Fishing Sleeping Bags & Pillows

If you’re an angler who has ever tried to spend a night at the water’s edge then you’ll know just how important a top quality sleeping bag is. Not only will it help you to enjoy a full night’s sleep but it will also ensure that you’re well rested and able to focus your full attention on the bank the next day. After all, if you’re sat on the bank yawning your jaw off and struggling to keep your eyes open then chances are that you’re more likely to miss out on the tell-tale signs of a grubbing carp than the angler who is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a night of impeccable and undisturbed sleep. It goes to follow, then, that the angler who is well rested is much more likely to enjoy a successful angling session than the angler who has spent a fitful night tossing and turning on their bedchair.

This is why we, here at Angling Direct, have really gone to town with our collection of sleeping bags and pillows. We know that nothing is worse than laying your head down, only to lie awake for hours finding it impossible to sleep because of the cold. We’ve sourced all our products from the leading brands on the market right now to ensure you stay warm all night long. Regardless of whether you’re an avid angler who spends harsh winter nights on the swim to get the best out of a long carp fishing session or you’re a fair weather angler who only does the odd summer overnighter, Angling Direct has worked hard to find the right sleeping bags and pillows that suit your needs. We also understand that there is a minefield of different things to consider when you’re looking at investing one of our top end sleeping bags. This is why we’ve created this useful guide, to help you source the exact sleeping bag and pillow that best suits your needs on the bank.

Season

When we’re talking about sleeping bags, season is used in a different manner to when we’re talking about ‘the seasons’ in terms of the weather. Although the two are connected to a certain extent, there are some key differences that it is important to be aware of. Sleeping bags seasonal ratings are numbered, from the lowest (one) to the highest (five). One season sleeping bags are perfect for use in the very hottest months, especially if you’re an angler who regularly heads to the continent. However, we understand that it is often preferable to sleep without a sleeping bag in these hottest conditions! Two season sleeping bags run from late spring through to early autumn. These are ideal for warm weather conditions and have low insulation in order to allow for good airflow around the body. You probably won’t find many one or two season sleeping bags on our site, as we know from our own experience that if we’re fishing in warm conditions we’ll probably avoid taking the extra bulk of a sleeping bag.

Three season sleeping bags provide insulation which will see you through from early spring to late autumn. These are the sleeping bags that we would recommend for the fair weather angler who spends the odd night on the bank throughout the more pleasant angling months. Four season sleeping bags are where we really start getting into heavy duty gear. If you’re someone who feels the cold or you’re planning on fishing late into the winter, a four season sleeping bag is perfect for your needs. These sleeping bags can usually ensure warmth in even sub-zero temperatures and they are ideal for use throughout the majority of the angling calendar.

Finally, we also have five season sleeping bags available for purchased. Most commonly used my mountaineers and cold-weather enthusiasts, these are supremely insulated sleeping bags that are guaranteed to keep you warm in extreme-cold conditions. If you’re someone who feels the cold but who still wants to enjoy the best of the winter angling or you’re someone who doesn’t let even the most miserable of conditions stop you from hitting the bank, then a five season sleeping bag is the perfect option for you.

Most of the sleeping bags on our site will specify their season. However, if the season isn’t specified in the product description then there are several other indicators which can help you to decide if the sleeping bag you’re looking at is suitable for your needs.

Insulation

As you might expect, the level of insulation that the sleeping bag offers is the major determining factor in how warm the bag will be in the coldest conditions. Angling sleeping bags usually come with a synthetic fibre filling, as this is quick drying, easy to clean, and, unlike traditional down, it doesn’t loose all effectiveness when damp. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the insulation is the better heat retention the sleeping bag can offer and the better it will perform in cold weather conditions. However, with continued advances in modern technology, this isn’t always the case and not all synthetic fibres are created equal.

Insulation doesn’t only affect the warmth of your sleeping bag, however, and it also plays a huge part in the overall weight of the sleeping bag. If you’re an angler who favours mobility over comfort then weight will be top of your priority list when you’re looking at investing in a sleeping bag for your quick overnighters. This probably means that you’re going to want to look at three season sleeping bags, as these have less insulation and are therefore lower in weight. If you’re someone who considers comfort as a higher priority than ease of transportation then you might be more tempted to look for a four or five season sleeping bag. The additional insulation in these usually means that the sleeping bags are heavier when packed down – but the additional warmth they provide is more than the worth the extra kilogram that you’ll have to barrow down to the bank. However, as we’ve mentioned, extra insulation doesn’t always have to mean additional weight. Sleeping bags at the very top end of our spectrum will be able to offer warmth in extreme-cold conditions whilst still keeping your sleeping bag below the 4kg mark and if you’re a hard-core angler who doesn’t want to sacrifice anything when investing in your sleeping bag we have the perfect options for you.

Weight wise, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding plenty of sleeping bags on our site that are around the 3kg mark. These are about as lightweight as you will usually be able to find for a high quality three or four season bag. We do stock some quilts on our site which are significantly lower in weight, for obvious reasons. Some of the sleeping bags we stock will be almost double this weight and are ideal for the stationary angler who will be spending multiple nights in a single swim.

