When it comes time to pack up your sleeping bag in the morning, the smallest sleeping bag is always going to be the best sleeping bag. A smaller, more compact sleeping bag leaves you with more room in your backpack for other stuff. The smallest sleeping bag is also going to tend to be the lightest sleeping bag, so getting a small, compact sleeping bag is also a very good way to save weight, and lower the overall weight of your load.
Smallest Sleeping Bag
What to consider when you want the smallest sleeping bag possible.- Down – When it comes to down versus synthetic insulation, down is the more compact of the two choices, relative to warmth. So if you want a small sleeping bag, you’re better off with a down sleeping bag. Even more so, you’re better off with a sleeping bag with higher quality down, which is delineated by the fill count.
- Shape – Obviously, another good way to reduce the overall size of your sleeping bag is to cut off the corners and taper it as much as possible to conform to your body shape, which is exactly what a mummy sleeping bag is. The more material that is removed from the sides of your sleeping bag, the smaller it is going to be.
Smallest Sleeping Bag Reviews
A few reviews of the very smallest sleeping bags for your next outdoor adventure.- Mountain Hardwear Phantom - First up, for those looking for a small sleeping bag that will keep them warm when the temperature drops down. The Phantom has a minimum temperature rating of just 15 degrees, making it ideal for four season camping in most parts of the world. What helps to make it small is 800 fill down, first of all, which is very compressible, as well as a very narrow mummy cut, so that the sleeping bag is only as big as it really needs to be, cutting down on bulk as much as is possible. And at just 1 pound 15 ounces, or 870 grams it's one of the lightest 15 degree sleeping bags you will ever get your hands on.
- Terra Nova Laser 600 - What makes the Laser 600 a small sleeping bag is that it uses very high quality 900+ fill down, which gives you the same amount of warmth with less down, which of course cuts down on bulk. It also has a mummy cut, which again, is meant to cut down on bulk and make the sleeping bag as small as possible. The temperature rating is 32 degrees, so ideal for three season use, and the weight is 1 pound 6.2 ounces, or 630 grams, which is far lighter than just about any other 32 degree sleeping bag. So not a cheap option because of the 900 fill down, but an excellent choice if you want a small sleeping bag.
- Western Mountaineering Highlite - The Highlite is the perfect sleeping bag for summer nights, or three season nights in some of the warmer parts of the world. A minimum temperature rating of 35 degrees is not especially warm, but then this sleeping bag has a weight of just 1 pound, or 453 grams, which is small enough that you'll hardly even know you're carrying it. It uses 850 fill down, for starters, has just a half length zipper and even large, square baffles, all designed to lower weight and bulk as much as possible. So if you want something small for summer nights, this is it.
