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The Ultralight
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My Ultralight Sleeping Bag
A One Pound Sleeping Bag!
It is definitely an ultralight sleeping
bag, but it actually weighs 19 ounces with the stuff sack. Stuff
sacks aren't always necessary, however. I can just stuff it directly
into my pack or put it in a half-ounce bread bag. It is a down
sleeping bag, the Western Mountaineering Highlite.
It appears to be very fragile, and I have
babied it over the years, but it may be tougher than I thought.
I have used it from sea-level to 16,000 feet in all types of
weather (I camp under a tarp much of the time), and it still
has all of its loft and appears new. The zipper only goes half-way
down (to save weight),and it is a mummy bag, but it has always
been comfortable for me (I'm 6'3", 165 pounds). There is
a full description at the bottom of the page. At the time I bought
it I couldn't find any lighter bags. Now I see that there are
some other options out there.
A Synthetic Ultralight Sleeping
Bag
If you aren't sure you can keep your bag
dry (important with down), a good lightweight sleeping bag to
try is the North Face Propel 40 Degree Polarguard, which
weighs only 16 ounces. That's an amazingly low weight for a synthetic
sleeping bag. There is a complete description at the bottom of
the page. Any good synthetic bag is probably better than down
if you are regularly getting it wet.
A Down Ultralight Sleeping Bag
The Marmot Lithium 0 Degree Down Bag
weighs only 2 pounds, 11 ounces. That's fantastic for a true
winter bag! I don't recall ever seeing
another 0 degree bag under three pounds. The other big advantage
of any down sleeping bag is it's compressibility. Nothing packs
smaller than down.
Using An Ultralight Sleeping Bag
A note about using an ultralight sleeping
bag: Treat it gently. Usually the lighter bags are more fragile.
I have used mine in snow and rain for years, from Ecuador to
California and Michigan, and it shows no wear. Obviously, if
you baby these things, they can last a long time, and it's worth
it. Reducing the weight of the big three (pack, tent and bag)
is what makes ultralight backpacking possible.
The Ultralight
Backpacking Site | My Ultralight Sleeping Bag |