The best camping gear will ensure that your hunting trip is comfortable. Your camp is your home away from and a quality sleeping bag is crucial for that important night of rest. These are the choices from the Editors at Hunt Alaska magazine for the best camping gear.
Best Camping Gear
SJK Middle Fork 20/30 Sleeping Bag
This huge, rectangular bag is heavy at 6.9 pounds, so this is not a backpacking bag by any stretch. But for camping in established campgrounds in tents, trailers, truck campers and the like, this is a great bag. It’s made of polyester taffeta with Slumberloft polyester insulation (no cotton—a plus). It comes in Realtree EDGE camouflage pattern and is machine washable. It is 80” long; you can zip a pair of these bags together for couple’s use.
SJK Ronin -20-degree Sleeping Bag
At 6 pounds, 3 ounces, this bag isn’t light, but it fits people up to 6’4” and is rated to 20 below. It has full-length dual zippers which allow you to open it from either side. The jacket-style hood can be inverted to create a pillow on warm nights. It uses Slumberloft synthetic insulation, and the shell is made of ripstop polyester, so this bag will function well in wet conditions. A unique feature is that this bag allows for “arms out” dexterity, meaning you can read, grab a drink or organize gear without having to unzip the bag. There are better, lighter options for mountain backpack hunts, but this bag will function well in cold base-camp situations. As far as cold-weather sleeping bags go, this one is very affordable.
