BACKPACKINGLIGHT · GRÖNA BANDET · 2026
Sleeping gear for long-distance hiking – quilts, sleeping bags and sleeping pads
Which sleeping gear works for long-distance hiking? These Gröna Bandet survey results compare hikers’ choices and experiences. Keep the 2026 results separate from combined results and read every average alongside its response count.
Lists are ordered by response count, then average rating. Equal counts and averages share a rank. All models tied at the top-ten cutoff are included. Valid scores from 1 to 10 are used; combined averages are calculated from individual valid scores rather than an unweighted average of yearly means. Unclear model versions are kept out of model rankings.
Sleeping pads now have their own survey ranking
Compare hikers’ ratings, model choices, R-values and weight on the dedicated page for mountain hiking and thru-hiking sleeping pads.
Best quilt for mountain hiking and thru-hiking – hikers’ experiences
Gramjakt UL Quilt −6 is the most frequently identified quilt model in 2026: 4 responses and 8.5/10. Vilse Quilt −6 scores 9.3/10 from 3 responses. Compare brand and model averages separately; high scores from individual responses cannot establish the best quilt for everyone.
Best sleeping bag for the Scandinavian mountains – what does Gröna Bandet show?
Sea to Summit is the most frequent sleeping-bag brand in 2026, with 9 responses and 9.0/10. Rab scores 9.5/10 from 2 responses. The Sea to Summit Spark III model scores 8.0/10 from 2 responses. Read every average with its response count and keep a model’s temperature version separate from the brand average.
Quilt or sleeping bag for long-distance hiking in Scandinavia?
Compare size, fit, temperature specifications and the weight you will carry. Treat the sleeping bag or quilt and sleeping pad as a system for expected night conditions. This self-reported survey does not demonstrate that switching to a quilt itself improves sleep. Combined years include different sleep-system questions; use the 2026 tables for this year’s separate comparisons.
Results 2026
| Brand | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vilse | 7 | 9.7 | 7 |
| Gramjakt | 6 | 9.0 | 6 |
| Enlightened Equipment | 4 | 9.0 | 4 |
| Cumulus | 3 | 9.7 | 3 |
| Homemade | 2 | 10.0 | 2 |
| Rank | Model | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gramjakt UL Quilt -6 | 4 | 8.5 | 4 |
| 2 | Vilse Quilt -6 | 3 | 9.3 | 3 |
| 3 | Vilse Quilt -1 | 2 | 10.0 | 2 |
| 4 | Enlightened Equipment Enigma (temperature varies) | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Gramjakt Skierfe Zero 0 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Katabatic Palisade | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Vilse Quilt -12 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Vilse Quilt -2 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 9 | Cumulus Quilt 350 Wide/Overfill | 1 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 10 | Enlightened Equipment Revelation (temperature varies) | 1 | 7.0 | 1 |
| Brand | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea to Summit | 9 | 9.0 | 9 |
| Marmot | 8 | 8.0 | 8 |
| Western Mountaineering | 5 | 8.2 | 5 |
| Cumulus | 3 | 9.0 | 3 |
| Rab | 2 | 9.5 | 2 |
| Rank | Model | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sea to Summit Spark III | 2 | 8.0 | 2 |
| 2 | Cumulus Lite Line 400 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Marmot Always Summer | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Rab Mythic 200 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Sea to Summit Flame III | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Sea to Summit Flame IV | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Western Mountaineering Badger | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 8 | Rab Neutrino 400W | 1 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 8 | Sea to Summit Spark Women -1 | 1 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 8 | Western Mountaineering Terralite | 1 | 9.0 | 1 |
Combined 2024–2026
The yearly datasets contain 60 responses (2024), 15 (2025) and 62 (2026). The same person may appear in more than one year. In 2024 the score concerns the whole sleep system; later questions distinguish sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping-pad setup. Combined averages therefore mix different questions and are not directly comparable product-test scores.
