How To Choose The Best Camping Sleep System For You

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Sleeping in the great outdoors sounds relaxing, but can actually be pretty uncomfortable.  To ensure that you get a good night of sleep, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to your sleep system.  This guide will help you choose the best camping sleep system for you.

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What Is A Sleep System?

No matter what type of camping you’re doing, you need gear to sleep with.  Your sleep system consists of your sleeping bag, sleeping pad, & pillow.  Some might even consider your tent as a part of the sleep system.  Whether you’re car camping or backpacking, you want to choose a sleep system that works best for you to give you a good night’s sleep.

How To Choose The Best Sleep System

Your sleep system is going to depend on the type of camping you do.  If you’re driving up to a campsite and camping next to your car, then your sleep system can be a little more luxurious because you don’t need to worry about the weight of the gear.

If you’re looking for a backpacking sleep system, you’re going to want to choose the best gear based on the weight first, and then comfort.  Unfortunately you can’t carry a thick air mattress and nice memory foam topper out on the trail with you.  It just weighs too much and isn’t worth it.  Instead, you need to find a happy medium of lightweight gear that fits into your budget and also gives you a decent night’s sleep.

Below, you’ll get a better idea on how to choose the best sleep system for your type of camping trip.

Best Car Camping Sleep System

If you’re car camping, this means you’re pulling up to a campsite and setting up your tent right by your car. This type of camping means that your sleep system can focus a lot more on comfort.

You can splurge for the thicker inflatable air beds that get you up off the ground like the Hest Sleep System.  You can also choose a larger sleeping bag or even bring blankets that are most comfortable for you.  Let’s break down what gear you should be looking at for your car camping sleep system.

If this is your first time camping, or you need a refresh, then here is a free download for our Basic Camping Packing List.  It is a full list of the basic items you need to bring for a successful camping trip.

Tent For Car Camping

When you’re car camping, you have the luxury of bringing any size tent that you want.  We love our 4-person Gazelle Hub Tent for the quick set-up, the tall ceiling, & that it has a larger tent footprint.  It always feels like a luxury when we get to use this tent opposed to our smaller backpacking tent.

Your tent for car camping can be as big or as small as you’d like.  Choose what works best for you and the people you’re camping with.  One rule of thumb is to go a bit bigger than what the tent is sized for.  For example, if you’re a family of 4, then it might be a good idea to get a 5-person tent for a bit of extra space.

Sleeping Bag For Car Camping

When you’re tent camping by your car, you have free reign to choose any sleeping bag that you’d like.  You don’t have to worry about the weight or the shape of the sleeping bag, just that it’s a warm sleeping bag.

You can decide if you’d prefer a rectangular sleeping bag or a mummy sleeping bag.  This comes down to your own personal preferences.  If you’re a side sleeper, you might want a rectangular sleeping bag for the extra space.  If you need some extra warmth, then you can opt for a mummy sleeping bag.

When we go car camping, we love to bring actual bedding like our huge down blanket and sheets.  This ensures that we are extra comfortable while we sleep.

Car Camping Mattresses

Another perk of car camping is that you can choose from some of the best camping mattresses.  There are all kinds to choose from.  

My one piece of advice is to make sure you’re not sleeping in colder temps with a large air mattress.  The extra amount of air between your back and the ground will make you colder than if you were sleeping on a thin mattress.

You can use a basic air mattress from a box store.  Or you can find a foam core sleeping pad to feel a bit more like a real mattress.  We really like our qomototop mattress.  Other similar options that we see people use are the Rest MondoKing or the Exped MegaMat duo.  They’re super comfortable, and provide more warmth than a full air mattress when sleeping in colder temps.

They even make all-in-one sleep systems so you don’t have to mix and match gear, like the Ursa Sleep System.  It comes with everything you need for a good night’s sleep: a mattress, comfy blanket, & an adjustable oversized pillow.  It’s also packed into one bag, so it’s easy to throw in the trunk of your car for your next camping trip.

Regardless, choose a camping mattress that is comfortable and won’t make you too cold if sleeping in colder temps.

Pillows For Car Camping

If you’re car camping, I think it is best to just bring your normal pillows from home.  They’re guaranteed to give you a great night of sleep.

We have an extra set of pillows that we keep with our camping gear so we can just throw them in the truck.  We keep them in a vacuum sealed bag so they take up a little less space when packed.

Best Backpacking Sleep System

When you’re backpacking, the right sleep gear is so important.  You want to make sure the gear is light in weight, but also comfortable for you.  Having sleepless nights while out on the trail can be a recipe for disaster.

A good sleep system for backpacking is going to consist of a mummy sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, & a pillow.  These items will give you enough comfort for sleep, but also prevent you from carrying too much weight while out exploring mother nature.

Tent For Backpacking

Choosing a backpacking tent can be a big task.  You want to make sure you’re not carrying too much weight, as your tent & sleep system are the heaviest items in your pack.

Ideally, you should have a 1-2 person tent that is lightweight.  You might also decide to hammock camp instead of tent camping.  I have a full checklist of all the gear that you need for hammock camping, if you choose to go that route. 

Regardless, choose a tent that fits your needs, but that doesn’t break your back with weight.

