MusucBag: A sleeping bag with arms and legs
Our summer and autumn test found the MusucBag warm and unusually easy to move in, though its packed size limits its appeal for lightweight trips.
Earlier in 2011, we wrote about MusucBag, the unusual Sleep Wear system: a sleeping bag with arms and legs. After testing it over several nights during summer and autumn, here is our verdict.
A sleeping bag this different certainly gets a reaction, most often surprise. One common response was: “Cool idea, but is it actually any good to sleep in?” The answer is yes. It keeps you warm, sometimes almost too warm. If you overheat, you can open the neck and a zipper roughly 30 cm long on each leg for extra ventilation.
Our tester Arwid wrote:
“I found the MusucBag a good, fun alternative to a traditional sleeping bag. It gives you fantastic freedom of movement, and I never felt the confinement I usually experience in an ordinary bag. It is easy to get into, and once you are in there is little reason to get out. The unusual mobility means you can keep it on and stay warm during nighttime bathroom trips, at least if you are a man, since the zipper also opens from the bottom.
“I tested it in early autumn, and the relatively warm outdoor temperatures meant it sometimes felt quite hot. I opened every ventilation option but eventually had to open the bag completely to reach a comfortable sleeping temperature. I think it would be ideal in colder conditions.
“The only thing I miss is a pocket. Since you can move around so freely in the bag, somewhere to carry small items such as a phone or knife would be extremely useful.”
For hiking, cycling holidays and other activities where packing space is limited, this is less than ideal: it takes up a great deal of room when packed. We see it instead as a camp or festival sleeping bag that attracts attention and doubles as an extra warm layer while wandering around in the evening. Reinforced soles make that possible as long as the ground is dry.
It is an unusual solution with a limited range of uses, but it works and we found it comfortably met its stated temperature range. At the time of our review, it was available from retailers including www.coolstuff.se for SEK 995.
The MusucBag Basic came in five sizes: two for children and M, L and XL for adults. Depending on size, adult versions weighed 1.79–2.20 kg and children’s versions 1.4–1.6 kg. The listed temperature ratings were 9°C, a limit of 4°C and an extreme rating of −9°C. A newer model called Lite reduced packed size by 30%.
