Mummy Sleeping Bags: Material and Other Important Factors

Choosing the right mummy sleeping bag for your outdoor expedition is critical to having a successful, enjoyable adventure. There is nothing worse than realizing that your bag will not keep you warm at night or that you forgot to include a sleeping pad or other camp bedding that provides some comfortable shut-eye. Many factors impact your warmth at night in addition to outdoor temps, thereby impacting the type of mummy bag and camp bedding best for you. 

Sleeping Pads: Do I Need One? 

While selecting your mummy bag with the appropriate temperature rating for your outing is important, other factors play a critical role in impacting your warmth. Ground temperature is an important factor in the warmth your sleeping bag will provide, in spite of the air temp and your body temp. This is where a sleeping pad could be your best friend. 

Not only does a sleeping pad provide a barrier between frigid ground temps and your mummy bag, a sleeping pad will add comfort with some cushion between you and the cold, hard ground. Without the barrier of a sleeping pad, cold ground temperature will seep up into your bag and your body attempting to bring your temperature closer to the ground temp. A sleeping pad puts a layer of air between you and the ground to keep you much warmer and dryer in moist climates or grassy hills. 

Mummy Bag Material: Down vs Synthetic

The two options you will most commonly hear about are down material vs. synthetic. Here is a snapshot of the two types of sleeping bag material with the pros and cons of each. 

Down Material

Down filled sleeping bags will compress a little more than synthetic making it nice to pack into smaller spaces for the weight conscience backpacker. One of the biggest drawbacks of down material, however, is that if it gets wet it will immediately lose any insulating power. Some people also have ethical issues with way down feathers are sourced. Here is a snapshot of the pros and cons of down:

• Pros:

• Longer insulation lifespan

• More compressible

• Higher warmth-to-weight ratio than synthetic

• Cons:

• Not water resistant

• More expensive

• Harder to clean

• Ethical considerations

Synthetic Material

Mummy bags with synthetic insulation provide warmth without worrying about moisture ruining your camping trip. Synthetic material is more durable than down, although may not provide as long of a lifespan when used and packed repeatedly. Synthetic material provides a great, affordable sleeping bag for the average camper and will last quite a long time with proper care. 

Cascade Mountain Tech offers some great options for high quality synthetic mummy bags in either 0° or 30° temp ratings. Here are some of the pros and cons of synthetic material:

• Pros:

• Less expensive

• Hypoallergenic

• No ethical issues

• Dries more quickly than down

• Cons:

• Bulkier and heavier than down

• Shorter insulation lifespan

• Provides less warmth per weight

The perfect sleeping bag for you will depend on the temperature and the season of your outdoor expedition, the ground temperature, potential moisture, and backpack weight restrictions. Contact the outdoor experts at Cascade Mountain Tech for more pro-tips on selecting the right mummy bag and camp bedding for a good night’s sleep in any outdoor environment.

Cascade Mountain Tech offers camp bedding with various temp ratings for mummy sleeping bags, super rotomolded coolers, trekking poles, camp chairs and more. We help to make sure that you enjoy your outing safely and comfortably. Contact us with any questions on choosing the perfect camp bedding with sleeping pads and mummy bags for anyone.