How to build a sleep system

A great night outside isn't one piece of gear, it's three working together: a pad that stops the cold, a bag or quilt that holds your heat, and a pillow that keeps your neck happy. Here's how we put them together.

Start from the ground up

Pick your pad first, by the coldest night you expect. For three-season backpacking, a pad around 4 to 5 R-value like the XLite NXT or Trail Pro works for most people. For car camping, a thick mattress like the MondoKing 3D or LuxuryMap adds comfort with an R-value of 6 or more.

Match your bag or quilt

Sleeping bag or quilt?

Choose a temperature rating a little below the coldest night you expect. A mummy bag such as the Parsec 20F seals drafts completely; a quilt such as the Vesper or Corus saves weight by skipping the back panel and relying on your pad. Quilts need a well-insulated pad, so don't pair a 20-degree quilt with a summer pad.

Connect the pieces

Our SynergyLink connectors strap a quilt or bag to the pad so it can't slide off when you turn. For two people, the Synergy Luxe coupler joins two pads into one bed with no gap in the middle.

Don't forget the pillow

An Air Head pillow adds four inches of adjustable support for a couple of ounces; a Compressible pillow feels closer to home for car camping. Both use nonslip fabric so they stay on the pad.

Three setups we like

Ultralight: NeoAir XLite NXT, Vesper 32F quilt, Air Head Lite pillow.

Three-season comfort: NeoLoft, Boost 650 20F bag, Air Head Down pillow.

Winter: Z Lite SOL under a NeoAir XTherm NXT, Parsec 0F or Polar Ranger bag, Compressible Cinch pillow.