How To Attach A Sleeping Bag To A Pad – 6 Tips

By Charles •  9 min read
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Camping can be a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but if you want to sleep well at night, there are some basic things you should do. Some people have trouble getting comfortable on their sleeping pads because they don’t know how to attach a sleeping bag to a pad properly. This post will give you some tips on how to keep your sleeping bag from sliding off your pad so you can sleep soundly through the night.

These six tips will help you to keep your sleeping bag from slipping of your sleeping pad.

  1. Place your sleeping pad inside your sleeping bag.
  2. Use a Cocoon Sleeping Pad Cover
  3. Use a Non-Slip Mat
  4. Use Cocoon Sleeping Pad Straps
  5. Use Velcro Tape
  6. Use Seam Sealant/Silicon

Why Do Sleeping Bags & Sleeping Pads Always Slide

Many of today’s modern sleeping bags and pad are made either from polyester or nylon synthetic materials. The same is true for the floors in tents. These materials are great for being water resistant and breathable, but they are slick.

When you put a slick sleeping pad directly on the floor of the tent you have a meeting of two materials that have almost no friction between them.  This means the pad will definitely slide if there is the slightest slope to your tent. The same is true for your sleeping bag on the sleeping pad.

Should a Sleeping Pad Go Inside a Sleeping Bag?

At first you may simply consider putting the sleeping pad inside of your sleeping bag. However, the issue that most people find with this strategy is that their sleeping pad is too large to fit inside their sleeping bag. If you are using a large sleeping bag or a smaller sized sleeping pad, this is definitely a possibility. For everyone else, I suggest one of these other methods to attach a sleeping bag to a pad.

Cocoon Sleeping Pad Cover

Probably my favorite option to attach a sleeping bag to a pad is to use the Cocoon Cotton Sleeping Pad Cover. This is a cotton material cover that basically works like a pillow case for your sleeping pad. Therefore, the cover provides a non-slip surface for your bag while it is on the pad and for the pad against the tent floor. An additional great benefit of this cover is that it adds an additional layer of protection for you pad to keep it from getting punctured.

Attach Sleeping Bag To Pad

How To Attach A Sleeping Bag To A Pad – Non-Slip Mat

One of the method to attach a sleeping bag to a pad is buying a non-slip mat. These are more commonly used on the bottom of drawers, but they can be used for this purpose. There are a few places that you can place a non-slip mat to optimize its effectiveness.

For starters, we suggest trying to put it underneath your sleeping pad. This will cause the sleeping pad to stay in place with respect to the tent. This keeps your mat from slipping on the tent floor out from under you. However, if your bag commonly slips off your pad, it would be more effective to place the non-slip mat between your sleeping bag and pad. This will create a strong bond between your bag and the mat. This means that if you move the sleeping pad will move with you.

Cocoon Sleeping Pad Straps

Cocoon Sleeping Pad Straps are a great way to attach a sleeping bag to a pad. They will strap your sleeping bag to the pad itself! When using this technique, you will want to ensure that your sleeping bag is longer than your body or else your chest may be sticking out of the bag. Since you strap your bag to the mat prior to entering the bag that strap will now act as the bottom of the bag since you will not be able to slide your feet underneath it. You could loosen it enough to do so, but that somewhat defeats the purpose of using the strap in the first place.

Attach Sleeping Bag To Pad

How To Attach A Sleeping Bag To A Pad – Velcro Tape

If you are looking for a more permanent solution to attach a sleeping pad to a pad or your pad to the tent floor, you can always use some Velcro Tape. You will not need to use a lot of tape for this to work. Placing a strip at the top and bottom of the pad is generally enough.

