Sleeping Bags in Backpacks

Earlier this past week I received a phone call from a woman asking how small my sleeping bags packed down. I responded by saying a Youth bag packs the size of a soft ball and the Antarctic Hunter about 12 by 24 inches compressed. I then asked if she would tell me what the temperature use it was for. Her response was it had to fit into her backpack. Okay, but in order to tell you which bag I make that you should buy I still need the temperature rating. She was still stuck on the bag fitting into her backpack pocket. From the telephone number showing up on caller ID I knew she lived in Utah. I did ask her age which came reluctantly. I asked to establish her possible experience. She is 37 so I said since you live in Utah you probably are not new to camping which she agreed. But again the pack size was on her mind. I asked if she had a bag or bags that fit the pack which she said she did. I then asked if they kept her warm and she said no. I then said since you live in Utah I recommend the Super light and if you are say 5’5” tall and weigh between 140/150 pounds (I would not ask her) it should be a regular wide body size. It weighs 4 ½ pounds and packs to 11 by 17 inches. She said that was too heavy and too large to fit in the backpack pocket. I also said that the companies that market backpacks never came to Wiggy’s to see which bag fit which pack. I also said do you want to sleep because you are warm or still not sleep because you are cold? I have no idea if she ordered a bag on line or not. My guess is no.

For years I have had similar conversations mostly with men who want to go as light as possible. In most cases they do not buy a Wiggy’s bag, they choose to brutalize themselves.

People primarily backpackers are in this situation and therefore are controlled by the backpack marketer who builds this pocket into the backpack stating it is for a sleeping bag. They haven’t a clue as to the use the buyer of the backpack is going to put it to use as in temperature. Generally I suspect the backpack marketers have taken a down bag and jammed it into the pocket. Terrific; as the down bag is used it absorbs body produced moisture (this does happen) and now the moisture condenses and it is pressed into lots of the down causing it to lose its loft more efficiently which means less insulation.

I make a radial compression stuff sack that allows one to tie their sleeping bag (I like to think a Wiggy’s bag) on the top, bottom or in the center of the backpack leaving the ridiculous sleeping bag pocket available for more food or whatever.

The only backpack I have ever seen that will accommodate most of my sleeping bags in the pocket happens to be the DG-6 which I sell. It was not designed that way but was coincidence.