Camping Sleeping Bags: Rectangular vs Mummy

The prime purpose of a sleeping bag is to contribute warmth and thermal insulation through its synthetic or down insulation. Most noteworthy, some are lightly insulated designed for summer camping or indoor use. Well-insulated bags are designed for cold weather.

Your sleeping bag plays an influential role. Hence, choosing the right sleeping bag will protect you in severe conditions and help protect you from injuries.

Various options come into consideration while determining which types of sleeping bags will be best for your activity, sleeping style, body shape, and the conditions in which you plan to do your camping.

Types of sleeping bags

Rectangular sleeping bags: These bags employ a non-tapered, right-angled design and full or half-length zip. The principal advantage of this design is that it allows you to shift around freely inside. But, the design of a rectangular bag leaves more unoccupied space for our bodies to heat, so they are less thermally efficient. The extra fabric used around the shoulders and foot box makes the rectangular bags a little heavier. This style of bag is a good bet for warm-weather car campers, but not ideal for cooler conditions.
Mummy-style sleeping bags: Mummy sleeping bags are optimal insulators in cool conditions. The most popular of all types due to their excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, low bulk, and ability to create a draught-resistant, cosy cocoon that optimizes warmth in cool conditions. The downside of mummy bags is that the form-fitting design can feel restrictive.
Semi-rectangular sleeping bags: These bags are tapered from the top and squared from the bottom. This style of sleeping bag presents a balance between a mummy-style sleeping bag and a rectangular sleeping bag. It is a good option for campers who need a little more warmth than a rectangular bag but who are not keen on the restrictive feel of a mummy.
Double sleeping bags:Produced to fit two adult sleepers, these sleeping bags are ideal for camping trips with loved ones. The double sleeping bags mostly come in rectangular form, indicating they offer oodles of space and freedom but lack the insulating capacity required for cool-weather camping.
Quilts: The prevalence of quilts has risen among car campers, hammock users, and backpackers. When comparing with a mummy bag, quilts are lighter, more versatile, packable, affordable, and comfortable. They can prove to be a good option for minimalist adventurers.
Elephant’s foot sleeping bags: They use the tapered, form-hugging design of mummy bags. Most noteworthy, to decrease the weight and pack size, forgo the hood, shoulders and zips. Its set-up is the lightest without necessarily compromising on warmth.
Zipless sleeping bags: These sleeping bags intend to cater for the demands of side-sleepers. They work well for anyone who tends to move around a lot in their sleep or finds the fit of a mummy-style bag similar to that of a straitjacket.
Women's sleeping bags: These types of sleeping bags provide a fit anatomically optimized for the female form. This implies a more tapered fit around the shoulders, a wider hip area, and shorter sizes. Women are said to be cold sleepers and require more insulation to stay warm at night.

Rectangular Vs Mummy sleeping bag

Foremost there are 2 types of camping sleeping bag shapes: rectangular sleeping bags are more traditional, while mummy sleeping bags are form-fitting and compact. Each type of sleeping bag shape has its characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses, which you can explore in the below points:

-Sleeping Bag Comfort: Compared to rectangular sleeping bags, mummy bags, by design, allow less room inside that can result in some people feeling squeezed.

-Sleeping Bag Warmth: A mummy bag is more efficient in cold temperatures and when fully closed it only expose the mouth and nose of the sleeper. Most utmost rectangular bags are completely suited for temperatures above freezing.

-Sleeping Bags and Backpacking: Mummy style sleeping bags have proved to be lighter and less bulky in comparison to rectangular bags, presenting them to be ideal for backpacking and backcountry camping.

-Sleeping Bags and Camping: Rectangular sleeping bags are well-suited for car campers, as, in their situation, bag warmth, weight and size are not a priority. In case, comfort is the highest priority for you, a rectangular sleeping bag, with their roomy design, shine for this purpose.

-Sleeping Bag Prices: Cost plays a vital role in the decision between a mummy bag versus a rectangular sleeping bag. The expensive mummy sleeping bags can outprice the most costly rectangular bags by several hundred dollars, while lower-end mummy bags are often likewise priced to most rectangular bags.

In case you are looking for sleeping bags fr your next camping trip, here are some of our recommendations.

-Coleman Pathfinder Sleeping Bag