Sleeping Bag Weight | We Compared Over 190 Bags!
When choosing hiking equipment, weight is a significant consideration. When you carry all your equipment, you feel every pound. So how much do sleeping bags weigh?
The average sleeping bag weighs roughly 2.78 pounds. Camping sleeping bags typically weigh roughly 3.62 pounds, whereas ultralight sleeping bags average about 1.59 pounds. Better temperature-rated sleeping bags are often heavier, and synthetically insulated bags are heavier than down-insulated bags.
Sleeping bag weight is related to many parameters, which we will explore in this post. This way, you’ll know you’re making the right decision when purchasing a new bag.
How much should a sleeping bag weigh?
As a general rule, backpacking sleeping bags should weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. A thru-hiking sleeping bag should weigh no more than 1.5 pounds. Better temperature-rated sleeping bags are heavier, therefore for winter trekking, use a heavier sleeping bag.
What you’re going to use the sleeping bag for will determine how light it has to be.
If you’re usually camping, while traveling by car, weight should not be a consideration for you. If you’re a hiker, you should get the lightest sleeping bag you can, as long as its temperature rating fits the climate in your destination, and that it’s reasonably within your price range.
This is especially true if you’re winter hiking since that’s when temperature rating becomes a significant consideration. If you’re winter hiking a lot, you should first consider temperature rating, and only then the weight.
The longer your treks are, the lighter the sleeping bag you have should be. Thru-hikers, for example, usually get ultralight sleeping bags.
Sleeping bag weight factors
To find which sleeping bags weigh more and which weigh less, I’ve gathered information from an online retailer((The analysis is based on public information from REI)) with over 190 different sleeping bags. The main goal is to find which sleeping bags are usually lighter than others.
Here we’ll consider some of the aspects that I’ve checked based on the data. Additional considerations, like sleeping bag shape (mummy vs. rectangular), hooded vs. unhooded, and more, were not found to be significant.
Intended use
Different sleeping bags are intended for different uses. Generally, sleeping bags are designed for three types of usages: Camping, backpacking, and ultralight backpacking.
Camping sleeping bags average around 3.62 lbs. The weight of camping bags isn’t affected by different factors as much as backpacking bags. The weights do differ, but there’s no one category of camping sleeping bags that is lighter than the rest.
Backpacking sleeping bags average around 2.78 lbs. They are lighter than camping sleeping bags, and their weight is affected by a multitude of factors, which we’re going to explore further.
Ultralight backpacking sleeping bags average 1.59 lbs. As their main selling point is low weight, they definitely live up to their name (over 40% lighter than standard backpacking sleeping bags!)
Let’s consider the different factors that affect backpacking and ultralight sleeping bags weight.
Temperature rating
Better temperature-rated sleeping bags are heavier than lower ones. This makes sense because more padding and material are needed to keep you warm in lower temperatures.
I took the different sleeping bags and categorized them based on their temperature ratings, and found the average weight of sleeping bags in each temperature rating category:
Temperature Rating | Sleeping Bags Average Weight (lbs) |
Up to -1°F | 3.34 |
---|---|
-1°F to 8°F | 3.16 |
8°F to 18°F | 2.76 |
18°F to 27°F | 2.63 |
27°F to 36°F | 1.96 |
As we can see in the table, the average weight of sleeping bags goes up for lower temperature ratings. So even though a better temperature rating makes sleeping bags more versatile, it does come with downsides.
Insulation type
The insulation type of the sleeping bag is a major factor in its weight.
Down insulation is made of plumage from geese and ducks. This plumage is how these animals keep insulated. Synthetic insulation is designed to replicate down and is made of synthetic materials.
Though more expensive, down-insulated sleeping bags’ weight averages 2.35 lbs, which is much lighter than synthetically insulated sleeping bags, which average 3.42 lbs.
No surprise then that ultralight sleeping bags usually have down, or some sort of mix between down and synthetic insulation.
Price
As you’d expect, lighter sleeping bags usually come with a higher price tag. Expensive bags are made of better quality material, that can weigh less than lower quality material in cheaper products.
Camping sleeping bags are typically much cheaper than backpacking sleeping bags, which is their main selling point. Expect to pay a premium for ultralight sleeping bags, which are much more expensive than the heavier alternatives.
What is the lightest sleeping bag?
The lightest sleeping bag is Vesper 32F/0C Quilt, which is only 15 oz (less than a pound), and is rated for 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you prefer a sleeping bag-style sleeping bag, I can suggest REI Co-op Magma 30 Sleeping Bag for men, which is only 1 lb 4 oz, or Flame Ultralight for women, which is less than 1 lb 2 oz.
All of these sleeping bags will relatively take up very little space when stuffed into the sack, and with good temperature ratings. They’re considered ultralight sleeping bags, which do come with a higher price tag.
Conclusions
Different sleeping bags have different selling points. Some are marketed for their temperature rating, and others for their weight. What’s important is how you’re ultimately going to use the sleeping bag.
If you’re usually camping in nice weather, weight shouldn’t be a major consideration for you, and you can favor a cheaper sleeping bag. For most hikers, though, a lighter sleeping bag will be the optimal choice.