Sleeping bags
How to choose your trekking sleeping bag? Which model should you buy?
The sleeping bag is an essential part of your hiking and camping gear. Choosing the right one is key to enjoying comfortable nights in a mountain hut, guesthouse, campsite, bivouac, under a tent or out under the stars. The most important factor is the comfort temperature—never go below this if you want to sleep warm. The weight of the bag and its packed size are also crucial features. Other things to consider: the type of insulation (down, feather, synthetic fill), the shape, and the closure system. Have you figured out your needs? Then take your pick from the wide range of sleeping bags we’ve selected from Ferrino, Sea to Summit, Nemo, Marmot, Millet, Thermarest, Lafuma, Rab, Vaude, Deuter and more. On this page, you’ll also find sleeping accessories like bag liners, pillows and sleeping mats, etc.
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Made from a blend of Lyocell Tencel and polyester, the Sea To Summit Comfort Blend Rectangular bag sheet is super lightweight, so it's discreet among your belongings.
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The SOL Emergency Bivvy is an emergency bivvy, a survival overbag designed to reflect body heat and protect you from the vagaries of the weather.
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Designed to be as light and compact as possible so as not to overwhelm you, the Escape Lite Bivv is a survival overbag that also offers strength, breathability, waterproofing and warmth.
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Down or sleeping bag?
This is a semantic question that comes up often. To clarify the correct terminology, let's say that a down bag is always a sleeping bag, but a sleeping bag is not necessarily a down bag. In everyday language, both terms are understood, but it's important to remember that a "duvet" refers above all to a lightweight sleeping bag made from feathers or natural down, whereas a basic sleeping bag is often made from synthetic fibers.
Ultra-light models for trekking and hiking
When you're covering dozens of kilometers on foot each day, every gram counts. It's crucial to choose your gear wisely and opt for the lightest possible sleeping bag. These days, even though synthetic fibers have made huge advances, they still can't match the lightness or compressibility of natural goose or duck down. Down sleeping bags are generally about 10 to 20% lighter. Down is the clear winner here. But not all down is created equal. To compare one model to another, you need to consider the fill power and the fill weight. These two values determine the true thermal performance of the down. For example, a sleeping bag filled with 700g of 650 cuin down will be less warm and heavier than a bag with 600g of 900 cuin down.
In recent years, manufacturers have started designing sleeping bags with different insulation on the top and bottom. When you sleep in a bag, your body compresses the insulation underneath, greatly reducing its insulating power, so it's really the sleeping pad that provides most of the insulation from below. There's no point overfilling the underside if the down can't loft. That's why most brands now offer an asymmetric design, with more down fill on top than on the bottom. This saves both weight and warmth. You'll find this configuration on many ultra-light models designed for trekking overnights.
How to choose a kids' or baby sleeping bag?
Children's sleeping bags are just as warm as adult models but are made in a more suitable size. For example, Lafuma offers a 130 cm sleeping bag specifically designed for young adventurers. A smaller-sized bag adapted to juniors is important because the volume to heat is lower and comfort is improved.
Double sleeping bags or zip-together bags?
Sleeping under the stars as a couple is a truly unique experience. But sleeping separately in individual bags isn't always ideal. That's why more and more brands are offering either double sleeping bags or systems that allow two regular bags to be zipped together.
- The double sleeping bag is easy to use. Once inside the tent, both people simply slide in together. It's practical and efficient—a great choice for camping. However, it does have its limits for backpacking, as only one person can carry it at a time. That's why many brands prefer to offer zip-together bags.
- Zip-together sleeping bags: Thanks to their zippers, some bags can be joined together. It's not very complicated, as long as both bags are the same length and one has a left-side zipper and the other a right-side zipper.
What temperature rating should you choose for your sleeping bag?
