Published July 14, 2026 08:05AM
In my opinion, there’s no better date night than an evening beside an alpine lake, watching the alpenglow creep up the surrounding peaks, enjoying a freeze-dried meal straight from the pouch alongside my favorite hiking partner.
Aside from sharing experiences, one of the best parts about backpacking with someone you love is sharing gear. Dividing the weight of a stove, fuel, tent, water filter, and other communal gear makes for a lighter pack than you’d carry on solo missions. I wondered if sharing a sleep system with my partner could help maximize gear efficiency even more. Double sleeping bags and pads are somewhat common for car camping, but there are a handful of backpacking versions on the market, too. On a recent trip, I convinced my better half to try out a double sleep system.
Pros and Cons of Double Sleep Systems
Before hitting the trail, I considered a few potential pitfalls of double sleep systems. First is the reality of having two people confined to a single zippered sack. It’s one thing to cuddle on a queen mattress at home; it’s another to do so in a tent, where temperature regulation and overall comfort are generally harder to achieve. I’m a stomach sleeper who often struggles to get comfy in a mummy bag, and my partner, Connor, tends to lie on his back or side. How would that play out in a double sleeping bag? We also tend to run at different temperatures.
The second consideration is weight distribution. It can be harder to evenly split gear between two backpacks when using a double sleep system. That said, the consolidation of gear can also work to your advantage; my partner hikes a lot faster than I do, so when we hike together, he carries more weight. Allowing him to carry the double bag would take some weight out of my pack, hopefully evening out our paces.
If all went well, I envisioned a cozy night in our tent that would feel more like sleeping in our bed at home. Or, we’d have a restless night of overheating, kicking one another in the shins, and marinating in one another’s trail stink.
Do double sleep systems actually save weight?
I imagined that a double sleeping bag might be more weight-efficient than two singles, but the reality isn’t so simple. Many double bags are on the heavier side and best suited for car camping. That said, there are a few backpacking-weight options. The King Solomon 20° Doublewide from Big Agnes comes in at 3 lbs 15 oz (their comparable single bag weighs 2 lbs 5 oz). I decided to test Sea to Summit’s Spark Double for a few reasons: At 3 lbs 6 oz, it’s lighter than some budget and cold-weather single bags and among the lightest double bags, though it still comes in a few ounces heavier than two single bags from the same line.
My partner and I both use and like the Spark single bags on most backpacking trips, so it seemed like a good option to test a double bag without changing up our whole system. Plus, the Spark claims a maximum user height of 6 feet 6 inches, while the King Solomon recommends only up to 6 feet (Connor is 6’2’’). And with 850+ fillpower down, it compresses to the size of a standard bear canister—not bad for a double bag.
In addition to the Spark Double, we used an Exped Ultra 1R Duo inflatable pad, comparable in style and combined weight to the single pads we both usually use. The medium size weighs 1 lb 10 oz (a smidge less than two single pads of the same design) and is tapered at the foot like most ultralight inflatable pads. Packed, it’s slightly larger than a one-liter Nalgene. Alternatively, we could have used straps to put our individual pads together, but since our pads are different heights, we opted for a double pad.
The Verdict
We tested our double sleep system on two different long weekend trips. During our first, we used the double pad with our regular individual sleeping bag and quilt. Then, we brought the entire double system on a 30-mile excursion where nighttime temperatures were in the mid-50s.
My first impression was that the double bag was surprisingly roomy. It features two zippers, so we could each get into and out of the bag from our own sides (handy for midnight bathroom breaks). Before bed, we could read a book together, do a crossword on my phone, and cuddle without falling into a gap between pads. The Spark features a slight taper at the footbox, but it felt far more spacious than many mummy bags I’ve used, even with both of us inside. As a result, I found it much easier to find a comfortable sleeping position than in my single bag. It felt similar to sharing our bed at home. Connor’s experience, on the other hand, was not so smooth. I’m a restless sleeper, and while I appreciated the extra room to move around, he definitely didn’t. Though he says he enjoyed cuddling before bed, after a few hours of my thrashing, I think he would have appreciated two separate bags. While it wasn’t a huge deal that we sleep in different positions, I’d say a double bag is best for calm sleepers and those who really want to snuggle.
Our first night in a double sleeping bag busted my misconception that it would be warmer than a single bag. Nothing keeps you warm like another person’s body heat, right? In fact, I found myself colder in the Spark Double than I typically am in my regular Spark 15° in similar conditions. When I snuggled up close to Connor, it was toasty warm, but when I rolled away, the extra space between us allowed cold air to flow inside. (The Spark Double does feature a snap in the middle of the draft collar that could have closed this gap between us and trapped in heat, but would have made the bag a bit more restrictive. We fell asleep before testing it with the snap closed.)
One more drawback: Sharing a sleeping bag with another person does mean double the odor, whether it’s from days without a shower or post-pouch dinner flatulence. If you’re imagining pure romance from sharing a sleeping bag, think twice.
I found no downsides to the double pad, on the other hand. If you’re not ready to take the plunge on a double sleeping bag, a double pad offers a great middle ground. Couples can scooch their sleeping bags together to be close without falling into the gap, but still have the flexibility of individual bags.
Cost is another consideration. The Spark Double is slightly less expensive than two Spark 15°F single bags ($549 each), but at $999, it’s a major expense. If you’re going to use it on every backpacking trip, splitting the cost two ways could be worth it for the bag’s light weight, packability, and snugglability. But it’s far less versatile than a single bag. If you only sometimes backpack with your partner, that price tag is hard to justify. (The King Solomon is half the cost at $500, and costs $240 less than two ultralight Big Agnes bags. I haven’t tested the King Solomon and can’t compare its performance to the Spark.)
I would use a double sleeping bag and pad on future backpacking trips as a couple. I appreciated the ability to offload a little extra weight to my stronger, faster partner without the guilt of making him carry my own gear. Snuggling in the tent was nice, and as a bonus, the setup allowed extra room in the tent for our dog to sprawl out beside us. With some getting used to the system, I think we could sleep even more comfortably than we did on our first trip. All in all, a double sleeping bag feels more like a luxury item than a way to maximize efficiency between two sets of gear. But for cuddly campers or date night backpacking trips, it’s a nice gear option to bring along.
