I’m not too proud to admit that I don’t like sacrificing snuggling while camping. Unzipping one sleeping bag and using it as a blanket isn’t warm enough, plus it always slides off. And what’s the point of sleeping in the cold if you can’t snuggle your significant other?
I put the Teton Sports Tracker Ultralight Double Sleeping Bag on our wedding registry, and I’m a little embarrassed to reveal that it took us a year to finally use it (life gets in the way of camping unless you make a reservation and force yourself to keep it).
The verdict? I loved it.
Honestly, the bag you store the sleeping bag in is what sealed the deal for me. Rolling things back up after camping and attempting to stuff them back into the bag is the absolute worst.
The bag has magically shrunk since you took your sleeping bag out of it, and you can’t quite get the roll of the sleeping bag right. Now you’re sweating and trying to keep it rolled up while you jam it into the bag, and now you’re cursing at inanimate objects. Yes, I’m speaking from personal experience.
Teton made a huge carrying bag, plus it has a bunch of straps around it to help you compress it down once it’s in there (so you can actually close the dang thing). Sure, there was still a bit of jamming and stuffing, but it was a million times easier thanks to the roomy bag and compression straps.
Plus, you know, it kept us warm.
The sleeping bag was big enough for my 6’1″ husband and me (I’m 5’7″ and we’re both skinny). It was roomy enough that if I didn’t want to be right next to him, I could still roll away from him and stay plenty warm.
Before, when we were using single sleeping bags, I had to wear a TON of clothes to bed. The first time we used the Teton double bag, I just wore some cozy leggings and warm top, a beanie, and was good to go in 40-degree weather. We also camped in Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the double sleeping bag, where temps dipped below freezing but not under 30 degrees. I had to bundle up a little more, but I actually found myself getting too hot a few nights because of how much heat we generated in the bag together.
I found out the hard way that the zippers aren’t waterproof, but considering our tent itself was apparently no longer waterproof either, that was the least of our worries. I got a significant amount of water dripped on me thanks to a night of pouring rain, and the sleeping bag only really gave in around 5 a.m. so I was impressed.
The zippers are high-quality and initially didn’t get stuck on the fabric while furiously unzipping to get out of the rain. In Yellowstone, we started struggling with the zippers a little bit once we were already in the sleeping bag. But I’ve yet to find a bag that is in our price range that doesn’t have zippers that catch every once in a while.
There are also zippers on both sides of the sleeping bag, which makes it easy for both people to get out without having to crawl over each other. If one person gets hot at night, it’s also easy to unzip your side as a little vent without freezing out your beloved.
Some reviews on Amazon complained about the size and weight, but I’m a car camper, so I’m only carrying the bag from the car to the campsite, which has never been more than 20 yards. So weight wasn’t a concern for me. Overall, I’m thrilled with this sleeping bag and am so glad we got it!
Beginner disclaimer: As always, you DO NOT need expensive gear to get outdoors. I can’t say that enough. If you decide you do want to upgrade with some fancy gear or nicer clothes, I hope Outdoor Beginner will help you decide what might work for you with reviews from a beginner’s point of view. Now get out there and have fun!
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