Understanding Sleeping Bag Terms

If you’re new to the camping world and are searching for your own equipment, terminology can sometimes be confusing. The terms used to describe product features aren’t always explained, making the consumer feel like they aren’t really sure what they’re purchasing. If you’re in the market for suitable camping bedding, let us help you understand sleeping bag terms better so you can make the right choice.

Shape

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  Rectangular – Pretty self-explanatory: a rectangular-shaped sleeping bag. These bags are typically the least expensive of any type of sleeping bag on the market, and have the advantage of being able to be used as a comforter or ground cover as well. They are also typically the least warm due to the large amounts of dead space around the body.

• Mummy – Looks just like it sounds: a sleeping bag with a hood that’s designed to encapsulate the entire body with as little dead space as possible for maximum warmth
• Semi-Rectangular – A hybrid of the mummy and rectangular, just not as close-fitting as the mummy

Size

• Regular – Standard size sleeping bag measuring up to 6 feet
• Long – Measures up to 6 feet, 6 inches
• Short – Measures up to 5 feet, 6 inches
• Double – Typically a rectangular bag that’s large enough for two people but can also be found tapered, a double bag can sometimes be zipped apart for singular use of each side.

User

Sleeping bags that are labeled for men, women, or youths are designed with the general features of each in mind. Kids’ bags are obviously designed to fit a range of sizes that kids are when they’re growing up, while men’s and women’s designs pay attention to physical differences between them to optimize their warmth and comfort. For instance, a women’s bag may be shorter and more streamlined in length, whereas a men’s bag may be longer and wider at the top to accommodate larger torsos. Of course, there is a multitude of unisex bags on the market as well if specific features aren’t part of your search criteria.

Temperature Rating

Temperature rating is a sleeping bag term that describes the lowest temperature at which the bag will keep you warm. However, the bag may not have any temperature rating, rather referring to the season for which it was designed.

• Summer – Suitable for temperatures of 35F and higher
• Winter – Suitable for temperatures lower than 10F
• 3 Season – Suitable for temperatures 10F to 35F

Filling

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  Down – Natural fuzz found underneath the feathers of ducks and geese that is widely used for insulation in apparel, sleeping bags, and pillows. While it offers premium warmth and long-lasting loft, it is more expensive and does not retain its insulating properties when wet, unless it has been treated with a waterproofing material. *When referring to down, loft is how fluffy it is, and fill is how many cubic inches 1 oz of down would fill at its maximum loft. Higher fill numbers require less down to keep you warm and weigh much less, making them ideal for backpackers and other minimalist campers.

• Synthetic – Insulation made of synthetic materials, like polyester, that is non-allergenic, retains heat even when wet, and dries quickly. However, synthetic insulation does not pack down as compact as down, which can be disadvantageous for anyone who needs to make every inch and ounce count!