Sleeping Bags

You do not need a sleeping bag.

What's that you say? You're going camping? I'm sorry, I don't believe you. Ah, I see. You MIGHT go camping. Maybe. Listen, you are not going camping. I will bet you a beer.

Ah, you're getting it so that you don't have to pay for the sheets at hostels. Yes, this is true, sometimes you have to pay $1 for sheets. I agree, it's totally worth bringing a sleeping bag with you all day, every day, for the once-per-month-or-two cost of $1 or $2. Totally.

Here's an idea. Buy a sleeping bag liner. It will take up no space at all and will provide a perfectly comfortable (non-winter, indoor) night's sleep. They are generally made of base-layer material, which means they wick sweat, regulate temperature, and don't smell.

If in fact you are going camping (I owe you a beer), then check out the ultra-compressible 1 pound (half-kilo) works of art now on the market. The ones that use goose down, just like jackets, are the warmest things on earth for their size and weight--meaning for reasonable warmth, they will be tiny. Some are as small as a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.

I made do with an emergency sleeping bag, which is made of ultra-thin metal and is super warm. It is windproof and waterproof, which means it isn't breathable, so if you sweat at all, you will feel like you are trapped in a wet garbage bag. I can't recommend this for long-term use, but it's not a bad idea for, as the name suggests, emergency (stuck in bus station) situations. I expect that slipping a sleeping bag liner inside would mitigate the problem, as would cutting vents in the side to let it breathe.

By the way, do not get a winter-weight sleeping bag "just in case" you might go winter camping someday. I bet you 5 beers you will never, ever go outdoor winter camping. Ever. Ultralight hikers nowadays buy summer sleeping bags, and simply wear their warm clothes while sleeping. This saves weight, space, and money. And remember those sleeping bag liners? They were designed to add warmth to the bag, and you can wash the liner instead of the bag. So the combination of ultra-light sleeping bag, ultra-light liner, and ultra-light warm clothing can combine to provide a very, very comfortable night's sleep. But you probably won't need all that anyway.

Tents have undergone similar ultra-light revolutions. Enjoy.

And for god's sake, do you really need a pillow? Roll up some clothes and don't be whiny.