If you need an ultralight and ultra-compact bag for your outdoor adventures, you might want to check this list with best down sleeping bags for backpacking, all products from the top brands in this industry.
Why down sleeping bags?
A sleeping bag is one of the three bulkiest items that you carry in the backpack or attached to it, the other two are a tent and a sleeping pad. But it is frequently overlooked that water is usually the heaviest stuff in the pack. I am a mountaineer and I have been carrying backpacks for longer than three decades. On some occasions, I was carrying more than 4 liters of liquid. So a sleeping bag, even if not ultralight, is far lighter than water.
Nevertheless, it is essential to reduce the weight and the packed size whenever possible. This is why all the bags here in the list are with weight well-below one kilogram and they are nicely packable.
There is no particular reason for such a weight limit and not some other, but the less weight the better. If you expect to be in a cold environment, you will have to carry a bag with more insulation, and this means more weight and bulk. For such situations check our separate list with best lightweight winter sleeping bags for camping and chose something appropriate. You have to be protected from the cold, no matter the weight. So some of the bags presented below are more for mild temperatures, and this means up to 2 seasons or so, but there are some great exceptions, you will see them below.
Natural down is still without a match when it comes to weight and packed size, so this is the best material for backpackers. Normally, manufacturers always treat down to improve its performance because it is sensitive to moisture, it loses its insulating feature when it gets wet, and it does not dry fast.
But there may be more reasons for the small weight of sleeping bags here and in general, and some of them are as follows:
- This can be a mummy-style bag with few features to shed the weight. They do not offer lots of space but they are thermally efficient. A rectangular bag normally has more material so it is naturally heavier and bulkier, but you will see some of this shape here as well.
- As already mentioned above, it can be a sleeping bag which is for warm weather only, without much insulation.
- Usually, you have an ultra-thin fabric and this may not be so durable.
- Sometimes, to shed the weight they build them bottomless. The insulation, when pressed with the body, does not insulate properly, and this is why they remove it completely. In some cases you can have what is called zoned insulation. The meaning is less of it on the bottom than on the top.
- Sometimes, such a light bag can just be physically small.
- Some of the bags can come without a hood that adds volume and weight, but it also adds to the thermal efficiency of a bag and it is better to have it if you expect chili weather.
This is why it is important to pay attention to such details and to understand what the bag offers. Due to such reasons, it is difficult to make the ranking. You will see below that I give them ordered by weight but this is only one feature so better check what the bag offers.
My list with best down backpacking sleeping bags
So here are the bags ordered by weight from heavier to lighter.
1. Big Agnes Mystic UL 15 Sleeping Bag
This bag is built as a relaxed mummy-cut, and the temperature rating is great as you realize from its name. So this is a true 3-season pad. You have a top quality 850 fill power DownTek water-repellent insulation, and it is Bluesign-approved.
I mentioned zoned insulation, so this is what you have here on the bottom that is lightly insulated. This reduces its packed size, but they have added a sleeve for a pad which adds some bulk.
The bag is built in 3 sizes, and the R size can be compressed to 7 x 6 inches (18 x 15 cm), and the volume is 198 in³ (3.2 liters). This is why it is also in my list of best compact sleeping bags. Note that the weight is 2 lb (907 g).
2. Big Agnes Hitchens UL 20 Down Mummy Sleeping Bag
This is a very typical mummy-style sleeping bag with few features to shed the weight but with a high-quality DownTek water repellent 850 down. It is EN-rated and its materials are ultra-thin but also very strong.
The packed size is impressive 7 x 6 inches (18 x 15 cm) and this means 198 in³ (3.2 liters), assuming that you have a compression sack that is not included here. They build it in 3 sizes and the size R weighs 1 lb 11 oz (765 g), so this is very impressive in view of its temperature rating.
3. Sierra Designs Cloud 35 Degree Sleeping Bag
In this Sierra Designs Cloud 800 35-Degree Sleeping Bag you have an ultra-lightweight and also zipperless construction. The manufacturer describes it as a 3-season bag with EN comfort limit 36 F (2 C).
You have a comforter visible in the picture, and it is also equipped with a feet vent. I would use it as a great 2-season option. Its R size weighs only 1 lb 7 oz (0.66 kg), and this is due to several features, like its quality down fill and absence of zippers.
4. Big Agnes Flume UL 30 Degree Sleeping Bag
They build this bag in two sizes R and L and the compressed size for the R version is 7 x 5.5 inches (18 x 14 cm), so this is 166.3 in³ (2.7 liters) and this is simply incredible. It is also incredibly light, it weighs only 1 lb 6 oz (624 g).
The bag is mummy style and this is partly behind the weight, but you also have Big Agnes’ DownTek 850 fill water-repellent down insulation. The fabric is high tenacity and ultralight. I see it as best suited for 2-seasons.
5. Naturehike 1.28 lbs Ultralight 800 Fill Power Goose Down Sleeping Bag
The weight of this bag you can see already in the name, so in view of its 1.28 lb (0.58 kg) of weight, it is hard to find a match for this bag that is also rectangular.
The bag is also extremely compact when packed, and these features make it versatile and suitable for any outdoor activity. It offers far more space than those tiny mummy bags, but note that it is without a hood. The official temperature rating is around 32 ℉ to 42.8 ℉ (0 – 6 Celsius), but in my view, this bag is for 2 seasons maximum.
6. Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20 Degree Sleeping Bag
This Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20 Degree Sleeping Bag has a top-quality 900-fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down. This is among the best down type that you can find on the market. They claim that it maintains its loft 60 times longer than an untreated down, it absorbs 90% less water than an untreated down, and it also dries 3 times faster. It is EN tested.
The secret behind its weight of only 1 lb 4 oz (0.58 kg) is partly its zoned insulation. So you have 70% of insulation on the top and only 30% on the bottom. The other reason for the weight is its incredibly thin 10D Nylon RipStop fabric with DWR.
The bag is extremely packable and the packed size is 8 x 6 inches (20 x 15 cm). So the packed volume is 226 in³ (3.7 liters).
Final words
So this was my list with best down sleeping bags for backpacking, they are all ultralight and ultra-packable and this makes them versatile and suitable for any outdoor activity. The list will be updated whenever I find a sleeping bag with features that make it eligible for adding here. This is why you might want to bookmark this text and check occasionally.
You will find many more options on my page with sleeping bags so please follow the link and check. Top-quality products presented in detail. You might want also to read my text about sleeping bags down fill vs synthetic fill.
Thank you for reading and do let me know what you think, there is a comment box below if you have any comment and question. Have a nice day.
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