Kids sleeping bag

The Tigger is a solid bag and will last for years. Does REI still make the ZigZag or similar? It was a good one as well.

On 2 year olds….they often can fit into a down jacket with a hood (no cords of course!) – cheaper and lighter if dad has one lying around, say size L or XL!

I'd hang out until next week kwhen the REI sale starts. They normally sell off their Zig Zags cheap. I picked one up last year for $25, reduced from $100.

They generally start at $50, then drop as the sale progresses, if they still have stock. Jump early, then grab a cheap one and return the expensive one if they go low.

I hadn't heard of the Zigzag before, it looks to be a good bag, but is unavailable online, and I haven't seen any in stores. I'll see if the store can check with other stores for us.

We are very happy with the Tigger. I think we got it on sale at Backcountry.com.

Hi guys!

We started out with a predecessor to the Vaude Snuggles 110 http://www.vaude.com/epages/Vaude-de.sf/sec6P4J7Eodmx_/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Vaude/Products/17071/SubProducts/170710010

Had to order it from Europe but it fit great.

Since then I've wised up. Since he was 2, I've put my 3 year old in the footbox of a BackpackingLight quilt. That solution has been great- the depth is good and there is a large flap I can either put underneath him or on top for extra insulation. I think most any quilt with a footbox would work the same way, if the Backpacking Light quilts are unavailable.

Kid bags are annoying because they are often much heavier and more bulky than adult bags.

Another trick- a torso length pad is perfect for a toddler (I use a Torsolite) and when they are really little, a strap holding the bag to the pad (and a blankie) can be really nice.

Have a blast!

Doug

Sarah-We thought about the down jacket, the problem is I'll likely be wanting to wear it at night, after he gets put down for bed – plus not sure I want an "accident" to happen while he is in my jacket – but it could be an excuse to get a nice new one…maybe not a bad idea after all :-)

Doug – I love the idea of the quilt, lighter weight, plus I could use it when he's not with me, etc. Its just a lot more expensive option. But I definitely appreciate the bulk and weight savings. Right now our bigger problem seems to be with bulk (more so than weight).

Also, the idea of the torsolite is appealing. I've seen on other threads to use foam, because they are so hard on sleeping pads, jumping on them, moving them around, etc. that puncture is a big risk. I take it you haven't had those problems?

Ryan,
I'm sure you've noticed the Tim Marshal banter taking place.
He does custom synthetic quilts.
A quick e-mail won't cost you a thing.
And maybe it could be designed to "grow" as needed.

On the TorsoLite – Somewhere on this site is a review that includes the need to stab the thing with a knife in order to "test it to failure" because everything up to that point didn't get the job done. The tester was not subtle and the TorsoLite was not fragile.

Btw, another idea is part of a Z-Lite (or are they now Z-Rest's?) Anyhow, they are cheap and cut down easily!

Thanks everyone for all of the help and great suggestions! Now we need to make a decision. I love this site!

Best option!

I just ordered a couple of custom kids bags from tmoutdoor:
http://tmoutdoors.webs.com/

Tim Marshall has been great to work with and his prices are very reasonable.

I've got one coming for my 3 year old and another for my 7 week old. As soon as I have the bags, I'll post more info!

I see someone just listed a Zig Zag in Gear Swap for $30. It looks like one of the older,lighter, warmer ones.

My 8 yo uses a TNF Tigger. The bag is fine, but the bulky synthetic insulation drives me nuts.

At two, you may still be able to get away with zipping the parents' bags together and having your son sleep in between you.

I wouldn't worry about the fragility so much on the sleeping pad. All kids are different, but my two girls haven't really been hard on gear at all. They each use our old thermarests without incident, but dont sweat the decision. Kids are so resilient. Without fail, they my kids end up sliding off the mat and happily spend the night sleeping on the ground.

My sleep system for one child with parents is as follows: Three regular width full length NeoAirs strapped together -makes a queen sized bed. Three Jacks R Better quilts with full length omni tape velcro down the sides. This makes an ample sized quilt covering all three with many other options – indiviual units, individual footbags, etc. You can go with two quilts when it's not cold for the quilt thickness or the child is small. Then it's ultralight.

