Children’s Sleeping Bag Recommendations

I have twin girls who just turned eight and they sadly have outgrown their beloved TNF Tigger bags. You might want to check out the Montbell website. Their Burrow Bag #3 is a 30-degree synthetic bag for $145. It's a little heavy at 38 ounces but they're available in both a right and left zip so you can zip them together (my girls prefer the option of sleeping together).

The other thing would be to look specifically for women's bags as they tend to fit children a little better.

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION STARTING NOW…

Enlightened Equipment makes children's sizes in our synthetic Prodigy style and our down Revelation style. To my knowledge these are the only children's sized quilts available and again to my knowledge the only sleep solution for children not made in Asia. Our Prices are maybe a little more than the Asian made options but the weights are much lower. Worth a look at least.

These quilts are used by the Kid Project and Buddy Backpacker and I'm sure they'd answer any questions you had about them

-Tim
(I run EE)

I never bothered with children's sleeping bags. They always used adult down bags with the foot folded under them. I never saw the point of buying specialized gear that they would just outgrow. As for kids ruining down, it's never been an issue. I don't think they treat their bags any different than I do. Any kid can carry/fit a quality <3 pound adult down bag in their pack.
If I were gearing them up right now, I'd buy a pair of Kelty Cosmic Down 20 degree bags.

Take a look at the REI Lumen bag. It comes in an adult bag and a youth version. I believe it wold meet your needs well. Synthetic, compresses well, 25 deg rating. Also note that REI is doing a 20% off (single item) for members in November.

(Disclosure – I do work for REI)

Thanks everyone, I will check these options out. I guess on second thought, down would be okay for my 7yo, but my 5yo sometimes has accidents while camping……he just sleeps real sound in the great outdoors, so I want to be able to wash a bag for him.

I do not necessarily need kids bags either I guess, I was just thinking they would be smaller for them to carry.

Still more research to do I guess.

+1 on the EE quilt. We have one for my 7 year old — though have not used it yet. It's nice, and light!

You hammock sometimes too? It could probably double as an under quilt for non-kid, hammock trips.

I figure when he outgrows it I'll probably get handed down to the 4 year old. (Or loaned to her, will be a while before I'd do a one adult: two kids trip)

Another option is to make your own quilt. I modified a Ray Way Quilt kit(synthetic) for my now 3 year old and she mostly stays underneath it. It packs down pretty small and will hopefully last her for another year, at which point it will be used by her younger sister. I chose the kit because I was familiar with how to put it together, and it saved me some time tracking down materials.

There probably lots of suggestions in the MYOG forums for how to make a quality quilt if you don't want to get a kit.

It does take time which is often hard to come by. Unless of course you can get them involved in helping put it together at which point it probably takes longer but could be fun.

If I didn't like making things the EE Protege seems like a pretty nice option with some really fun colors.

I have 3 children myself….two of which already come with me on trips (3 year old hasn't yet).

I also agree that generally I just bring adult bags. Mainly…b/c:

1. That is generally much more available on the swap.
2. Only a small weight penalty.
3. Gives me more options when not taking the kids (I can get a greater selection of bags to choose from for myself).
4. Gives a good gear storage area…just place packs on the foot of the bag to decrease length.

Though….I wouldn't hesitate to buy a childs bag on the swap….just means I can resell it back on the swap for a marginal loss (or profit if you get a good enough deal!) when they outgrow it.

However…..I wanted to give you another option. I just purchased an EE accomplice, which is a well constructed piece of gear. I can't give a long term review, b/c I have only used it one night with my 7 year old.

There is another active thread about them here ->
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=91622

So…accomplice. Saves a lot of weight, bulk, and …cost. Especially, since right now they are cheaper than they should be. Buy one now…and you'll get instant equity b/c the price will be $30-$50 more starting in November.

With an accomplice, you just carry the bag in your pack. Your child can then carry the tarp, or inner net, or sleeping pads, etc.

It also gives me the ability to control the child during the night without getting out of my bag. My 7 year old moves a ton during the night (unlike my 5 year old), and now I can just reach over and pull him back up or flip him around (yep…he'll be reverse eventually during the night), without unzipping,unbuckling my own bag.

Ford used a TNF Tigger for many years. His younger brothers use Deuter bags that are now not made (thankfully I scored them last year for a song on clearance). I will NOT use down with kids under 8-9. Nope. Never.

Used this bag with my grandchildren from age 7 to 13

LAFUMA WARM'N LIGHT 800 JR SLEEPING BAG (23.8oz)/STUFF BAG (1.19oz) (down)

THEN 14………

LAFUMA WARM'N LIGHT 600 WOMENS SLEEPING BAG (22.78oz)/STUFF BAG (.776oz) (down)

I'd second (or third) buying one from Tim. My son really had fun sitting down and picking out the color for his on the computer. It is a quilt so when it is hot it is easy to kick off. It is synthetic just in case of accidents…. The sizing is big on the smallest so you get several years for a 5 year old.

Well made and fast shipping.