Teton Sleeping Bag: Product Review

A look into our MASSIVE tent

Camping not Champing

This year I spent Thanksgiving (and my birthday) camping with my boyfriend and his family. It’s a tradition they’ve done for more than 40 years. When most of my friends heard that I (the girl who loves room service, long hot showers, lush robes and furry slippers) was going camping, they were shocked.

When my boyfriend first asked me to go on his family camping trip, I completely misheard him.

What I thought he said: Do you want champagne?

What he actually said: Do you want to go camping?

See how easy that is to mix-up? Needless to say my answer was yes, and I was going to make the best of it (fast-forward to the end, we had a great time).

Luckily he had a pretty large tent (with room to stand up in, a table and even room for my dog and his crate). My job was to find a sleeping bag. The Texas weather in November can be fairly unpredictable, to put it mildly. I chose the Teton Mammoth 0F, which is a massive two-person tent, meant for all seasons.

Since the woods and all things wilderness aren’t really my thing, I loved the comfort and idea of sharing a sleeping bag with my significant other. I didn’t even know two-person sleeping bags existed, but they are genius. I figured, if there’s something crawling in my sleeping bag, then he’s in the same boat. We were in this together.

Other than the cuddle aspect, my favorite thing about the Mammoth sleeping bag was the “mummy style hood,” another thing I wasn’t aware existed. In my past camping experiences, although limited, I remembered always having to lay my pillow on the actual ground since the sleeping bag was the same length on the top and the bottom, but this extended fabric (the “mummy hood”) allowed my pillow to remain in the sleeping bag with me.

Our first two nights camping was H O T. We ended up laying on top of the sleeping bag with a small blanket, taking full advantage of the thick taffeta lining (in non-camper terms: the feel-good slick fabric that keeps you cool). The last night was rainy and cold, so we were able to slide into the sleeping bag, keeping warm thanks to the flannel lining. The drawstring hood and warm flannel lining helped us retain body heat.

Not that we need to add anyone else into our sleeping bag, but it’s pretty neat that the bag

Teton Mammoth Sleeping Bag: Product Review: LOVED IT

connects to additional bags for additional sleeping space (love those nifty zippers), plus the zippers help to ventilate the bag in a number of ways in case one person gets hot or cold.

My only negative about the sleeping bag was that it was impossible to roll back up and put in its original bag, which would help store it nicely and not so bulky. Perhaps I’m just not skilled enough, but other than that, this made our holiday in the wilderness much more enjoyable! [Apparently there is a video that shows you how.]

Features:

• Double layer construction entire width and length of bag increases warmth and durability
• Suitable for multi-season use in rugged conditions
• Rated for cold temperatures
• Sturdy taffeta shell stands up to years of use
• Sturdy no-snag two-way zippers with metal pulls
• Full-length zipper baffle reduces drafts
• Mammoth bags zippered bags zip together
• Mummy style hood keeps head or pillow off the ground

A few other things I learned in my now-pro camper status:

• No matter what the weather says, be prepared for it all, even on a short trip. In our 3.5 days, temperatures reached as high as 76, got as low as 39 and it rained.
• Bring lots of champagne! Or whatever your beverage of choice is. And definitely bring plenty of water.
• If you’re in a tent, a rug to keep on the ground is key. This helps keep the inside of your temporary house clean. Also, bring a broom so you can sweep out leaves and pine straw.
• If you’re at a campsite with a shower (lucky you!), be sure to bring shower shoes and an easy shower caddy to tote. Most of the bathrooms aren’t the cleanest (or dry), so take as little in there as you need.
• Think outside the tent – bring a hammock, chairs to lounge in and other things to do (i.e. set up a volleyball net, bring your dog if permitted, deck of cards, a good book, etc.).

Check out all the other amazing Teton products for hiking and camping.

What are your best camping tips? Teach me your ways guys!