Pros:
You won't need to upgrade
You won't need to buy a new size as they grow
You can keep them covered at night and snuggle
You can spread out
It's lighter
It's luxury for the house, travel, etc. for 1-2 people
With three rectangular quilts at adult size with velcro down the sides you have a million options to rig things. Jacks R Better will add little ties to keep quilts together
Good stuff has resale value

Cons:
Up front cost
You need to wear something on your head when it's cold

Brendan – Awesome looking system you have! We just got our Rainshadow 2 (on Doug's recommendation) tonight, and we are really excited to try it out. Doug had some posts about the benefits of using quilts, but we were hoping to go the cheaper option with a kids sleeping bag. However, we just looked at one tonight and it's huge. Heavier than a bag for me (6'2" and 200lb) and a whole lot bigger packed weight. We realized that isn't going to be a great option for what we want to do.

So, your post came at the right time. A couple of questions for you:
-which versions (models) of the quilts do you have?
-do you keep them all hooked together/do you use individual foot boxes?
-how do the quilts work in practice for keeping everyone warm with them hooked together?
-what temps have you used them in?
-is your child a squirmy sleeper and if so is that a problem (our 2yr old is really squirmy – but we are hoping to train him)?
-how do you hook the neoairs together (i see the strap but can't tell exactly what you are doing/what type of material)?

Thanks again to everyone for all of the help! We've gotten out the last two weekends and had a great time, but are looking to tune our gear to make it much more enjoyable, esp. when temps start dropping.

The straps are home made. I bought a roll of wide ribbon type material from the fabric department at Walmart and made them from that. They are fixed length.

My quilts are Old Rag Mountains. I got them on sale in the spring. I have used them in temps down to 35. My goal was to create a family sleep system for summer time backpacking trips in the Western US mountains with enough warmth to take on a bit of shoulder season for a spring break or fall foliage type trip.
I have rigged them lots of ways. Except for the temps in the 30s I haven't felt the need to tighten things down much usually just making them into a big quilt. We sleep in capilene top and bottoms. My daughter is 7 and wiggles a fair bit. With the all-connected quilt you can snuggle in the evening and morning and in the middle of the night all you have to do is reach over and feel if they are warm and covered and straighten them out if they need it.

Before this we all had our own sleeping bags. I found that I would wake up in the night and check on my daughter and she would be half out of the bag, or buried too deep and I'd worry she couldn't breathe. I could never tell if she was warm or not unsless I stuck my hand down inside the bag. It was much harder to manage her. The quilt system solved all those problems. And it was lighter.

Brendan – thanks so much for the great detailed info, we are definitely seeing the benefits of the quilt. and your mattress system is pretty slick.

Doug – if you don't mind sharing can you give us some info on the quilts you ordered? Did you do down, and what dimensions did you do. Also did you go with a stiched footbox? What is the planned fill weight/overall weight? also which bpl quilt had you been using? (trying to get a sense for what temp rating/fill we would need for a kid on his own)

Brenden- that is a brilliant system! Very cool- I never though of doing it that way. Thanks for sharing!

Our first all-family trip is on Labor Day- Amy, me, Henry (3- for trip #9) and Lily (2 months). I can't wait!

We'll be in a Golite Shangri La 3 – trying a pyramid for the first time- and a bit more space than my Rainshadow 2 for a change. Feathered Friends bag for Mama, BPL quilt for me, and custom Tim Marshall Outdoors bags for the kids. Can't wait!

Hi guys,

You're going to love the Tarptent Rainshadow- enjoy!

My bags from Tim Marshall Outdoors:

Henry's bag:
36"w x 46"l it is, foot extension drawstring at 6"
footbox might be 14" deep- it would be 8" deep with the drawstring closed

Lily's bag:
30"w x 34"l for hers, the extension at 6" from the end.
12" footbox on this bag

So what this means, is that the bag for Henry will be 46" long with a drawstring 6" from the bottom. I can cinch it and stuff the bottom in to make the bag approx. 38" long inside. That will make the bag a bit long when it's cinched but he'll grow into it. When he's longer I'll open the drawstring for the extra 8 or so inches. Based on average heights, I think this bag will carry him to about 8 or 9 at which point he might use a short adult bag. Lily's will work the same and will probably carry her until 5 or 6 at which time she'll use Henry's bag. See the idea? As soon as I have them, I'll post pics (about 2 weeks).

