Best Sleeping Bags for Side and Stomach Sleepers (vs. Quilts)

If you are a side or stomach sleeper, you might have a difficult time finding sleep systems that work well for you in the backcountry. Quilts are often a big improvement over claustrophobic sleeping bags because they are so much less constrictive (and I LOVE my UGQ Bandit despite the video's silly thumbnail!). However, quilts are also more prone to cold drafts if you move around a lot in your sleep. Here I show a sleep pad and three sleeping bags made especially for side or stomach sleepers.

0:00 Sleep Systems for Side and Stomach Sleepers
1:10 Nemo Tensor Wide Sleep Pad
2:50 Quilts for Side / Stomach Sleepers
4:06 Quilts vs. Sleeping Bags
5:54 Nemo Disco / Rift
8:05 Sierra Designs Cloud 20
10:49 Western Mountaineering Terralite
11:45 Price, Weight, Temp, Fill Comparison

GEAR LINKS:

LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and CLICK the BELL for #camping, #hiking, #backpacking, and the #gear that goes with it! Using product links below helps this channel grow (at no cost to you!). THANKS!
JOIN the Backcountry Pilgrim Partner Program by clicking the JOIN button above!

----- MUSIC -----

[Western-Mountaineering]

Greetings Backcountry Pilgrim_

Thanks for the awesome review of our TerraLite- we definitely appreciate it. A good night's sleep is crucial when you are in the backcountry, whether is a few nights out on a local trail or a few weeks in the Himalayas, and at WM it's our mission to deliver that comfort for all types of sleepers.

Happy Trails,
Western Mountaineering

[CrunchyTire]

Heres what I do as a side sleeper: Roll around all night, cry some, take a leak, roll around some more, then get up and start my day.

[rickmcallister]

Here’s a tip for side sleepers I discovered by happy accident. I was bushwhacking near dark. I found a narrow flat spot but it had a large rock partially buried right in the middle. So I dug out the rock which left a hole. I was so tired I just laid out my pad over the hole and crashed. Next day I realized I had no hip discomfort. The hole acted as a hip hammock. I dig a small hole the size of a basketball every time now. Zero hip pain even with foam pads😊

[tommikkk]

Thank you for this! Almost nobody covers these types of sleepers...

[JoaquinChea]

I’m a back, side, one leg or the other bent at the knee on my stomach virtually all over the place. I tried a quilt last season and it was so drafty as to be useless, I can’t stand mummy style so I’m on the hunt for a sleep system that will keep me warm and comfortable. Thanks for sharing.

[mirceaionescu]

Man, I needed to hear this. Was completely convinced that quilts would work for me as a side sleeper, then remembered the last time I went camping with a fully unfolded sleeping bag to fit 2 people. Forgot how many times I would roll over and completely uncover my back in the process

[JarradShaw]

Such Zenbivy design genius. Thank goodness he made his own company during this time ❤
And now we have an ultra light version of the Zenbivy 😊

[philippehamel]

Your video gave me a great idea: I will sew a sleeping pad sleeve under my sleeping bag to be able to toss and turn, with the bag staying in place upright. Cheap and effective!

[DesertRat-]

Dude! You're my SleepSystem SoulMate! I had pretty much decided to buy a quilt, even knowing the weaknesses you mentioned. But you have opened my eyes to those last options of wider bags and modified bags, which will serve me perfectly. I don't want to go thru buying several bags I won't like, so I will go straight to one of those. I see the value in your channel, and have subscribed. Thanks again, and see you on the trail!

[WolfPackMc]

I went with that WM Terralite. I've now had the chance to use it a few times and absolutely love it. Top quality product. It has more room than needed for a wide pad and even with wide shoulders I can easily slip my arms to my sides and pull em back out without ever feeling trapped. The craftsmanship put into these bags leaves no question why they are so highly regarded.

[gabeross]

This is about the most useful video on this topic. Was looking at the same price range and you demonstrated every position I’ve ever slept in. My disco is coming soon and I can’t wait to try it, thanks for the info kind fella!

[LuskeyBowser]

You're the Man! I can't understand why its so hard to find sleeping options and reviews from all the know-it-alls, for a stomach sleeper. My back is killing me just thinking about an inflatable mattress on the ground. I don't know if this is going to work, but it's a good start in the right direction.

[SimonaKlačanová]

Thank you, you helped me so much! I am a newbie camper and I´ve got a bag that is the tight mummy shape, just because it had good price to quality ratio. During the night I have realized that I actually sleep on my side with my knee up, same as you, and ended up with the claustrophobic feeling and crying during the night. Then I realized that maybe quilts are the right choice for me as they are wider but I am terrified of getting cold drafts during the night, so I was hesitating. Your video has helped me so much! I really think that the Nemo is the right choice for me. Thank you so much!

[joachimlovin]

Was stoked when I found the SD Cloud some time ago, and have had a love relationship to is since our first night out.

[BenHur]

Thanks for this video! I'm trying to find a solution that suits me as a side sleeper and this was really helpful to show me that hybrid bag/quilt solutions exist!

[davemartin]

Brilliant video, I too am a side sleeper, this has helped so much for my next choice of bag. Thanks very much from London UK

[daveevans]

Great video! Thx for sharing. Side sleeper here and the struggle is real. I have made some changes to my system this year and we’ll see what happens. Have the Nemo riff 15 and the shoulders are still too narrow IMO. Always have struggled to get it to full zip. So many pads tried too! Tried the UGQ quilt and had the draft issue. So, moved to a feathered friends flicker and the zenbivy flex air mattress. The flicker is a hybrid (full zip wide quilt) and very roomy, light, and comfy. I pair it with a UGQ skullie (down beanie). The pad is super comfy in my initial impression. Super excited to give this a whirl this coming season!

[filmsbydiek]

I got the Nemo Disco 15 degree last year. Absolute game changer (for the better)! The hourglass shape is fantastic for multiple sleeping positions, and many great innovations since the last time I bought bags: the gills, the neck curtain, and the SNOWPLOW ZIPPER PULL, the thing rocks! I’m still keeping my eyes open for the perfect pillow, but so far a Costco box wine bladder with a piece of egg foam around it in a cotton tshirt pillowcase is working well.

[RobinBerry-bg]

Excellent review, very helpful for a fellow aspiring side sleeper, but really prefers stomach with kick out leg.

[PickledShark]

Bless you. Those last two options in particular