The 10 Best Sleeping Bags for Backpacking

If you are looking for the a lightweight sleeping bag, you have come to the right place! Whether you are backpacking through South America, hiking the Appalachian Trail or bike touring in Utah, carrying a good sleeping bag is key to guaranteeing a well-deserved sleep.

At the same time, we don’t want to bring along one of those big and heavy old models. Nowadays, most brands have developed new technologies to produce lightweight and compact sleeping bags, providing great comfort at very low temperatures.

I know, there are many different brands out there and it’s difficult to make a choice. I hope this ultimate buying guide will help you make the right decission.

Check out other gear reviews to find the best tactical watches, and outdoor sunglasses!

The Best Lightweight Sleeping Bags for Travel:

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WESTERN MOUNTAINEERING ALPINLITE 20

The Western Mountaineering Alpinite 20 is a comfortable and roomy sleeping bag. It’ s perfect if you are going to travel through different climates, even though it might be too warm for mid-summer.

Advantages: It’s built with high-quality materials for maximum durability.

Disadvantages: I feel that it’s not as warm as other bags within the same temperature range. I wouldn’t use it at below comfort temperature.

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MARMOT TRESTLES 15

The Marmot Helium 15 is a warm and comfortable sleeping bag featuring a water-resistant treatment, internal stash pockets and a fold-down second zipper to provide added ventilation. The main drawback is its price.

For me, this bag stands out from the rest because it feels so fluffy. In other words, you can tell it has a great filling that performs really well when the temperature drops. If you compared it with the previous model, you’d see that this bag is better suited for cold winter nights.

Pros: It provides excellent thermal protection and is built with top-end materials.

Cons: The price is beyond the budget of most people. 

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MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR PHANTOM 28

The Mountain Hardwear Phantom 28 is another lightweitght and comfortable sleeping bag with great performance. In my experience, this bag doesn’t hold heat as well as the previous model. However, it has an important advantage: it’s incredibly light weight. For this reason, it’s perfect for backpacking and ultra-light hiking.

Pros: What I love about this bag is that it’s super light.

Cons: I find it too cold for winter.

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WESTERN MOUNTAINEERING SUMMERLITE 32

The Western Mountaineering Summerlite 32 is one of the lightest bags with a continuous baffle construction. Like all Western Mountaineering bags, it is made in the U.S.A, which is a quality guarantee.

LIGHTWEIGHT SLEEPING BAGS – MID RANGE:

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BIG AGNES PITCHPINE UL 45

The Big Agnes Pitchpine UL45 is a great sleeping bag for hikers and backpackers traveling during the autumn, spring and summer. Just keep in mind that it might be too cold for high mountain expeditons or hard winters.

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SEA TO SUMMIT MICRO MCII

The Sea to Summit Micro MCII is another lightweight sleeping bag for slightly cool to warm climates. Keep in mind that 35 F is the lower temperature limit and not the comfort zone, which is 44 F.

I don’t recommend it for very cold nights. In my opinion, this bag stands out because it’s incredibly compact and lightweight. In fact, at just 450g, it’s the lightest bag on the list.

Advantages: It’s so lightweight that you can bring it comfortably on your longest hikes. Despite its overall great performance, it’s not that expensive. 

Disadvantages: It feels too narrow. I don’t like the quality of the zippers. The fabric is a bit noisy when you move.

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SIERRA DESIGNS BACKCOUNTRY BED

The Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed is one of the most versatile, comfortable and roomy sleeping bags in the list. It’s free of hardware like zippers and Velcro, and is fully adjustable depending on the temperature. It’s also adaptable to your favorite sleeping position.

Advantages: It has an original design without zippers. Therefore, you’ll never face the problem of a zipper getting stuck in fabric.

Disadvantages: There’s limited ventilation at the feet.

BUDGET

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HYKE & BYKE ULTRALIGHT MUMMY

The Hyke & Byke stands out because it’s a four-season bag available at a very reasonable price. I’ve used this model on various winter treks and I have never been cold. What I like most is that it offers almost the same features as high-end, expensive models.

Pros: Great thermal protection, especially for a budget model. It feels very fluffy and comfortable when you get inside.

Cons: I wish it were a bit lighter.

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OUTDOOR VITALS MUMMY 

The Outdoor Vitals Mummy is a good budget sleeping bag for winter trips and outdoor activities. Simple and affordable!

Pros: Good value for the money.

Cons: I get the feeling that the materials are not very durable.

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ECOOPRO SLEEPING BAG

The Ecoopro is very compact and affordable. It’s a good bag for camping and backpacking during the spring and summer. Don’t use it for cold climates.

A few things to consider before buying a Sleeping Bag:

Sleeping Bag or Quilt?

Quilts usually have compressed down insulation on the underside, being that the contact with your sleeping pad is what keeps you warm. This fact makes them lighter and sometimes cheaper as fewer feathers are used to build the quilt. Most quilts don’t have a hood either, which might be okay in the summer, but not that great during a cold winter.

Sleeping bags surround your entire body, having the same amount of down insulation all over the bag. They usually have a hood to make you feel warmer and cozier.

Personally, I prefer a sleeping bag as I get a better sleep.

Down or Synthetic

Down sleeping bags tend to be more compressible and have a longer lifetime. A good down sleeping bag can last you for more than 15 years, while synthetic ones won’t resist more than 7 years at most.

Synthetic bags are usually cheaper and more resistant to wet climates. However, most down models are now made with water-resistant materials and include a waterproof stuff sack, so they are also well-adapted to wet weather.

If you want to get a durable and high-quality sleeping bag, I’d choose down without a doubt.

Cost

Sleeping bags aren’t exactly cheap. A sleeping bag is a very important piece of gear when you are out there, and even though you might spend a little more than you planned, you’ll be glad to have the warm sleep. Nevertheless, there are some affordable options from as little as $100 depending on the conditions you will face.

Weight

This is a very important factor I took into consideration when recommending the best models. Sleeping bags can sometimes be heavy and bulky. Heavy models might be fine for a short hike, but not so great for a multi-day expedition. I’ve tried to put together a good selection of very lightweight sleeping bags.

Which temperature rating is right for me?

This is probably the most difficult part of choosing the right sleeping bag. Some people are cold-natured and others hot-natured, so it will depend on the person and, of course, on the temperature of the place where you are going to hike.

In general terms, I’d recommend:

Above 45° F for spring-summer trips.

30-44° F for autumn chill hikes.

Under 30° F for winter cold hikes.

Let me tell you a personal story:

A few years ago I was in Venezuela, ready to hike the amazing Mount Roraima. I was traveling with my friend Jabi, and since we started our trip in Cuba, we didn’t bring much warm gear. I have four different sleeping bags, and I choose between them according to the temperatures of the country I’m going to visit. Anyway, that time I had brought my Camtoa sleeping bag, which is great for summer and tropical climates. I knew it wasn’t enough for the Roraima trek but it was pretty difficult to find a good sleeping bag in Venezuela at that time.

Venezuela is a tropical country and the top of Roraima is just 2,810 meters. ‘It’s gonna be ok,’ I thought. That night, though, was one of the coldest of my life. I had all my clothes on and yet the night was horrible. You make those mistakes from time to time, but you learn something. I promised myself I would always check that I had the right gear for every hike.

Be sure you have a good, warm sleeping bag if you are doing a winter trail or if you are hiking at a high altitude. The WM Alpinlite 20 and the MH Phantom 28 are my favorite choices for cold weather.

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