Sleeping Bag Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right One for Camping

Camping season is calling, and the Kelty Discovery Basecamp Bundle makes answering easier with the essentials you need to start: a 4-person tent, 2 sleeping pads and two 35° rectangular sleeping bags.
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View the Kelty Discovery Product LineView all Kelty Camping Sleeping BagsBest Use | Camping |
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Seasons | 3-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 4-person |
Floor Dimensions | 97 x 79 inches |
Peak Height | 58 inches |
Number of Doors | 1 door |
Number of Poles | 3 |
Canopy Fabric | 68-denier polyester/no-see-um mesh |
Floor Fabric | 68-denier polyester |
Rainfly Fabric | 68-denier polyester |
Design Type | Freestanding |
Temperature Rating (F) | 35 degrees (F) |
Temperature Rating (C) | 2 degrees (C) |
Weight | Total: 20 lbs. 10 oz.; tent: 8 lbs. 8 oz.; 1 bag: 3 lbs. 1 oz.; 1 sleeping pad: 2 lbs. 14 oz. |
Insulation Type | Synthetic |
Fill | CloudLoft polyester fibers |
Lining | Polyester taffeta |
Sleeping Bag Shape | Rectangular |
Gender | Unisex |
Fits Up To (in.) | 84 inches |
Shoulder Girth (in.) | 34 inches |
Sleeping Pad Type | Self-inflating |
Sleeping Pad Shape | Rectangular |
R-Value | 4.3 |
Packed Size | 34 x 25 x 11 inches |
Pad Thickness (in.) | 1.5 inches |
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The tent is my biggest problem. The good: It's easy to set up and spacious enough for two plus some gear. The bad: The tent has very little ventilation when the rain fly is on. Only 1 small screen in the upper half of the door. No way to get any cross ventilation without removing the rain fly. The zipper is really annoying, always a two handed operation or it will get caught on the fabric. I understand it's a budget bundle, but a few simple improvements would have made this a really good value. As for the sleeping bag and pads, they're definitely entry level but adequate. I'm returning this to REI and will just purchase the items separately.
Tent is SUPER easy to set up and break down, if day it would comfortably fit three maybe not four unless it was kids. Sleeping bag was perfect and pad was great! Such a good purchase, love REI!
This was one of the best camping purchases you can make for the quality and price. Great for summer and fall depending were your from. Haven’t tried in rainy conditions or cold weather yet but the adventures await. The only problem I would complain about is the zipper to the door could be a little smoother. Overall I’ll say a 4.5.
Perfect size, sturdy with strong stakes. Good material and easy assembly. Good ventilation, great pads. The only issue is the size and shape of the sleeping bag. It’s huge which is really good if you’re a wider or taller person but for an average sized person (5’4,F) there’s a lot of room. You need a lot of body heat to warm it up during the night. My body couldn’t, it was freezing. We used it zipped together as a 2 person one and separately and I had the same issue no matter what I did. Nights were in the 50’s-60’s. And a slightly annoying thing is that the rod above the door that keeps the fly extended above the door actually makes the door too taught so it’s hard to zip it up on the top part of the door. Makes it difficult to fully open the door. Altogether we loved it
First, I gravitate towards tents with colors that pop. I was very surprised at how much I fell in love with this bundle with its earthy colors! This tent is easy to set up and tear down. It sleeps two adults comfortably. The pads were comfy, and the bags warm. I get cold easily and wouldn't be warm enough during the winter or even late fall. But you may. There was no condensation in the morning. If you're looking for a stargazing tent, this is not the tent, as it has just one opening. Not a deal breaker for me as I have a different tent for that purpose. I use one of my footprints with this tent; it doesn't come with one. But then again, I've had to buy a footprint separately for just about every tent I own. This is no different. Overall, this is a great bundle for two at a price that's not very steep.
The Discovery Basecamp Bundle is a great starter and/or budget bundle. The tent is easy and quick to setup, the sleeping pads are easy to inflate simply by blowing in the valves, and the sleeping bags are good too. I did not have any problems packing up the bundle when it was time to break camp, everything fit back into the respective sacks. The zipper does get caught on the fabric quite a bit, but it’s not that big of a deal, because I don’t go in and out of the tent a whole lot. The other thing I wish the tent had is a ceiling pocket to put a light in. But, for $299 the quality of this bundle is fine. If you are just getting into camping, or if you just need a good basic bundle of camp gear this is it. The sleeping bag and sleeping pads are comfortable enough to sleep well through the night. However, if you plan to camp more than just casually, you definitely should spend more money for higher quality equipment. This is more for Camping 2 -3 nights a few times a year.
Bought this for the price obviously, and it’s a one-stop kit for my boyfriend and I to take car camping. So I got it 2 days after placing the order- super fast shipping- and set it up at home like I do with all my gear. Straight out of the bag I could tell it’s cheap, specifically the poles. Set up was easy enough, but the pole for the rain fly awning broke immediately. The string came detached and now I’m left with 4 separate pieces. Called Kelty customer service & they’re sending a replacement within a week, but still frustrating. I imagine it’ll happen again, so I’ll have to find a way to secure the string, maybe glue? The zipper design also needs some work- gets stuck very easily on the seemingly useless fabric flaps. If this is all you can afford, it’s okay, but I’d recommend spending the extra money for something that will most definitely last longer.
Great concept all in one bag easy to grab and go. Tent setup was easy, and pads and bags were very comfortable. I also own a Kelty 15'degree bag but for the purpose of this setup looks like a 3 season setup and would not recommend for winter. This is what is stated base camp and I used it as such. I would like to see a Adventure setup with smaller and compact items for Bike packing (maybe split setup) version with mosquito netting and a light cover on top for warmer weather. Overall great concept and will be in our family for many years as with quality is outstanding.
The Kelty bundle is great! The tent is the perfect size for 2 people but slept me and my wife, and two five year-olds comfortably. It was easy to set up and take down and easily packed away. The sleeping bags are comfortable and kept the kids warm on a night in the low 50's. The pads are fine, not the most comfortable, but better than sleeping on the ground. If you have no camping equipment and are looking to get out in the woods, this is a great start to a camping kit and will get you out in the woods comfortably.
We purchased this bundle around a year ago and it’s great. The tent is a very easy to assemble and is a comfortable size for 2 adults and 2 Australian Shepherds. The sleeping bags are nice and long and warm, we’ve camped twice in -4•C and had no issue with the temperature. The sleeping pads are a nice addition and are okay and the zipper to the tent gets caught a little when zipping and unzipping but don’t let that deter you from purchasing this bundle!