Zips

Zips are often overlooked when you’re examining your sleeping bag but they are often the area of the bag which can elevate a bag from an average bit of kit to an outstanding one. Firstly, if you’ve got a sleeping bag with low-quality zips then chances are you’re going to struggle should you need to quickly respond to a screaming bite alarm in the middle of the night. If you have to wrestle with your zips in order to exit your bag then it is more likely that you’ll end up with a lost fish. Two-way zips are ideal for the dedicated angler, as they allow you to open the bag from the inside or outside with equal ease.

Perhaps more importantly, however, is the heat that can be lost through a sub-standard zip. If the teeth of your zip aren’t meshing perfectly then not only are you going to struggle when you’re trying to open or close your bag but you’re also going to experience heat loss. A high-quality sleeping bag will have perfectly meshing zips, usually manufactured by premier brand YKK, in order to ensure that this is never a problem. Internal and external zip baffles are also popular additions to most of the sleeping bags that we stock. These prevent hot air leaking from the sleeping bag, as well as preventing nasty chill draughts from entering.

Internal and External Material

Another thing to look out for when you’re investing in an angling sleeping bag is the material it is manufactured from. Many of the sleeping bags on our site will boast a waterproof or water resistant outer. This is because top end manufacturers understand that water is a large part of bankside life! If you’re someone who enjoys quick overnighters in open fronted brolly or bivvy systems then you might favour a waterproof sleeping bag – just in case the wind turns and blows rain back into the recesses of your bivvy. However, having a waterproof outer is by no means a requirement of a top end sleeping bag – although you might consider it a nice bonus feature.

The internal material, or lining, is much more important than the external, in many anglers’ eyes, as it can play a huge part in your bankside comfort. On many of the heavy duty cold weather sleeping bags we stock, you’ll find that they boast a fleece lining. This is because the fibres in fleece are exceptionally good at retaining heat and, as such, they further aid with heat retention in ultra-cold conditions. Material with a peach skin finish is another popular choice, as this material is extremely soft and comfortable against the skin. You’ll also find that many of the sleeping bags we stock will have a polyester lining, as this is versatile and hard wearing.

Some of the sleeping bags we stock will also have removable inner linings. This allows you to use the sleeping bag year round, as, by adding or removing the lining, you can increase or decrease the effectiveness of the sleeping bag’s heat retention.

Other features

There are a number of other features that our angling sleeping bags offer which might make the difference when you’re choosing between two otherwise identical products. One such feature is bedchair attachments. These are either elasticated straps which attach around the bedchair or hoods which fit over either end of the bedchair. Both of these are designed to hold you sleeping bag onto your bed, ensuring that you and your sleeping bag don’t slip from the bedchair in the night. What’s more, if you own a bedchair with dual hinges then you can use these straps or hoods to permanently attach your sleeping bag onto you bedchair. This saves vital seconds when setting up and packing down your gear, as you don’t have to worry about trying to force your sleeping bag into its stuff bag. This also saves on storage space, as you can store your sleeping bag and bedchair in one useful package – perfect for the mobile angler who is trying to consolidate their gear.

Pillows

We also stock a huge range of pillows in our sleeping bag collection. Some of the sleeping bags we stock will come with their own pillows and, similarly, some of the bedchairs we stock will come with in-built pillow sections. However, many anglers still prefer to invest in their own pillow as it allows them to position it precisely for their needs. Many of the pillows we stock will come with similar elastic attachments to those on the sleeping bag which allow you to fasten it to your bedchair.

The majority of the pillows we stock come in the same soft-touch peach skin fabric as the lining of many of our sleeping bags. Once again, this is because this is a comfortable fabric which is suitable for even anglers with sensitive skin, ensuring that you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep. Our angling pillows are usually smaller than traditional pillows, as this ensures that they fit perfectly on your bedchair and are not at risk of slipping off in the night. 

As you can see, our entire range of sleeping bags and pillows have been hand-selected and meticulously tested for quality and performance. We’ve pulled together the market’s leading brands, including Sonik, Trakker, Fox, and many more, to bring you instant access to the best in the business with the lowest UK prices. We guarantee that you will be delighted with the comfort and joy each product across the range can inject into your fishing. If even a top quality sleeping bag won’t quite cut it when it comes to ensuring your warmth on the bankside, why not pick up some quality cooking equipment so you can rustle up a delicious meal to warm you from the inside out?

All the passion that we put into angling we also direct into our own brand range. Advanta is something we’re proud to call our own, and we supply a full range of sleeping bags, quilts, and pillows to keep you warm on even the coldest of overnighters. We set out to produce the best value for money products out there, in an aim to make top level fishing accessible to all. As part of this aim, all the products across our brands are regularly price checked to ensure they are the best price on the market. The price checked sticker, which can be found in the top-right hand corner of the page when you view a product, is our promise to you that we’ve done the legwork so you don’t need to.

With all budgets and bases covered, from top to bottom, you simply will not find a more comprehensive range of the best fishing gear on the UK market right now.

Angling Direct: Serious about your fishing…