Mountain Hardwear Hotbed Flame 20

Field Notes: After testing this bag both backpacking and car camping, multiple testers agreed Hotbed is a solid pick for both activities. Comfortable without being too large to pack in, this affordable bag is an excellent crossover product.

Pros: Most sleeping bags have silky, nylon interiors that duplicate the outside of the bag. Not so with the Hotbed with a cottony inner lining more akin to your sheets at home than coarser sleeping bag fabrics. Beneath this comfortable fabric are 5 in. of synthetic Thermal Q Thermic MX insulation to maintain warmth when hit by light rain or morning condensation. Mountain Hardwear makes it easy to zip two Hotbeds together to snuggle up in the backcountry. Another bonus: the microfleece-lined stuff sack makes for a great pillow. 

Cons: Though affordable Thermal Q Thermic MX Insulation repels moisture, it isn’t light at almost 3.5lbs and twice the packed size of lightweight sleeping bags like the Brooks-Range Drift 20 and Marmot Helium 15. However, it offers extra length (78”) so 6’5” testers fit comfortably in the regular model.
 
Favorite Feature: That interior fabric made for a dreamy night’s sleep as if you’re at home in your own bed—instead of in the woods tucked into the Hotbed. 

Tester Comment: “Not my first choice as a backpacking bag, but it’s a comfortable and reasonable choice for those who car camp more than they backpack.”

Bottom Line: Serious backpackers on a budget should look to the lighter, more compressible Klymit KSB. The Mountain Hardwear Hotbed 20, however, is more spacious, comfortable and cozy.