Choosing the right temperature rating for your sleeping bag is essential. As much as possible, you want to avoid being cold. So, pick a model with a comfort temperature that matches the lowest temperature you might encounter at night. Manufacturers also provide a limit comfort temperature, which is the point below which you'll start to feel cold and need to curl up. Finally, there's the extreme temperature, below which there's a risk of hypothermia within a few hours.
To help you find the right sleeping bag for your planned bivouac conditions, here are the four main categories:
- 1-season sleeping bags: Quite rare, these are usually replaced by a simple sleeping bag liner, sometimes also called a "meat bag".
- 2-season sleeping bags: Fairly light and not very insulated, these are perfect for summer and spring camping or hut stays when it's warm.
- 3-season sleeping bags: With their insulation, you can sleep under a tent or out under the stars, even as temperatures drop below freezing.
- 4-season sleeping bags: These premium bags offer maximum protection against very low temperatures.
How to wash your down sleeping bag?
In general, you should avoid washing your down sleeping bag too often. If it's only dirty on the surface, you can easily spot-clean it with a washcloth, avoiding any harsh detergents. However, if your down bag is deeply soiled, it may be necessary to machine wash it at 30°C on a gentle cycle—after checking the condition of your drum—or, even better, hand wash it in a bathtub or basin. In both cases, avoid regular laundry detergent and use a specialized product such as Nikwax's Down Wash Direct paired with Down Proof for deep cleaning and re-waterproofing the feathers and down.
The trickiest part of washing a down bag is drying, as wet feathers tend to clump together almost irreversibly. You need to be very careful during this step. The simplest and most effective way is to use a tumble dryer on a low heat setting. The secret is to add four or five dryer balls (tennis balls also work well) in with the bag. These balls help break up the clumps of feathers. After 15 minutes in the dryer, check the condition of the down in each baffle. If small clumps remain, gently separate them by hand. It's a tedious but essential task. Once you've finished, you can put the bag back in the dryer, again on low heat for another half hour. Finally, hang your bag outside in the sun to finish drying gently.
This explains why some sleeping bag brands offer a dedicated after-sales service to guarantee perfect washing and drying. For example, RAB offers its Rab Wash service.
How to pack your sleeping bag?
No matter the brand, the method for packing a sleeping bag is always the same:
- Zip up the bag completely.
- Fold the bag in half lengthwise.
- Roll it up gently, compressing it gradually from the foot to the head to push out the air.
- Slide it into its compression sack, which may have one or two drawcords to help reduce the volume even further.
Which sleeping bag should you choose for the GR20 or Tour du Mont Blanc?
Whether you're camping or staying in huts on the GR20, you need the lightest possible sleeping bag to keep your backpack under 12 kg, which is already the upper limit. Forget synthetic bags and go straight for a down bag without hesitation.
Next, consider the time of year you'll be doing the GR20 to choose the right comfort temperature. At high-altitude bivouacs above 2000 m, you often encounter temperatures of 3°C in June, 5°C in July/August, and back to 3°C in September. So, you should opt for a sleeping bag with a comfort temperature between 0 and 5°C. Then simply choose the lightest model that fits your budget.
Just like the GR20, the Tour du Mont Blanc is a high-altitude trek that requires a lightweight, well-insulated bag. Even in summer, it's not uncommon for temperatures to drop close to freezing at night. Again, a sleeping bag with a 0°C comfort rating is a must.
What's the best model for winter bivouacs and extreme cold?
If you want to enjoy sleeping out in the snow in winter, you obviously need a highly insulated 4-season sleeping bag. In the mountains, it's not uncommon for temperatures to drop to -10, -20, or even -30°C. To withstand such conditions, even in a tent, you need top-quality gear. Mummy-shaped sleeping bags are designed for extreme cold. They offer comfort temperatures down to -30, even -40°C for the most technical models. But for this kind of extreme bivouac, your sleeping pad also needs to be chosen carefully, as it's what will insulate you from the frozen ground.
Glisshop also offers a full range of trekking accessories, such as waterproof and breathable bivy bags that let you sleep under the stars even in bad weather.