The importance of having a sleeping bag is non-negotiable to a backpacker.
Of course, the sweet spot of a sleeping bag is in its ability to keep you warm by trapping heat within its fabric.
However, in extremely cold weather, a sleeping bag has to do more.
My team and I reviewed 5 of the best sleeping bag for backpacking in cold weather in the whole market. So this is definitely worth your time.
Best sleeping bag for backpacking in cold weather.
Therm-a-Rest Questar O
Insulation: Down fill
Temperature Rating: -18C
Size: L
Style: Mummy
This sleeping bag features Nikwax-treated hydrophobic duck down that makes it weigh heavy and allows it to compress to a small size. This makes it portable to carry around.
The fill power is 650. This means it retains warmth at a good rate. It’s comfortable and durable. This is arguably one of the good sleeping bags out there even though it has a lower fill than others.
The sleeping bag is RDS-certified and it is DWR-treated.
Marmot Voyager 55
Insulation: Down fill
Temperature Rating: -10C
Size: L
Style: Mummy
This sleeping bag is super warm due to its down fill. It features a good quality material that makes it exceptionally good at retaining heat.
Although it possesses a good weight-to-warmth ratio, it’s pretty ultralight. It’s packable when compressed.
This sleeping bag is waterproof which means it repels water when it comes in contact. As already stated, mummy bags are the best style for backpacking in cold weather.
CONS
Coleman Sleeping Bag
Insulation: Down fill
Temperature Rating: -12C
Size: L
Style: Mummy
This sleeping bag compresses down to around 12×12. It’s a little heavier than the rest however it highly retains heat thereby providing warmth.
This is a zero-degree bag that functions optimally in extremely cold weather in winter. It features a lot of space that won’t be enough for just one person. It provides comfort and is durable.
Putting the price into consideration, this bag is worth it.
CONS
Heavy
What To Look For In Sleeping Bag For Backpacking In Cold Weather
Insulation
When it comes to winter or cold weather conditions, down sleeping bags are undoubtedly recognized for their high-value insulation, ultralightweight, interior space, and compressibility.
The downside to down sleeping bags is that they are very pricey and tend to lose their quality when expose to water continuously.
Synthetic insulation is cheaper and requires less care unlike the other. But in terms of quality, synthetic sleeping bags are nowhere near down.
They’re heavier and bulkier and therefore need more filing in order to work efficiently in a similar temperature range.
Temperature Rating
This is an important factor that cannot be overemphasized. All sleeping bags have a temperature factor that determines the level of comfort you can get from it.
Therefore, to experience comfort with any sleeping bag you must adhere to its temperature rating critically.
For example, if a cold weather sleeping bag is rated 35 degrees, it, therefore, means when you use that same sleeping bag at a place with a weather condition of 25 degrees, then you will definitely not be comfortable.
Hence to experience comfort, you must use the bag somewhere with a higher temperature.
Since you know you are going to a place with cold weather, knowing the temperature of the place is critical to buying the right bag.
Work with the season rating degrees I gave above. You can learn more about the temperature rating here.
Size
We have the regular, mummy, spoon-shaped, rectangular cold weather sleeping bags. Side sleepers are advised to get a spoon-shaped sleeping bag.
Style
Sleeping bags come in different styles; mummy, quilt, wearable… Noteworthy is that mummy bags offer the best insulation compared to the other styles.
What Next?
Make your decision and one of the best sleeping bags for cold weather on the market.