Using Velcro Tape

  • If you have decided on the Velcro Tape option, cut the tape to length to match the width of your pad.
  • Stick the two sides of the tape together.
  • Peal the paper backing of the hook (rough) side of the Velcro and stick it to your pad with at the top and bottom.
  • Next, peal the paper backing off the loop (soft) side and place it on your tent floor to perfectly line up the sides where they should be.
  • You can repeat these steps for the sleeping bag. Always use the hook side on your pad.
Attach Sleeping Bag To Pad

Use Seam Sealant/Silicon

Another permanent method to attach a sleeping bag to a pad is to use some silicon or seam sealant to create a non-slip surface on your pad. Using this method does not require you to completely cover your pad in silicon. You will just need to make some dots or circles on you pad.

Using Seam Sealant/Silicon

  • Squirt several pea sized dots of silicon on your pad approximately 8 to 10 inches apart on one side of your pad.
  • Make sure your fingers are wet and smear the pea sized dots to 1 to 2 inch circles.
  • Repeat on one side of the pad until covered then let it completely dry.
  • Once it is dry, flip the pad and repeat the process on the other side.
Attach Sleeping Bag To Pad

Final Thoughts On How To Attach A Sleeping Bag To A Pad

To summarize, the Cocoon Sleeping Pad Cover is probably the quickest and easiest way to keep you sleeping bag from slipping off your pad. I have offered a couple of additional options that are quick and easy.  In addition, I offered to more permanent methods to make your pad non-slip. There are pros and cons for each option which you must consider. However, all of these methods to attach a sleeping bag to a pad are relatively cheap and easy solutions to this problem. We hope you found this article useful and enjoy a better night’s sleep your next camping trip!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep my sleeping bag from sliding on the pad?

There are a few things you can do to help keep your sleeping bag from sliding around on your sleeping pad. One is to use a sleeping bag liner, which will help keep the bag in place. You can also try using a strap or two to wrap around the sleeping bag and pad, or tucking the ends of the sleeping bag under the pad. Another option is to get a sleeping bag with a built-in pillow pocket, which will help keep the bag in place and provide extra comfort. Finally, make sure you have a good, sturdy sleeping pad that isn’t too slippery. If all else fails, you can always just put a few rocks or other heavy objects inside your sleeping bag to weigh it down.

How to keep a pillow from sliding off a sleeping pad?

If you’re using a regular pillow, you can try putting it in a pillowcase or wrapping it in some clothes. You can also try using a strap or two to secure it to the sleeping pad. Another option is to get a sleeping bag with a built-in pocket, which will help keep it in place.

How do you attach a sleeping bag to a sleeping pad?

There are a few different ways that you can attach a sleeping bag to a sleeping pad. One way is to use clips or straps that connect the sleeping bag to the pad. Another way is to use a specific type of sleeping bag that has an attachment system built in. And yet another way is to simply put the sleeping bag on top of the sleeping pad. Whichever method you choose, make sure that the sleeping bag is securely attached to the pad so that it doesn’t slip during the night.

How do you secure a sleeping bag to pad?

There are a few different ways to do this. One way is to use clips or straps that connect the sleeping bag to the pad. Another way is to use a specific type of sleeping bag that has an attachment system built in. And yet another way is to simply put the sleeping bag on top of the sleeping pad.

How do you keep a sleeping bag in place?

There are a few ways to keep a sleeping bag in place. One way is to use straps or cords to tie the bag down. Another way is to use a sleeping bag liner.

Why are sleeping bags slippery?

Sleeping bags are often made with a slippery material on the outside in order to make them easier to pack up and carry. This can be helpful when you’re trying to get everything into your backpack for a hike, but it can also make it difficult to keep the sleeping bag in place once you’ve set it up. If you’re using a sleeping bag liner, this can also help to keep you more comfortable and prevent your body from sliding around inside the sleeping bag.

Photo by Felix M. Dorn

Charles

Charles is a man who loves the outdoors. He moved to Wyoming specifically to spend more time in the mountains and wilderness. A hunter and fisherman, Charles knows how to enjoy nature and all that it has to offer. He is an outdoorsman through and through, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Charles is the President of Absaroka Enterprises, an company focuse on outdoor entertainment and endeavours. He's also an Editor for Alpha and Omega Outdoors, an online hunting, fishing, camping, trapping, and all around outdoors blog.

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