Coleman Brazos 30F Sleeping Bag Assessment

Backside Line

In case you’re searching for an unfussy, reasonably priced sleeping bag with out sacrificing consolation, the Coleman Brazos 30 matches the invoice. This one steals the present with regards to price range buys on our greatest sleeping baggage for tenting information. Its tender inside, versatile design, and really low value makes it a horny entry-level bag for automotive campers, cut price hunters, and anybody needing a number of baggage with out breaking the financial institution.

Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer has examined this bag over 20+ nights. From brief, dry summer season tenting journeys within the Colorado Rockies to late-fall journeys to the Utah desert, our testing finds it’s perfect for heat, gentle climate within the 40s and above. The Brazos’ broad, rectangular design provides loads of room to roll over. A two-way zipper runs from the highest of the bag to the underside nook for air flow – plus it transforms right into a blanket. This one even has a small inside stash pocket for a chapstick or headlamp.

However, the Brazos has some notable downsides. It’s heavy and hulking in comparison with different artificial baggage, and its stuff sack is just not our favourite. We discover particles sticks simply to its inside cloth. Regardless of zipper plows, the zippers are likely to catch on the liner. We don’t advocate it for really chilly adventures – the Brazos lacks a hood and barely-there draft tubes do little to dam chilly air. However for such an especially low value, the Coleman Brazos provides precisely what we’d like for a gentle evening below the celebrities: consolation and ease.

Consolation

The Coleman Brazos 30 proves you don’t want bells and whistles to remain comfortable when tenting. The mix of a luxurious tricot cloth liner and thick artificial insulation makes for a surprisingly cozy really feel that’s inviting and heat. For energetic sleepers this bag has loads of room to maneuver round, too, because of the Brazos’ roomy rectangular form. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer tends to shift round fairly a bit throughout the evening, switching between his again, aspect, and stomach. He had no hassle rolling over, as this mannequin permits for straightforward motion irrespective of your most popular sleeping place.

The Brazos has an L-shaped zipper that totally unzips on one aspect and the underside, remodeling the bag right into a blanket. We love this design for cold nights across the hearth. You can too zip two Brazos baggage collectively for shared heat with a accomplice – or a canine bff.

That mentioned, the Brazos earns solely common scores for consolation. The principle motive is as a result of tricot cloth liner – it collects particles and hair like a magnet. Ian set this bag on the bottom whereas pitching his tent and it instantly picked up twigs, pine needles, and grime, and we bumped into the identical difficulty with canine hair. Cleansing it appears like a chore. Fortunately, the bag is totally mechanically cleanable (entrance loading, over-sized washers solely) serving to eradicate many of the lingering grit.

The tricot additionally tends to catch on baselayer supplies together with nylon, cotton and polyester. Ian finds there’s loads of room to roll over, however the tricot can transfer in opposition to garments inflicting static electrical energy and snagging. We grew accustomed to this sense, however it might miss the mark in case you’re delicate to textures.

Heat

The Brazos 30 is reliably heat. In case you’re tenting in temps between 40ºF and 70ºF, the Brazos will get the job completed. Our testing finds Coleman’s artificial fill retains heat in addition to any bag on our listing, making it a stable selection for reasonably chilly situations. Throughout three 40ºF nights on a visit to Lake Metropolis, Colorado – a small city buried deep within the distant San Juan Mountain Vary – Ian stayed heat and content material with none points.

The Brazos is just not waterproof, although the artificial fibers nonetheless saved us heat when the bag received moist. On a very dewy evening in Colorado’s Misplaced Creek Wilderness, Ian’s bag absorbed many of the moisture. Nonetheless, the bag stayed impressively heat, even because the water soaked in. It additionally dried rapidly – inside 2 to three hours.

We additionally recognize the two-way L-shaped zipper. The footbox unzips so we might stick our toes out and funky down. The Brazos converts totally right into a blanket, plus you possibly can zip two baggage collectively to create a double-wide sleeping bag and share heat.

Nonetheless, we don’t advocate the Brazos beneath 40ºF. Ian’s examined this sleeping bag to its absolute restrict on snowy journeys right down to freezing (32ºF), however it required base and mid layers in addition to a really heat sleeping mattress. The Brazos doesn’t have a hood, and there’s no cinching mechanism across the neck to lure heat, which may make for a drafty expertise. Final, Coleman advertises a draft tube alongside the zipper, however it’s very minimal and doesn’t stop the chilly from seeping in. Preserve the Brazos for laid-back, mild-weather adventures the place chilly temperatures and moist situations aren’t a priority.