Backpacking Sleeping Bag

I have a lot of posts about sleeping bags to help you choose the right bag for you.  There are a few things you’re going to want to consider when shopping for a backpacking sleeping bag:

• Temperature Rating
• Shape
• Insulation

Temperature Rating

The temperature rating on your bag is so important.  It typically tells you the lowest temperature you can sleep in without causing yourself harm (like hypothermia). 

If you typically camp in 30 degree fahrenheit weather, then it is best to get a 40 degree bag.  You always want to go a little bit warmer with your bag so you are comfortable instead of just surviving in the cold temps.

If you camp in all seasons, then it is hard to find the sweet spot with your temperature rating. You want to opt for a bag that is good for cold temps, but that won’t make you sweat too much in the spring and summer time.  This is why adding a sleeping bag liner can be helpful, so you can get a little extra warmth during the colder months of camping without having to buy a completely separate bag for winter.

Also, consider wearing more than just base layers if you need extra warmth in your sleeping bag.  These are ways to add some warmth without needing a sub-zero sleeping bag for cold weather.

Shape

The shape of your bag makes a huge difference in performance and also weight that you carry.  You most likely want a mummy sleeping bag for backpacking.  The shape helps to cut down on the amount of material used, which cuts down on the weight.  You’ll find that mummy sleeping bags weigh less than rectangular sleeping bags.

You’ll also want to find a sleeping bag that fits your body size well.  If the sleeping bag is too long or too wide, then your body heat can escape easily.  This means your sleeping bag won’t perform to keep you as warm as possible.

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You also need to decide if you want a sleeping bag hood to keep your head warm.  If you don’t always sleep in cold temperatures, then you could do without the sleeping bag hood and just sleep with a warm hat during the colder months.

We currently use the Kelty synthetic sleeping bags, but our next backpacking purchase is going to be for the Zenbivy sleep systems.  Instead of a mummy sleeping bag, it is a sleeping quilt that can tighten around you and give you the same amount of warmth.  It has a lot more room, weighs a lot less, and seems super comfortable.

Sleeping Bag Insulation

You have two choices when it comes to sleeping bag insulation: down or synthetic fill.  There are definitely pros and cons to both types, so you have to choose which is best for your situation and budget.

In general, synthetic bags weigh more than down bags.  The synthetic filling can keep you just as warm, but it will add a little extra weight to your pack.

Synthetic materials are also cheaper when it comes to sleeping bags.  You can get the same temperature rating in a synthetic bag for a more affordable price than what a down bag would cost at that temperature rating.

Synthetic sleeping bags also dry quicker, so if you accidentally get wet, you’ll be able to still stay warm while you sleep. Down bags won’t keep you warm if they’re wet.

Backpacking Sleeping Pad

A good sleeping bag is only as good as the sleeping pad that it is paired with.  Your sleeping bag temperature rating relies on the type of sleeping pad that you use while camping.

You want to choose a sleeping pad that is as lightweight as possible, but also going to keep you warm.  Sleeping pads have an R rating, which indicates how well the sleeping pad retains heat.

Ideally, you want a sleeping pad that is rated at least 4 or above if you’re sleeping in really cold temperatures.  Otherwise, a basic 2-3 R rating will do the job in moderate temperatures.

You also need to decide what type of sleeping pad you’re going to use.  There are a bunch of different types to choose from.  In general, you’re going to decide between an inflatable pad or a foam pad.

Inflatable Sleeping Pads

There are all kinds of inflatable sleeping pads to choose from.  There are self-inflating pads or ones that you have to blow up yourself.

Currently, we have the Trekology inflatable pads and use a pump sack to blow them up.  In the future, we’d love to get a tiny electric air pump for easy inflation to save us a bit of time while setting up camp.

Finding a self-inflating base pad is another good option.  We love the idea of self inflating, but through our own research, it seems like they can weigh a bit more than air pads, while also being thinner than ones you inflate yourself.

Sleeping Mats

You might decide to use a sleeping mat instead of an inflatable sleeping pad.  Sleeping mats are usually just a foam pad that folds out like a small mattress.

A lot of people love to use the cheap foam pads because they are cost effective and can double as a mat to sit on while you’re out on the trail.

These are a great option if you’re just starting out and trying to save money and get out on the trail as soon as possible.  They can be bulky to carry, but in general they are pretty light in weight.

Backpacking Pillow

Some people choose to go without a backpacking pillow to save space in their pack.  We think having a pillow is a great way to get some much-needed sleep while out on the trail.  Decent sleep is so important, so we always make sure to take a pillow when we’re backpacking.

The most common backpacking pillow is an inflatable pillow.  These aren’t super comfortable, but they are better than nothing.  They are super lightweight, which is great for backpacking.

You can make them more comfortable by putting it inside a shirt and stuffing a few clothing items in it for cushioning.  This is what we currently do.

There are also packable memory foam pillows meant for backpacking.  They take up a bit more space in your pack, but it is totally worth it if it means getting a good night of rest.

If you decide not to use a pillow, you could always stuff some clothes in your sleeping bag stuff sack for a make-shift pillow.

Regardless, choose a pillow that will work for you and give you enough comfort to catch some ZZZ’s.

Conclusion

Whether you’re going on your first camping trip or you’re a seasoned camper, you need a good sleep system.  The right camping sleep system needs to fit your own personal needs.  A sleep system for car camping vs. backpacking will look a little bit different.  But in the end, you need a good sleeping bag, sleeping pad, & pillow to ensure you’ll have a good time on your next camping trip.

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