Pyjamas or trousers?
I know the more hardy of you will say that a down sleeping bag works best when you expose it fully to your body heat by sleeping naked but I’m afraid I’m a pjamas kind of girl.
But do I actually mean pyjamas? Don’t I just reach for the warmest trousers to hand?
I decided to give the matter some consideration, put things to the test, and come up with the pros and cons of three different types of sleeping bag leg wear.
Trousers are not all made equal
You wouldn’t, for example, choose to go to sleep in your waterproof trousers (do tell me if you have) or your jeans (surely only a numpty) or your many-zipped cargo pants (I mean trousers here, not knickers with pockets).
What you wear in bed is of course, in the privacy of your own tent, entirely up to you but I’ve decided here to consider three different (all sensible) trouser options for sleeping bag sleeping.
I chose to do this using a mummy-style sleeping bag.
Pyjamas
Leggings
Track Pants



Entry – legs ride up
Warmth – chilly knees
Twist factor – high
Sleep – not great
Exit – dodgy
Entry – smooth
Warmth – depends
Twist factor – zero
Sleep – usually fab
Exit – smooth
Entry – okay
Warmth – good
Twist factor – medium
Sleep – good
Exit – okay
So which trousers are best for camping?
Let’s start with the no-trouser option; it just doesn’t work for me. In the confines of my sleeping bag, I find it impossible to move my legs around enough to avoid (pauses for delicacy) my thighs sticking uncomfortably together.
So what about pyjamas? I love wearing pyjamas on the sofa or around the kitchen but honestly, it’s actually impossible to get into a sleeping bag without them ending up at best round my knees (and no, I haven’t tried elastic bands).
And tracksuits bottoms? They are fab for both sofa and campervan lounging, and can even be layered up with leggings for double the warmth factor but I do find my track pants tend to wander up my legs during the night (well it’s either them or the dog).
And there we have it. My go-to trousers when I’m camping in my sleeping bag are leggings. Bamboo leggings on warmer days, merino leggings on cooler ones.
But I do like to have my track bottoms ready close by, just in case.






