Budget Sleeping Bags, Quilts, and Liners for Backpacking
Table of Contents
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Sweet Spot Recommendations
For most beginner or budget backpackers, I recommend a down mummy bag with a fill power of at least 550 cuin, preferably at least 650 cuin, and an ISO lower-limit temperature rating of 20°F (used on a sleeping pad with an R-value of 2 to 4). This sleep system should keep you warm down to 32°F. Anything warmer will be expensive, heavy, or bulky. If the fill-power is less than 550 cuin and you can’t afford higher fill power, you might want to save money by buying a synthetic bag with the same ISO lower-limit temperature rating of 20°F.
Sleeping Bag Comparison Table
Click arrows in headings to sort columns
| Sleeping Bag | MSRP | Lower Limit (ISO) | Comfort (ISO) | Insulation | Fill Weight | Weight, regular (lbs) | Shell | Lining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20 | $148.00 | 20.0°F | 31.0°F | 73% dridown, 27% polyester | 800 | 2.35 | 20D 400T nylon | 20D 400T nylon |
| Kelty Cosmic 20 Down | $189.95 | 21° F | 31° F | 80% duck down, 20% polyester | 550 | 2.39 | 20D nylon taffeta | 50D polyester taffeta |
| Teton 20° F | $59.99 | 20° F | ? | PolarLite | N/A | 2.90 | 75D 2mm Polyester Diamond Ripstop | Micro Polyester |
| Kelty Cosmic 20 Synthetic | 109.95 | 22° F | 32° F | Cirroloft | N/A | 2.83 | 380T Nylon Taffeta | 50D 300T Poly Taffeta |
Down Sleeping Bags
Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20° 800 DriDown
Weight: 2.35 lbs / 1.06 kg
Fill Weight: 15.17 oz / 430.0 g
Fits To: 72.05″ / 183.0 cm
Length: 77.95″ / 198.0 cm
Shoulder Circumference: 62.2″ / 158.0 cm
Hip Circumference: 57.87″ / 147.0 cm
Foot Circumference: 40.16″ / 102.0 cm
Stuff Sack Size: 8 x 13 in / 20 x 33 cm
Specifications:
Lower limit (ISO): 20.0°F
Comfort (ISO): 31.0°F
Insulation: 800-fill dri-down (73%), polyester (27%)
Shell: 20D 400T nylon
Lining: 20D 400T nylon
Lifetme warranty
Pros
- Exellent value while on sale
- Durable
- Popular and reputable
Cons
- Slightly heavier and bulkier than competitors
- Misleadlingly advertised as down, but contains 27% polyester
- More expensive than the standard Cosmic 20 down bag.
My thoughts
For some reason, this bag isn’t listed on the Kelty website.
Although it contains 800 fill-power down, the law tag says it is only 73% down and 27% polyester. Compare this bag to the standard Cosmic 20 down, which is only 550 fill-power down but 80% down.
The Ultra is slightly lighter than the standard Cosmic 20 down. Since the Ultra contains dridown and synthetic insulation, I assume it is slightly more water resistant. However, I haven’t tried this bag, so I can’t compare it to the standard Cosmic 20.
Kelty Cosmic 20 Down
Specifications:
Lower limit (ISO): 21° F
Comfort (ISO): 31° F
Insulation: 550-fill down
Shell: Recycled 20D nylon taffeta
Lining: Recycled 50D polyester taffeta
Fits: 5’6″ / 168 cm
Length: 72″/ 183 cm
Shoulder Circumference: 58″ / 147 cm
Hip Circumference: 56″ / 142 cm
Foot Circumference: 43″ / 109 cm
Total Weight: 2 lb, 3 oz
Fill weight: 14.6 oz / 415 g
Packed Size: 7″x 13″ / 18 x 33 cm
Fits: 6′ 0″ / 183 cm
Length: 78″ / 199 cm
Shoulder Circumference: 62″ / 158 cm
Hip Circumference: 58″ / 147 cm
Foot Circumference: 46″ / 117 cm
Total Weight: 2 lb 7 oz
Fill weight: 16.4 oz / 464 g
Packed Size: 8″ x 13″ / 20 x 33 cm
Fits: 6′ 6″ / 198 cm
Length: 84″ / 214 cm
Shoulder Circumference: 64″/ 163 cm
Hip Circumference: 60″ / 152 cm
Foot Circumference: 52″ / 131 cm
Packed Size: 8″ x 14″ / 20 x 36 cm
Total Weight: 2 lb 11 oz
Fill weight: 18.8 oz / 533 g
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Durable
- Popular and reputable
Cons
- Slightly heavy and bulky for a down bag
- Low fill power
- Misleadlingly advertised as down, but contains 20% polyester
- The Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20 is a little lighter and probably slightly warmer when wet
My thoughts
I use this bag. It’s a little bulky for a 20° down bag, but it’s great value for the price. The Ultra 20° 800 DriDown is less expensive, slightly lighter, and probably slightly more water resistant.
Synthetic Sleeping Bags
TETON 20° F Sleeping Bag
Specifications:
Lower limit: 20° F
Insulation: PolarLite
Shell: 75D 2mm Polyester Diamond Ripstop
Lining: Micro Polyester
Fits: < 6’2″
Weight: 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)
Dimensions: 87″ x 32″ (shoulders) x 22″ (foot) (221 x 81 x 56 cm)
Packed size: 14.5″ x 6.5″ x 6.5″ (37 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm)
Fits: < 5’8″
Weight: 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)
Dimensions: 75″ x 30″ (shoulders) x 20″ (foot) (190.5 x 76 x 51 cm)
Packed size: 13″ x 7″ x 7″ (33 x 18 x 18 cm)
Pros
- Price can’t be beat
- Smooth inner fabric
- Zipper doesn’t snag
- Well-built for such an affordable product
- Reputable customer service
Cons
- Some reputable reviewers say this bag is not as warm as other budget 20° sleeping bags. I don’t know how this is possible if ISO rating is being used.
My thoughts
I haven’t tried this sleeping bag. If some reviewers are correct that it isn’t as warm as some other budget 20° bags, I would pay more for a warmer bag. If you are on a very tight budget, this bag is probably your best option.
Kelty Cosmic 20 Synthetic
Specifications:
Lower limit (ISO): 22° / -6°C
Comfort (ISO): 32° / 0°C
Insulation: Cirroloft
Shell: 380T Nylon Taffeta
Lining: 50D 300T Poly Taffeta
Fits: 6’ / 183 cm
Length: 78” / 198 cm
Shoulder Width: 31″ / 78.5 cm
Total Weight: 2.83 lbs / 1.28 kg
Fill Weight: 30.5 oz / .86 kg
Packed Size: 16″ x 9.5″ / 41 x 24 cm
Fits: 6’ 6″ / 198 cm
Length: 84” / 213 cm
Shoulder Width: 32″ / 81 cm
Total Weight: 2.99 lbs / 1.36 kg
Fill Weight: 33 oz / .95 kg
Packed Size: 16″ x 9.5″ / 41 x 24 cm
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Durable
- Popular and reputable brand
Cons
- Same cons as all synthetic sleeping bags: heavy, bulky, and loses insulation performance after repeated compressions.
- More expensive than some synthetic bags, such as the Teton 20.
My thoughts
I’ve never used the synthetic version, but I’m happy with the down version.