The bags are synthetic Climasheild XP and will be a 3/4 zip hoodless design. It will be 5oz XP which is probably a 30 degree bag. No clue what they'll weigh…I'm hoping less than 16 oz for both but I really have no idea.

Last, it was $190 for both which I thought was really fair. It was cheaper because I had both built at the same time- I saved on materials.

Best,
Doug

This is a very delayed but heartfelt thank you for everyone's advice. We've been out the past 4 weekends in a row and it has been wonderful! The Rainshadow2 stood up to a full night of rain, and we've all had plenty of room. We're in the midst of completely redoing everyone's sleeping gear based on all of the great suggestions and it will make a dramatic difference for our load.

Doug – can't wait to hear about your Labor Day trip. Our earliest trip was at 3 months, with Dad carrying most of the gear (too much of it!) and Mom carrying the little guy in a Baby Bjorn Active (which I loved!) with a light backpack. Look forward to hearing more of your tricks!

I have the sweetest kids bags! They are custom from Tim Marshall Outdoors. They are made from Climashield XP and feature round footboxes with a drawstring about 6" from the bottom so I can extend the bag as the kids grow. Here are the specs:

Henry's bag (he's 3):
36"w x 46"l it is, foot extension drawstring at 6"

Lily's bag (she's 2 months):
30"w x 34"l for hers, the extension at 6" from the end.

(7.4 oz for the infant, 9.2 oz for the toddler)

Tim charged me $190 for both sleeping bags and his craftsmanship is fantastic. Have a look! http://tmoutdoors.webs.com/

Thanks Tim!

After seeing Doug's post I shot Tim an e-mail and ordered a quilt for my 9 mo old son. Here is Tim's description:

A flat rectangular quilt 34×48 with a zipper and drawcord to make the footbox (allowing it to be opened flat or closed tightly) and a drawcord 8" from the foot to reduce the length. There is a snap and drawcord at the top, but and tabs on the quilt to accept 2 understraps that could be used as he grew into the quilt.

Tim did add and additional drawcord for me so I have three options for length. I went with climahield combat 3.7 and 1.1 uncoated nylon and it came in at 9.3 oz. The bag is amazing and Tim was able to turn it around in 24 hours

I couldn't be happier. Thanks Tim!

Matt,

Nice pics. One slight correction, i used 1.1oz uncoated nylon, not silnylon (same base fabric but so silicone impregnation)

Matt got very luck with the turn around time. I was waiting on materials for all my other orders and had the stuff for his in stock. This isn't normal, but i was really excited to have something to fill my down time.

Doug,

I just love the pics, happy kids in the woods are a great sight.

-Tim

Doug and Matt – those are really sweet looking kids bags. Thanks for the great pics, it looks like those will work perfectly, and it looks like the kids approve. I somehow missed your posts when they first popped up, I clearly don't understand the watch this thread feature.

We've had Tate (our two year old) out on a bunch of trips (need to post some trip reports) but have not determined the ideal system yet. We jettisoned the idea of a standard kids sleeping bag – those things are huge and heavy. The quilt idea is really appealing – although we're still finding that Tate wriggles a lot and ends up squirming out of his coverings. A quilt/bag hybrid looks really appealing. It looks like Tim's construction is top-notch. If you don't mind my asking, Matt (or Tim) how much did your kids's quilt cost? -or you can just send a pm.

Thanks so much for the posts!

Ryan

If i can make it with 1yd insulation and 2yd fabric i can do it for $100 if using 1.1rip and COMBAT 3.7oz like Matt's. If you order 2 i will reduce the price like i did for Doug. Doug's bags would have cost around $120 each as they used XP 5oz insulation and have full zips and round footboxes. Sadly making a small one isn't cheaper as it uses the same amount of fabric (1yd insulation and 2yd fabric)

-Tim