There isn’t much that can be done to improve upon the classic sleeping bag. Sure, some new wonder material will come along in the next few years that shrinks the bag down in both size and weight while simultaneously upping insulating power. But the classic cocoon-style bag will likely remain the same for a long, long time. It’s already designed to maximize warmth and comfort, and demand will never go away. But lately, we’ve seen increased interest from people looking for a double sleeping bag.
Sure, the vast majority of folks heading into the backcountry are fine with sleeping in their own bag, but some people – aka couples – might want to share one. Sure, you could try and zip two bags together, but that’s tedious – and not quite the same. Instead, grab a double sleeping bag – like the Big Agnes Dream Island 15.
Big Agnes bills the Dream Island as being like “your own bed in the backcountry.” While it certainly won’t have the same kind of padding that a real bed offers, pair it with a couple of sleeping pads (or one double pad) and it might end up pretty close. That’s easy with the Dream Island, too; Big Agnes eliminated the synthetic insulation on the bottom, which is just going to be compressed and lose its insulating value, anyway. Instead, you get pad sleeves underneath, where you can easily slide in your insulating pads for both warmth and comfort. These sleeves even use stretch fabric to accommodate pads of varying thickness.
But other than size, it’s standard sleeping bag fare. It’s got a nylon ripstop shell with DWR finish, a nylon taffeta lining that honestly feels more like your blanket than it does a nylon sleeping bag, and is loaded with Hotstream 100% recycled polyester fill, rated down to 15F with two people in there. Two other features that really stand out are the “Pillow Barn”, which securely tucks your pillow in, and the hand pockets in the top corners, which let you pull it down around you like you would your home comforter.
It’s very reasonably-priced, and if you can deal with the 9.5 lb. weight, this double sleeping bag promises to make your next camping trip just that much cozier.
