Sleeping setup – Bags, tents, and pads

I love choice, so we have several sleeping bags and tents, depending on what outdoor adventure we’re about to take on!

Sleeping bags

  • Thermarest Vesper Quilt – I adore this thing! It’s so lightweight and tiny – it stuffs into a stuff sack that’s not much bigger than a Nalgene! It’s definitely a summer-only quilt, even though it it rated to -6C/20F. It is so light and small, I’ve even brought it in my suitcase when staying in hotels because it’s more comfy than a hotel comforter. I opted for the long version, not because I’m that tall, but because I love extra material padded up against my face and neck. This is my go-to bag (well, quilt actually!) when I’m backpacking or adventuring overnight by boat.
  • Kuma Jasper bag – I bought this one last summer on a cross-Canada road trip. I had only packed my Thermarest quilt and we had so many cold wet nights, I wanted something a little thicker and warmer. This bag is thick and warm and so comfy! The price was right, at just $120. It doesn’t stuff that small, so it’s definitely better for car camping. It came with a stuff sack and an extra compression sack, but I managed to tear the straps off the compression fitting before too long.

Tents

  • MEC Fun House 6 – I don’t think this tent is even made any more, but it’s terrific! This huge tent allows you to stand completely upright, making it easy to change your clothes, or lounge in the rain. This tent has super long poles to achieve the height. It’s not that terrible to pitch, although it’s definitely easier with two people. It has a full rain fly and does well in the wind and rain. This is our tent when we’re camping with a vehicle and a dog or two. We’ve put a full queen sized air mattress in here and had a dog in an extra large vari-kennel and still had room to stand up and change our clothes.
  • Nemo Dagger Osmo 3 – I love this tent! It’s a 3 person tent, and perfectly fits Jeff and I and our dog Hank. I’ve also used it when solo camping. It’s super easy to pitch, and strike. It has a rain fly. Lots of ventilation and a couple of pockets. It’s really light-weight. You almost can’t believe the fabric is as tough as it is, because it is so light! This is our go-to when backpacking or boating. But I’ve used it on a road trip too.

Sleep Pads

Between Jeff and I, we have several! Here’s our favourites:

Woods Comfort Max Single Self-Inflating – These are huge, but amazing if you’re car camping and have the room to bring them along. They are camping luxury! Thick and big, and your hips will thank you if you’re a side sleeper. Now they take a bit of time to get rolled tight enough to fit back into their sack, so they are even more ideal if you aren’t setting up fresh every day (although I’ve done it for a two-month road trip, and you’ll get into the routine!) Be sure to let it inflate once or twice in advance to activate it’s self-inflating memory.

REI Helix – These sleeping bags are ideal when weight and size are a factor. They are surprisingly great, considering their size – 3 inches thick and insulating. They are so easy to blow up – in fact, use the air sack that comes with them and you don’t even have to blow up more than a breath or two to finish it off. We used this one on a backpacking trip, and on our boat trip down the Yukon River.