Lightweight Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are essential pieces of equipment for ultralight backpackers and hut-based camping trips alike, with options like Feathered Friends Tanager 20 saving weight through strap systems that integrate with sleeping pads as well as no-hood designs.

The semirectangular Ohm packs flat and is ideal for two-person use; unzipping allows layered bedding to be unzipped for use at any time during cold-weather backpacking adventures. It’s also a favorite among cold weather camping enthusiasts.

1. Ultralight quilts

Ultralight quilts combine elements from both sleeping bags and blankets for an alternate lightweight option to adapt to individual circumstances and sleeping styles. This option prioritizes weight savings with lofty goose down fill power (850+), thin shell fabrics, and light attachment systems for optimal weight savings.

Manufacturers also shave weight by eliminating features like hoods, narrow dimensions, and short or no zippers – but while these reductions may save weight effectively, they often compromise comfort and warmth.

Feathered Friends Flicker 20 quilt packs down to an impressive 1 pound 6 ounces but only contains nine ounces of its 850+ fill power down fill and has no temperature rating; nevertheless, this quilt remains an outstanding value given both price and performance if combined with a warm balaclava and lightweight sleeping pad; you can adjust its tightness around your head and close its zipper when temperatures dip low enough, or open up its fabric into blanket form to be draped across the body when temperatures heat up during warmer nights.

2. Mummy-style bags

Mummy-style sleeping bags are designed to keep campers warm and comfortable by snugly conforming to your body shape, decreasing space between yourself and the insulated walls, increasing thermal efficiency and warmth-to-weight ratio. Most mummy bags include an adjustable hood which can further decrease heat loss.

Mummy-style bags are often lighter and more compressible than rectangular options, making them suitable for backpacking trips. Unfortunately, their tight fit may restrict certain sleepers causing overheating throughout the night.

Rectangular sleeping bags offer more space, making them suitable for car camping and fair-weather camping trips. Though they don’t pack down as small as mummy-style bags, rectangular sleeping bags still provide warmth and comfort if extra baggage weight is no obstacle to enjoyment.

3. Full-length zippers

The Zpacks Zip Around Sleep Bag fills an important niche between traditional mummy bags (which may be too confining) and quilts (which may be too drafty). Its zipper unzips all the way down to and around its footbox, enabling it to open flat like an insulated blanket.

This hoodless bag’s baffles are filled with ethically-sourced, water-repellant 900-fill goose down for optimal warmth-to-weight ratio. Additionally, its lightweight shell and lining consist of 7 denier Ventum ripstop nylon with DWR finish that provide ample water resistance.

Zipper length should be taken into consideration when purchasing a sleeping bag. Long zippers allow for closer fitting to keep you warmer while short ones may create cold spots near the footbox.

4. Multiple use bags

Some lightweight bags are specifically designed to function as quilts in warmer weather while still offering sleeping bag warmth for a comfortable night’s rest. Examples of such lightweight sleeping bags are the Feathered Friends Tanager and Enlightened Equipment Enigma; both are great choices for backcountry hut trips or winter hikes.

Another option for light summer backpacking expeditions is a hoodless zipperless bag like the Zpacks Classic, which weighs less than one pound and uses premium 950-fill down insulation. While its design may not be quite as comfortable or spacious as traditional bags, such as for comfort purposes it could be beneficial.

Consideration should be given when purchasing a sleeping bag to its temperature ratings, including comfort and survival limits. These limits can depend on factors like loft used, quality of fill used and construction type (i.e. baffles vs sewn through). Most sleeping bag manufacturers publish both comfort and survival temperatures for their products.