Before another long day on the trail you really don’t need a long night spent shivering and longing for your bed back home. You need a comfortable, warm night’s sleep in a sleeping bag that won’t weigh you down the next day.
Ultralight sleeping bags offer the best of both warmth and portability. Expect to pay a little more for an ultralight bag than you would for a bulkier model – they’ve been carefully designed to balance a wealth of features with very lightweight materials.
Ultralight sleeping bags come in men’s and women’s models, with the shape and insulation zoning tailored to body shape. Look out for different lengths, too – a bag that is just the right length for you will be easier for your body to warm up and you won’t be carrying the extra length. A ‘comfort’ toe-box lets your feet lie naturally without adding bulk.
Down insulation has the best warmth to weight ratio, but it doesn’t perform well if it gets wet. Synthetic insulation will keep you warm no matter what, although it can’t match down for compressibility.
Upgrade to one of these beauties, and you’ll never have one of those long, shivery nights again. You’re welcome.
Mountain Hardwear HyperLamina Spark
The clever build technology on this award winning bag does away with stitching to hold the insulation in place, cutting out cold spots. The laminated Thermal Q synthetic insulation works even when damp, and is ‘zoned’ for extra warmth in the right places.
The snug mummy shape, and half zipper keep the weight down while the face gasket and hood keep the warmth in. This affordable bag comes in two lengths and includes a stuff sack for packing and a mesh storage sack.
This affordable sleeping bag weighs in at just 1 lb 12 oz, and will keep you snug in temperatures as low as 32°F.
Western Mountaineering Summerlite 32
Western Mountaineering are well known for making quality sleeping bags, and the Summerlite 32 is not a disappointment. It offers a simple, reliable choice, with traditional baffle construction. Draft protection around the neck is about as sophisticated as this bag gets.
Unfurl this sleeping bag from its tiny 6” x 12” stuff sack, and you’ll be impressed by the weight – or lack of it. This bag weighs just 1 lb 3oz, and is rated down to 32°F. The full length zipper is perfect if you like to stick your feet out.
The Summerlite 32 has down insulation so you’ll need to keep it dry – if you get a lot of condensation in your tent, keep the bag away. For a warmer (but heavier) bag try the Western Mountaineering UltraLite 20.
Katabatic Flex 22°F
This is a sleeping bag for the serious outdoors enthusiast. There are loads of options for customising it to your exact needs. You can choose from five different sizes – three lengths and two widths. Once you’ve found your perfect fit you can choose the ideal insulation.
Choose from 900 fill power goose down, or for peace of mind if you’ll be sleeping in damp conditions you can go for 850 fill power hydrophobic down. The hydrophobic treatment extends the down’s insulating power when damp, and treated down dries more quickly. Best of all, this down is ethically sourced, so next time you meet a goose you can still look him straight in the eye.
The Katabatic Flex 22°F can attach to a sleeping pad, and has an opening toe box, which seals perfectly when closed. As with most extremely light sleeping bags there is no hood. The down filled collar seals in your body-heat, and the hood on your down jacket can be used to keep your head warm. This feature-filled sleeping bag weighs between just 1 lb 4.6 oz for the 900 fp small size and 1 lb 11.5 oz for the 850 fp long wide size. Very impressive.