Packed Dimension

The Coleman Brazos 30 has a big packed measurement of about 12 inches by 19 inches. It additionally weighs almost 7 kilos, making it one of many heavier one particular person artificial sleeping baggage we’ve examined. The thick insulation does effectively by way of heat, however it doesn’t compress effectively, leading to a cumbersome package deal. That mentioned, the Brazos isn’t that a lot larger than the competitors. We’ve at all times discovered a spot in our gear closet or trunk for this one, and it’s nonetheless pretty straightforward to maneuver between automotive and campsite.

Our largest gripe with the Brazos is that it’s robust to pack up. The included stuff sack is small, so mashing the bag again inside requires muscle and persistence. The stuff sack has a lengthwise zipper on the skin to assist compress the width of the bag by just a few extra inches, however it’s much more difficult to shut.

This bag additionally options Coleman’s “Fast Twine” system, with two cords on the underside of the bag. One twine creates a loop, and the opposite is a standalone with a plastic hook on the finish. When the bag’s rolled up, connect the hook to the loop – though we discover the Brazos is much more unwieldy packed this manner. Our resolution? Use the price financial savings to purchase an affordable mesh laundry bag for storing the Brazos.

Options

The Coleman Brazos 30 is a minimalistic design, however it does have just a few standout options. The small pocket with a hook-and-loop closure on the within of the bag is ideal for retaining small necessities shut at hand whenever you’re sleeping, like a lighter or headlamp, although it’s a bit tight for many telephones. The L-shaped zipper permits the bag to be reworked right into a blanket or zip along with one other Brazos. Whereas it doesn’t have an adjustable hood, the roomy inside makes it really feel comfy and spacious, permitting for a comfy evening below the celebrities.

On the draw back, the Coleman Brazos 30 lacks many of the luxurious options we see in increased high quality baggage. It doesn’t embrace a neck cinch twine, zipper storage, or hook-and-loop closure on the neck to stop the zipper from coming undone when shifting at evening. The Brazos lacks a hood and it’s draft tubes are extraordinarily slender. We additionally discover the zipper system might be finicky and might catch on the liner.

Nonetheless, the Brazos proves that having fun with the outside doesn’t have to come back with a hefty price ticket. It delivers all the important thing options we anticipate from a sleeping bag: heat, consolation, and flexibility for evening after evening of sleep outdoor..

Ought to You Purchase the Coleman Brazos 30F?

The Coleman Brazos 30 is ideal for budget-conscious campers who need an reasonably priced, easy bag for mellow summer season journeys. Its spacious rectangular design provides additional room to maneuver round. In case you’re a first-time camper or solely enterprise out just a few instances a yr, the Brazos is a sensible, low-cost choice for staying heat in temperatures as little as 45ºF. The flexibility to unzip the bag partially for air flow, or all the way in which right into a blanket, makes it a flexible choose. It’s additionally a superb choice for households or {couples} who need to share area, since two baggage can be zipped collectively. The soft lining is tender in opposition to the pores and skin, and a small stash pocket is useful to maintain monitor of little objects within the evening.

Nonetheless, in order for you high-end options or light-weight portability, the Brazos misses the mark. Its cumbersome measurement, heavy weight, and difficult packing course of aren’t an amazing match in order for you a extra streamlined choice. The tricot liner cloth tends to gather particles and grime, and the exterior cloth is just not waterproof. This mannequin additionally lacks a hood, draft tubes, and a cinching mechanism, which may make it really feel a bit drafty and chilly.

That mentioned, Coleman is king with regards to price range merchandise, and the Brazos is a high-quality bag for infrequent campers, mellow adventures, and worth customers. In case you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to sleep exterior, that is the one.

What Different Tenting Sleeping Baggage Ought to You Contemplate?

Hike over to our greatest tenting sleeping baggage listing to see how the Brazos compares to the competitors. And contemplate these different choices: 

The North Face Wawona 20 Assessment: The Wawona can also be rectangular and has a wrap-around zipper and a soft cloth inside. Nonetheless, it weighs much less, is way simpler to pack, and is extra sturdy and comfortable – however prices extra.

REI Siesta Hooded 20 Assessment: The REI Hooded 20 is our high choose – it has a giant spacious inside, easy cloth, and a cinchable, broad hood. This one’s received the next price ticket, however it’s price it for superior heat and high quality building.

Teton Sports activities Celsius XXL 0F Assessment: The Celsius is a giant, soft, tremendous heat bag with budget-friendly pricing and an oblong form. It’s a major step up by way of sturdiness and luxury, and now features a hood.