Home / Shelter and warmth

Best sleeping bags: choose the one your body and car can live with

By the Plain Prepper editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

We research products from makers' specs, manuals and safety agencies; we do not run hands-on tests. Links to Amazon may earn us a commission at no cost to you. How this works.

Quick answer

The right sleeping bag fits your height and the way you sleep, works with your pad, and packs the way you travel. NEMO's Tempo 20 fits sleepers up to 6 ft and lists an ISO comfort rating of 32°F, with spoon-shaped room at the knees. Big Agnes's Echo Park 20 fits up to 6 ft 6 in but needs a separate 25 to 30 inch pad in its sleeve. Kelty's Wayback 20 fits up to 6 ft 6 in, adds a built-in flannel blanket, and weighs 6 lb.

Start with fit: height, then width

Each maker lists the tallest person a bag is built for. That limit is the first filter:

Bag	Fits up to	Room listed	Shape
NEMO Tempo Men's 20, Regular	6 ft (183 cm)	Girth: shoulders 62 in, hips 57 in, knees 61 in	Classic Spoon
Big Agnes Echo Park 20	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)	Girth: shoulders 80 in, hips 74 in	Wide, long, with pad sleeve
Kelty Wayback 20	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)	Length 83.9 in	Oversized rectangle

Girth is the inside measurement around the bag, not a flat width, so compare girth with girth only. NEMO's spoon shape adds room at the knees (61 in) relative to the hips (57 in), which its maker says suits side sleepers and people who shift positions. If you are close to a height limit or broad through the shoulders, size up to the longer or wider bag rather than squeezing in.

Three designs, three ways to sleep

• Spoon (NEMO Tempo): extra room at shoulders and knees while staying more packable than a rectangle, per NEMO. A Blanket Fold draft collar tucks in for warmth or pushes out to dump heat, and a Pillow Pocket in the hood holds a pillow or folded clothes.
• Pad-integrated (Big Agnes Echo Park): a PadLok system and Cinch Pad Sleeve hold a 25 to 30 inch wide pad so you stay on it all night. Big Agnes states a sleeping pad is required for proper use and sold separately, and lists a 25 to 30 x 78 inch pad as the match.
• Oversized rectangle with blanket (Kelty Wayback): an insulated built-in blanket and flannel liner let you sleep zipped up, wrap the blanket around your shoulders, or fold the top down using a shorter alternate-side zipper.

Pick by habit: side sleepers and restless sleepers benefit from spoon or oversized cuts; people who roll off pads benefit from a sleeve; people who want a bed-at-home feel tend toward the rectangle with a blanket.

What the temperature number on the bag means

All three bags carry a 20 in their name, but only NEMO publishes ISO numbers for this variant: 32°F comfort and 21°F limit, an 11 degree spread (32 minus 21). Big Agnes's ISO fields are blank on its product page, and Kelty lists 20°F without saying which rating that is.

NEMO's explanation of the ISO test is useful for any bag:

• Comfort is the temperature at which an average female sleeps comfortably, not curled up. Cold sleepers should use this number.
• Limit is where an average male keeps his body heat curled up; he will not necessarily be comfortable. Warm sleepers may look here, and NEMO advises extra layers the first time.
• Extreme marks serious hypothermia risk; never plan to rely on the bag alone there.

NEMO notes the test uses a foam pad and long underwear, and that metabolism, age and preference change results, so leave a margin below the forecast low.

Packing for the trunk, storing at home

Bag	Weight listed	Packed	Storage included
NEMO Tempo 20 Regular	3 lb 14 oz packed (3 lb 10 oz minimum)	13.0 x 11.5 x 13.0 in; 12.9 L compressed	Stow-or-Go cube: compresses for travel, expands for loose storage
Big Agnes Echo Park 20	Not used (maker field unclear)	Stuff sack; compression sack sold separately	Mesh sack for long-term storage
Kelty Wayback 20	6 lb 0 oz	11.5 x 22 in stuffed	Stuff sack

NEMO's two weights differ by 4 oz because packed weight includes accessories such as the storage cube. For long-term storage, Big Agnes says to hang the bag or keep it uncompressed in a cool, dry place away from heat; that is the job of its mesh sack and NEMO's expanded cube. Keep the tight stuff sack for the drive.

Sleep warmer with the bag you own

The National Park Service gives three habits for a warmer night in any bag:

• Lay a pad first. It cushions you and keeps moisture from building up beneath your body, which robs heat.
• Change into dry clothes before turning in.
• Keep your face out of the bag. Breathing inside adds moisture that makes you colder over the night.

For washing, follow your own bag's label. Big Agnes's synthetic care steps for the Echo Park: a washing machine without an agitator (a laundromat for oversized bags), a warm gentle cycle with gear-specific soap, tumble dry on low, and no fabric softener, bleach, ironing or dry cleaning.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

How do I choose the right sleeping bag?

Check the maker's height limit first, then room at the shoulders, hips and knees, the shape that suits how you sleep, whether it needs a specific pad, and its ISO comfort rating if one is listed.

What is the best sleeping bag for camping from a car?

One that favors comfort over pack size: roomy cuts like Kelty's Wayback or Big Agnes's Echo Park, or NEMO's spoon-shaped Tempo if you also want a compact bag.

Is a 20 degree bag comfortable at 20 degrees?

Not necessarily. NEMO's Tempo 20 lists 32°F comfort and 21°F limit; the comfort number is the one cold sleepers should plan around.

How should I store a sleeping bag at home?

Loose, not in its stuff sack. Big Agnes says to hang it or keep it uncompressed in a cool, dry place away from heat.

Sources

• Tempo Men's synthetic sleeping bag, 20°F Regular: specs, NEMO Equipment
• Echo Park 20 sleeping bag: features, specs and care, Big Agnes
• Wayback 20 sleeping bag: features and specs, Kelty
• Decoding sleeping bag temperature ratings, NEMO Equipment
• Camping: what to bring, National Park Service

Sources checked 2026-10-15.