washed. I’m often asked about bivvy bags. These are to be used in conjunction with a sleeping bag, not by themselves. It’s essentially a waterproof and breathable cover for a normal sleeping bag that allows you to happily sleep outside without the need for a tent. What sleeping bag do I need for camping in the UK?

Mummy - these are designed to fit more snugly than a rectangle and are tapered towards the foot. This reduces air movement around your body and helps to build up an insulating layer of warm air. The shape can be restrictive, so you may find them uncomfortable if you move around in your sleep. There are a host of options out there, ranging from very basic (and non-breathable) survival bags to all singing, all dancing, mosquito-net and poles options that verge on being mini tents. But I prefer to keep things simple. For that there’s great value British brand Alpkit. This is grams per square metre. It’s used to rate how much filling a synthetic sleeping bag contains and a good number is about 300+.