| Brand | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enlightened Equipment | 7 responses · 9.1 (7 ratings) | 2 responses · 8.0 (2 ratings) | 4 responses · 9.0 (4 ratings) | 13 responses · 8.9 (13 ratings) |
| Vilse | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 1 response · 10.0 (1 rating) | 7 responses · 9.7 (7 ratings) | 8 responses · 9.8 (8 ratings) |
| Gramjakt | 1 response · 9.0 (1 rating) | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 6 responses · 9.0 (6 ratings) | 7 responses · 9.0 (7 ratings) |
| Cumulus | 3 responses · 8.3 (3 ratings) | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 3 responses · 9.7 (3 ratings) | 6 responses · 9.0 (6 ratings) |
| Katabatic | 1 response · 8.0 (1 rating) | 3 responses · 9.3 (3 ratings) | 1 response · 10.0 (1 rating) | 5 responses · 9.2 (5 ratings) |
| Model | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total responses | Combined average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enlightened Equipment Enigma (temperature varies) | 1 response · 10.0 | 2 responses · 8.0 | 1 response · 10.0 | 4 | 9.0 (4 ratings) |
| Gramjakt UL Quilt -6 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 4 responses · 8.5 | 4 | 8.5 (4 ratings) |
| Enlightened Equipment Revelation (temperature varies) | 3 responses · 8.7 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 7.0 | 4 | 8.3 (4 ratings) |
| Vilse Quilt -6 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 3 responses · 9.3 | 3 | 9.3 (3 ratings) |
| Vilse Quilt -1 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 responses · 10.0 | 2 | 10.0 (2 ratings) |
| Cumulus Quilt 350 Wide/Overfill | 1 response · 9.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 9.0 | 2 | 9.0 (2 ratings) |
| Enlightened Equipment Enigma APEX 30F | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Gramjakt Skierfe Zero 0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Katabatic Flex 20F | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Katabatic Palisade | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Vilse Quilt -12 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Vilse Quilt -2 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Vilse Quilt -7 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Brand | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marmot | 10 responses · 8.0 (10 ratings) | 2 responses · 6.5 (2 ratings) | 8 responses · 8.0 (8 ratings) | 20 responses · 7.9 (20 ratings) |
| Sea to Summit | 4 responses · 8.3 (4 ratings) | 1 response · 4.0 (1 rating) | 9 responses · 9.0 (9 ratings) | 14 responses · 8.4 (14 ratings) |
| Western Mountaineering | 8 responses · 9.1 (8 ratings) | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 5 responses · 8.2 (5 ratings) | 13 responses · 8.8 (13 ratings) |
| Cumulus | 6 responses · 8.5 (6 ratings) | 1 response · 10.0 (1 rating) | 3 responses · 9.0 (3 ratings) | 10 responses · 8.8 (10 ratings) |
| Haglöfs | 2 responses · 9.0 (2 ratings) | 1 response · 7.0 (1 rating) | 2 responses · 7.0 (2 ratings) | 5 responses · 7.8 (5 ratings) |
| Model | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total responses | Combined average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marmot Hydrogen | 5 responses · 8.4 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 5 | 8.4 (5 ratings) |
| Sea to Summit Spark III | 3 responses · 8.0 | 0 responses · – | 2 responses · 8.0 | 5 | 8.0 (5 ratings) |
| Western Mountaineering Megalite | 3 responses · 9.7 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 6.0 | 4 | 8.8 (4 ratings) |
| Cumulus Lite Line 400 | 1 response · 9.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 2 | 9.5 (2 ratings) |
| Western Mountaineering Badger | 1 response · 7.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 2 | 8.5 (2 ratings) |
| Haglöfs L.I.M +3 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 7.0 | 1 response · 8.0 | 2 | 7.5 (2 ratings) |
| Marmot Sawtooth | 1 response · 8.0 | 1 response · 7.0 | 0 responses · – | 2 | 7.5 (2 ratings) |
| Cumulus Lite Line 300 | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Marmot Always Summer | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Rab Mythic 200 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Sea to Summit Flame III | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Sea to Summit Flame IV | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 10.0 | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Western Mountaineering Apache | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
| Western Mountaineering Ultralite | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 1 | 10.0 (1 rating) |
How to read the survey
The 2026 dataset contains 62 responses: 35 concern the full Gröna Bandet route, 26 sections and one gives no route extent. This is self-reported first-hand experience, not a controlled product test or a representative sample of all hikers. The year identifies the survey dataset, not a verified hiking year.
The yearly datasets contain 60 responses (2024), 15 (2025) and 62 (2026). The same person may appear in more than one year. In 2024 the score concerns the whole sleep system; later questions distinguish sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping-pad setup. Combined averages therefore mix different questions and are not directly comparable product-test scores.
Backpackinglight runs the survey and also sells outdoor equipment, including its own brands. A single top score is one person’s experience.
Earlier illustrations
These illustrations are retained from the previous publication. For the current results, use the dated tables and methodology on this page.
