You can find a more thorough discussion of our favorite down models in our best backpacking sleeping bag review. These bags are ideal for those following “ultralight” guidelines to keep their packs as light as possible, typically under 10 pounds. Because they are so lightweight, they are great for multi-day backcountry trips and thru-hikes.
And every time you move your feet you get to hear the crinkle of the fabric on the bottom. The Ozark Trail Mummy sleeping bag is a bulky, heavy sleeping bag that does not boast any of the bells and whistles of it’s more expensive counterparts. The bag uses Climatech fill, a down alternative, making it very light. The roomy bag, 33 inches wide by 75 inches long, rolls up to a compact 14 by 8 inches. Made with soft polyester, the outer layer being a diamond ripstop material, the bag is both comfortable and durable. The zippers are sturdy, with no problems in the two years we have used them.
This provides a more consistent measure of warmth, but numerous other factors can play a role in your actual warmth beyond ambient air temperature. These factors include the type of shelter you’re in, the sleeping surface beneath you, the type and quality of your sleeping pad, and even your own metabolism. Western Mountaineering is a company known for making some of the best sleeping bags, and the Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF certainly lives up to that reputation. We were blown away by how this bag supplied comfort and warmth in a packable, lightweight package.
Often, women’s bags are designed with wider hip dimensions and narrower shoulder dimensions. Women typically sleep colder than men, so sleeping bags marketed toward women usually have more conservative temperature ratings. This can also translate into a bargain when women’s bags incorporate extra insulation but are sold at the same price. See the Best Sleeping Bags for Women review to read more about our top sleeping bags in this category. This review is the culmination of a decade of hands-on testing by ten separate GearLab expert reviewers. These reviewers included backpacking guides, mountaineers, backcountry skiers, wilderness rangers, guidebook authors, and thru-hikers.
The Ozark Trail Mummy sleeping bag worked best inside the Ozark Trial 2 person tent. We used a sleeping bag liner for extra warmth and comfort and this seemed to help maintain the warmth much better than without. We made sure that on all 3 occasions, we were using a sleeping mat in order to give the sleeping bag the best platform to work on. By the time we got back from camping the next weekend three out of four sleeping bags had the zippers broken. I’m so disappointed with this product that I advise anyone buying sleeping bags not to even look at Ozark and buy Coleman instead. I used this bag from February of 2002 to June of 2002 on the Appalachian Trail, and I still have it.
The Ozark Trail 250gsm is really meant as a 2 season sleeping bag – at a push 3 season but we would not recommend this for the depths of winter. It’s optimal temperature range is from 8 degrees celcius to 4 degrees celcius. It’s also not particularly light so might be best suited for a car camping excursion. However, I used this bag two nights last weekend and found it was too cold on its own—lowest temp was 51 degrees each of those nights.
Meanwhile, its 8.4 ounces of 950+ fill power goose down proved to be capable all the way down to its 40° F temperature rating. That makes this bag an ideal choice for thru-hikers or serious backpackers looking for a lightweight model that can handle a range of conditions. For many years now, the Coleman Brazos has been a notable contender for those on a budget. Time and again, it has impressed us with its rugged durability and warmth, especially when considering how stiff the competition is in the world of sleeping bags. Although synthetic fibers are cheaper to produce than down, they have not yet been able to achieve the same warmth for an equal weight of material.
I was in a large tent (admittedly, a smaller tent would have been better) with one other person. We found that the Ozark Trail Mummy sleeping bag ended up being just average and no more. Day 2 …it was closer to 6 degree and I froze…I had to hike into town, replace the bag.
Nevertheless, this is our favorite women’s sleeping bag and an excellent choice for any serious backpacker. This is definitely a budget bag, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. If you are outfitting an entire household for your first family camp trip and just want something to get everyone out the door, then the Brazos is a great option to consider. We think it would also be a good choice for backyard campers or for use in an RV or camper where you don’t need as much protection. We have stayed nicely warm while sleeping in the cold in this bag. We layer a blanket between the sleeping ozark trail backpack pads and the sleeping bags for some extra insulation.