Sleeping bag

A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping outdoors (e.g. when camping, hiking, hill walking or climbing).

It also typically has a water-resistant or water-repellent cover that protects, to some extent, against wind chill and light precipitation, but a tent is usually used in addition to a sleeping bag, as it performs those functions better.

The bottom surface of a sleeping bag may be moderately water repellent, but a plastic tarp or groundsheet is often used to protect against moist ground.

Very lightly insulated sleeping bags are designed for summer camping use or indoor use by children during slumber parties.

A bivouac sack (bivy) is a waterproof cover for a sleeping bag that may be used in place of a tent by minimalist, experienced hikers.

A bivy bag may also be carried by day hikers as a backup or emergency shelter, to be used if they cannot make it back to their starting point by nightfall due to inclement weather or getting lost.

In the 1850s, Elverys Sports in Ireland marketed a proto-sleeping bag known as the Crimea Wrapper towards soldiers being posted to the Crimean War.

[1] The "Euklisia Rug", from Ancient Greek εὖ (well) and κλισία (cot, sleeping-place), patented by mail-order pioneer Pryce Pryce-Jones in 1876,[2] was also a forerunner of the modern sleeping bag.

Pryce-Jones, a Newtown, Montgomeryshire Welsh entrepreneur developed the bag and exported it around the world in the late 19th century.

Together with the tapered shape, this design feature helps protect the feet, which are more vulnerable to heat loss than other parts of the body.

[citation needed] Another design feature is a drawstring, equipped with a cord lock, at the head end to help prevent the escape of warm air.

Inexpensive sleeping bags for warm weather use or use by children indoors typically have a layer of synthetic quilt insulation.

Children's sleeping bags in particular often feature elaborate, brightly colored printed designs, such as images of popular media characters.

It goes on to exclude "garments with sleeves and feet, i.e. sleep suits or baby grows, or to products designed primarily for outdoor use or to keep children warm when in a pushchair."